The funeral service for Cornwall rugby legend Dave Thomas is due to go ahead this week.

Dave 'Benji' Thomas sadly passed away on Thursday 10th February aged 83 following a short illness.

The funeral service will be held at Trelawny Chapel, Penmount Crematorium on Friday 25th February at 3:15pm.

The cortège will leave the house at 2:10pm proceeding through Penryn and via Pendennis Point, prior to the service, for anyone unable to attend.

Family flowers only, but donations in lieu, if desired, for the RNLI may be given by retiring collection or c/o Kingsley Tresidder Funeral Service, Mill Stream Funeral Home, Mill Yard, Ponsanooth, TR3 7EF, 01872 863607.

The family requested that any gentlemen attending, who are rugby club members, wear their club blazer and tie, and ladies a brightly coloured scarf.

Afterwards people are invited to reminisce about Benji at Penryn RFC.

Dave will be remembered as the successful Cornwall coach on a famous day at Twickenham in 1991 when Cornwall defeated Yorkshire by 29 points to 20, after extra time, to lift the ADT County Championship Trophy.

Aside from being the coach of Cornwall in 1991, he was part of the Penryn side of the 1960s that dominated local rugby.

Educated at Falmouth Grammar School and Cardiff College of Education, he also played for Berkshire, before taking up a post at Penryn Secondary Modern where he remained until retirement.

He played for Cornwall as a player on 21 occasions from 1959 until 1970, when his playing career finished he turned to coaching and was involved with Penryn, Falmouth, and St. Ives.

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