Wales and Lions prop Courtenay Meredith dies aged 97

Courtenay Meredith (centre) helped Wales beat New Zealand in 1953 while winning his second cap

Former Wales and British and Irish Lions rugby player Courtenay Meredith has died at the age of 97.

He was the last survivor of the Wales team which beat New Zealand in 1953 - a feat the country has not repeated since.

Prop Meredith toured South Africa with the Lions in 1955 and played four Tests as part of an all-Wales front-row with Billy Williams and Bryn Meredith.

The next all-Wales front row to play in a Lions Test was Gethin Jenkins, Matthew Rees and Adam Jones in 2009.

Meredith is regarded as one of the toughest men to play rugby for Wales.

He packed down at tight-head and loose-head for Neath and played in 14 matches for his country.

The most famous of those games was the 13-8 win over Bob Stuart's New Zealand in 1953 when tries by Sid Judd and Ken Jones earned Wales a third - and so far final - win over the All Blacks.

Two years later he was selected for the Lions' tour to South Africa and played every Test as the tourists drew the four-match series two-all.

Born in Pontypridd and educated at Neath Grammar School, Meredith is ranked among the finest Welsh front row forwards of all time.

In its tribute to Meredith, the Welsh Rugby Union offered its "sincere condolences" to his "friends and families", while the Lions said that "the thoughts of everyone... are with Courtenay’s family and friends".