| Birth name | Graham George Willars | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 20 November 1939 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Leicester, Leicestershire | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 20 September 1997 (aged 57) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Leicester | ||||||||||||||||
| School | Moat Boys School | ||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Communications manager for BT | ||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
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Graham George Willars known as Graham Willars (20 November 1939 - 20 September 1997) was an English rugby union flanker who played a 338 games for Leicester Tigers from 1959 to 1987, he also coached the side from 1982–87 and was club president from 1991–93.
Willars made his Leicester debut as a 19 year old on 17 October 1959 against Cheltenham at Welford Road and played 21 times in his first season. However competition for places was fierce and in 1960/61 he played only 5 times and did not feature at all in either 1961/62 or 1962/63. Willars reappeared in the first team against Waterloo in December 1962 and was then a feature in the team for many years. Willars was club captain in 1968/69 and then again in 1972/73.[1]
Willars' career lasted 27 years and 169 days, spanning 1,154 Tigers games, the longest by both measures of any player for Leicester Tigers. He featured as a player in a record 20 different seasons.[2] At 47 years and 135 days he is also the oldest player to play for the club.[3]
Willars succeeded Chalkie White as Tigers' first team coach and lead the side from 1982–87 leading the side to the final of the 1982-83 John Player Cup, where the side lost to Bristol.
Farmer,Stuart & Hands, David Tigers-Official History of Leicester Football Club (The Rugby DevelopmentFoundation ISBN 978-0-9930213-0-5)