Rob Davies MBE
Date and place of birth: 14/08/84, Abergavenny
Home town: Brecon
Lives: Brecon
TT Class: 1
Current world ranking: 7
International debut: 2007, Ireland
Major titles: Paralympic champion 2016; European champion 2013/2015/2017/2019; European team champion 2013/2015
Rob’s story
Born and bred in Wales, Rob played semi-professional rugby until a spinal cord injury while playing left him wheelchair-bound at the age of 21. In a bizarre twist of fate, at the same time that Rob was injured his twin brother Rich was involved in a serious car accident on the way to the match but went on to make a full recovery.
While undergoing rehab at Rookwood Hospital in Cardiff, Rob was encouraged to take up table tennis by Para table tennis international Sara Head, who was doing voluntary work at the hospital.
“I’d played rugby since I was four years old and never had an injury until then,” he said. “I’d always seen table tennis as a bit of a girly sport compared to rugby so I wasn’t that helpful to begin with. My grandparents pushed me and I started training with the guys in Wales and that was it. When I left hospital I started training two or three times a week.”
Rob became part of the GB Development squad in 2007 and having taken silver medals in the individual and team events at the European championships in 2011 realised his ambition of competing in the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Inspired by competing in London Rob became European champion and World number one in 2013 and after taking silver in the World Championships in 2014 he went on to become Paralympic champion in Rio 2016.
At the end of 2016 Rob received an MBE in the New Year Honours List and in July 2017 he married his fiancée Megan. After taking gold in the Czech Open in September 2017 he won his third consecutive European title in Slovenia, leading an historic one-two-three for GB in men class 1 after beating old friend Paul Davies in the semi-finals and young pretender Tom Matthews in the final.
In September 2019 he won his fourth consecutive European singles title and was focused on defending his Paralympic title in Tokyo but had to withdraw before the Games due to a shoulder injury. He returned in 2022 to take bronze in the men’s class 1 singles at the World Championships and was narrowly denied a fifth European singles title in 2023, losing the final to old rival Endre Major from Hungary in five sets.
“I’m really proud of getting to the final again but not of that performance,” he said. “It wasn’t anything near what I can play like and that is the most disappointing thing. I’ve got to keep going – three years ago when I was playing consistently against these guys I was a bit ahead of them and I’ve got to get back to that. I know I’ve got work to do and that’s what I intend doing.”
Rob qualified for the Paralympic Games in Paris and played superbly to take silver in the men’s class 1 singles, defeating World number three Kim Hakjin from Korea and Endre Major before losing in the final to Para PanAmerican champion Yunier Fernandez from Cuba.
“I’m an athlete and you always want to win,” he said, “but I’m really proud just to get there. It’s been such an awesome Games experience so to get to the final makes it that bit more special. I didn’t get the result I wanted but in a few weeks’ time I’m sure I’ll be really happy. I think if I had won that first set it would have had a bit of a bearing on the match - just because it would have put a bit more pressure on Fernandez, but it wasn’t to be. I just kept battling but I couldn’t get into the game after that. I did the level that I could do but it just wasn’t enough today. Overall, Paris has been one hell of an experience, and I’ve really enjoyed myself.”
After the postponement of the Tokyo Paralympic Games Rob made the most of his time at home during lockdown and discovered a passion for gardening in the process.
“My grandad was a farmer and before my accident I used to spend a lot of time with him,” he said. “As a builder I was always outside or playing rugby so I just love being outside. That is what I love about being in the garden – having fresh air and being outside gives you a bit of mind space. Just doing physical work again in the garden is what I enjoy, especially when it is nice weather.”
Rugby is still a passion of Rob’s and he goes to watch his local side play whenever he can as well as being a keen supporter of the Welsh team. “I still miss it,” he admits. “I do wheelchair rugby now for fun but I wanted a different challenge - rugby is a team sport and I could see table tennis was different and wanted to challenge myself.”
2024 Results:
Paralympic Games, Paris – silver, men’s singles (class 1); QF, men’s doubles (class 4)
Slovenia Open – QF, men’s singles (class 1); group stages, men’s doubles (class 4); group stages, mixed doubles (class 7)
Lignano Masters Para Open, Italy – QF, men’s singles (class 1)
2023 Results:
European Championships, Sheffield, UK – silver, men’s singles (class 1)
Czech Para Open – silver, men’s singles (class 1)
Slovenia Open – L16, men’s singles (class 1); group stages, men’s doubles (class 4)
Lignano Masters Open, Italy – bronze, men’s singles (class 1)
2022 Results:
World Championships, Spain – bronze, men’s singles (class 1)
Greek Open – bronze, men’s singles (class 1)
Finland Open – gold, men’s singles (class 1)
Argentina Para Copa Tango – 3rd, men’s singles RR (class 1)
Czech Para Open – QF, men’s singles (class 1)
2021 Results:
Copa Costa Rica – bronze, men’s singles (class 1-3)
2019 Results:
European Championships, Sweden – gold, men’s singles (class 1)
Czech Open – bronze, men’s singles (class 1)
Slovenia Open – bronze, men’s singles (class 1); group stages, men’s teams (class 1)
Lignano Master Open, Italy – gold, men’s singles (class 1); group stages, men’s teams (class 1)
2018 Results:
World Championships, Slovenia – L16, men’s singles (class 1)
Czech Open – group stages, men’s singles (class 1)
2017 Results:
European Championships, Lasko, Slovenia – gold, men’s singles (class 1)
Czech Open – gold, men’s singles (class 1)
Bayreuth Open, Germany – gold, men’s teams (class 1); group stages, men’s singles (class 1)
Slovenia Open – silver, men’s singles (class 1)
2016 Results:
Paralympic Games, Rio de Janeiro - gold, men’s singles (class 1); QF men’s teams (class 1-2)
Slovakia Open - bronze, men’s singles (class 1); bronze, men’s teams (class 1)
Slovenia Open - gold, men’s singles (class 1)
2015 Results:
European Championships, Vejle, Denmark - gold, men’s singles (class 1); gold, men’s teams (class 1)
Bayreuth Open, Germany - gold, men’s teams (class 1); silver, men’s singles (class 1)
Slovakia Open - bronze, men’s teams (class 1); QF men’s singles (class 1)
Slovenia Open - silver, men’s singles (class 1); bronze, men’s teams (class 1)
2014 Results:
World Championships, Beijing, China - silver, men’s singles (class 1)
Slovakia Open - gold men’s teams (class 1); bronze, men’s singles (class 1)
Slovenia Open - gold, men’s singles (class 1); gold, men’s teams (class 1)
Career Highlights:
2023: European Championships, Sheffield, UK – silver, men’s singles (class 1)
2022: World Championships, Spain – bronze, men’s singles (class 1)
Finland Open – gold, men’s singles (class 1)
2019: European Championships, Sweden – gold, men’s singles (class 1)
Lignano Master Open, Italy – gold, men’s singles (class 1
2018: European Championships, Sweden – gold, men’s singles (class 1)
Lignano Master Open, Italy – gold, men’s singles (class 1)
2017: European Championships, Lasko, Slovenia – gold, men’s singles (class 1)
Czech Open – gold, men’s singles (class 1)
2016: Paralympic Games, Rio de Janeiro - gold, men’s singles (class 1)
Slovenia Open - gold, men’s singles (class 1)
2015: European Championships, Vejle, Denmark - gold, men’s singles (class 1); gold, men’s teams (class 1)
2014: World Championships, Beijing, China - silver, men’s singles (class 1)
Slovenia Open - gold, men’s singles (class 1); gold, men’s teams (class 1)
2013: Belgium Open - gold, men’s singles (class 1)
European Championships, Lignano, Italy - gold, men’s singles (class 1); gold, men’s teams (class 1)
2012: Slovakian Open - gold, men’s singles (class 1); gold, men’s teams (class 1)
2011: European Championships, Split, Croatia - silver, men’s singles (class 1); silver, men’s teams (class 1)
British Open - gold, men’s singles (class 1)