Ray Gravell’s girls to be mascots for Grand Slam hopefuls

Mar 11 2008 Western Mail

THE daughters of rugby legend Ray Gravell will lead the Welsh team out on to the Millennium Stadium turf on Saturday in their bid to secure the Grand Slam.

Manon, 12, and Gwenan, nine, will be the matchday mascots against France, four-and-a-half months after their father died unexpectedly while on a family holiday abroad, aged 56.

Grav was capped 23 times for Wales and many of the players his daughters lead out will be seeking to emulate his record of two Grand Slams on Saturday.

The last time the sisters strode out on to a rugby field was to accompany their father’s coffin at his funeral at Llanelli’s Stradey Park, which was attended by thousands of mourners.

The girls, who both support Llanelli Scarlets and voiced their hopes that their favourite players Dwayne Peel and Stephen Jones would be Wales’ half-back pairing, said it was a dream come true to lead out the team for the national anthems.

“It’s an honour to be mascot for the Welsh team and to share this experience with my sister, Manon,” said Gwenan.