John Bayliss: Tributes paid to 'true gentleman' rugby star

John Bayliss made more than 400 appearances for Gloucester

Friends and family of a Gloucester rugby legend have paid their respects at his funeral.

John Bayliss scored 92 tries in 403 appearances for Gloucester between 1960 and 1977.

A number of the 79-year-old's former team-mates attended the funeral, held at Gloucester Cathedral on Thursday.

Mr Bayliss was a centre who was known as a fearsome tackler and even returned to play for Gloucester after breaking his neck late in his career.

Kirsty Foran said Mr Bayliss was a "true gentleman"

Despite his tough reputation on the pitch, he was also a much-loved family man.

Family member Kirsty Foran said: "He was a true gentleman. He always had time to discuss how you were and pass on his tales and things to you and help guide family members in the right direction."

John Bayliss' funeral was held at Gloucester Cathedral

Mr Bayliss' former Gloucester team-mates spoke glowingly about his talent and reputation on the rugby field.

Nigel Jackson, 75, said his death was a "sad loss" and described him as a "very hard man and a good man".

Meanwhile, Keith Richardson, 79, said Mr Bayliss was "one of the original hard men".

He added: "He was feared, absolutely feared, and that was by us, so the opposition didn't have much of a chance."

Mike Burton described his former team-mate as a "demon tackler"

Mike Burton, 76, another team-mate of Mr Bayliss, said: "He gave you a sense of security and safety because he was a demon tackler.

"If we ever lost the ball, their backs had to get past John Bayliss and I didn't envy them that."

Donations from the funeral will go towards the Ed Slater Trust, which was set up after the Cherry & Whites' second row was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in July.