A Gwent businessman went on a job at a well known rugby referee’s house which set off a chain of events ending in the presentation of a special Welsh Rugby Union cap – nine years after the intended recipient had died.

Peter Brooks, who runs Newport-based firm Sunlux Interiors, says he took a phone call from Les Peard of Castleton about putting up some blinds at his home.

When he got there to measure up he walked into one room and saw a display of Welsh rugby memorabilia second to none. And, on realising Peard was a distinguished former international ref, told him his grandfather – Francis Price (known by his middle name of George) – was a WRU official for many years.

Indeed, he handled the 1964 international between Ireland and France at Lansdowne Road, as well as All Blacks touring games and an Army-Navy match at Twickenham plus many top Welsh fixtures.

He was from Blaenavon and was a miner all his life and though he died nine years ago Peard informed his caller that the WRU were presenting caps to surviving referees and to family members of those who had died.

So Brooks made contact with WRU referees chief Rob Yemen and the process was set up.

Price’s daughter Anne Brooks takes up the story, explaining she was on holiday in Tenerife when she received a text from son Peter telling her what had happened.

“I was surprised and I wished my dad had been here to receive the cap himself,” she said. “But we decided to go ahead and went to the stadium where we were presented with the cap, had a tour, lunch in the VIP box and went on the grass. It was a wonderful day which I’ll never forget.

“I had had rugby shoved down my throat and as I was a bit of a tomboy I used to go everywhere with my dad on the bus to matches.”

The family, who live at Caerleon, still have the Ireland-France programme and other memorabilia, now sitting alongside a nice new WRU referee’s cap.

Son-in-law Reg is well known locally for setting up a special viewing room in his garage, complete with bar, where around 15 villagers gather to watch Welsh internationals, and they even watched Joe Calzaghe fights from the States at 4am.

“I’ve got to invite my neighbours and give them free tickets so that they can’t complain!” said Reg. Next month when Wales play their autumn internationals he might even wear a Wales cap.