A WELSH rugby legend who played for Keighley in the early 1960s has died at the age of 86.

Garfield Owen played both rugby league and rugby union at international level during the 1950s and 1960s.

Owen started out by playing amateur rugby union for his home-town club Llanharan, going on to play for several other Welsh teams and winning six caps with his national team.

In 1956 he joined Halifax, playing 166 matches over six seasons and scoring 535 goals in four tries.

In 1961 he joined the Keighley team, and over four seasons slashed goal-scoring records, kicking 348 goals and scoring three tries. He became a coach before retiring in 1965.

Owen, who excelled in several other sports, worked as a teacher then sold cars. On retirement he and his family stayed in Halifax. He is in the Halifax club’s Hall of Fame.

Owen and his wife Marlene had two children.