A product of Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari, Gareth Wyatt graduated out of the Pontypridd Youth set up alongside fellow future internationals Kevin Morgan and Martyn Williams.
Having starred for Wales Youth in a Grand Slam season, and in a FIRA World Cup campaign, Gareth was introduced with caution to the Ponty senior squad, playing only five games in 1995, but making a significant impact as a speedy, side-stepping winger.
The following year saw Gareth’s versatility, along with injury problems to a small Ponty squad, forcing him to play much of his rugby at outside half or full back, and winning a senior cap for Wales, against Tonga in 1997, wearing the no 15 shirt.
Ponty’s recruitment drive in the summer of 1999 allowed Gareth to concentrate fully again on the winger’s role, making his mark out wide, and was followed by further international honours with the Wales A and Sevens teams.
Gareth’s status as a try poacher of the highest quality was underlined with some stunning scores in Ponty’s bid for European glory in the 2002 season.
The advent of regional rugby saw Gareth moving on to represent the Celtic Warriors and then the Gwent Dragons, before joining Newport in the 2008/09 season.
Gareth Wyatt returned to Pontypridd for the 2010/11 season, a senior member of the squad but continuing to impress as a winger, full back and occasionally as an outside half. In 2012 he progressed to become a player-coach, assisting Paul John in nurturing the backs at the club.
When Gareth eventually called time on a glittering playing career at the end of the 2013 – 2014 campaign, he stepped up to a role as assistant backs coach with Pontypridd having made 293 appearances for the club, scoring 112 tries and amassing 680pts.
When Gareth eventually called time on a glittering playing career at the end of the 2013 – 2014 campaign, he stepped up to the role as assistant backs coach having already been player-coach at the club from 2012 onwards.
He was part of Ponty’s coaching set-up until 2018 before departing to take up a position as backs coach with the Wales Women senior squad, a role which he had already fulfilled on a temporary basis during the 2018 Six Nations campaign.
Wyatt returned to Pontypridd RFC in October 2022, initially replacing Paul Matthews as The Club’s backs coach. Then during a restructure in January 2023, Gareth was promoted to the role of Joint-Head Coach of Pontypridd RFC along with Lee Davies. He left his coaching role with the Club in February 2024 calling time on many years of incredible service to Pontypridd RFC.
Gareth Wyatt: Winger/ Full Back 293 appearances 1995-2014, Backs Coach 2014-2018, Coach/Head Coach 2022-2024
