Educated at West Mon School, Pontypool.
Played for Welsh Schools in 1949. First senior rugby for Devonport Services and then St Lukes where he starred in 1953 team that scored over 1000pts in a relatively short season. Played for Devon and South West Counties against 1953-54 All Blacks.
When Newport played New Zealand he propped with Lyn Davies hooking and Harold Davies the other prop. Won his first cap vs Ireland in 1954 and went on to make 34 appearances. Set then Welsh forward record of 33 caps in March 1962 when he led Wales to victory vs France. Missed only 2 internationals: 1 for bereavement and 1 for illness.
Made 3 Lions tours (1955, 1959 and 1962) and captained Newport in 1958-59 and 1961-62, Monmouthshire, Devon, Royal Navy, Combined Services, Barbarians, Wales and Lions. Superb striker and excelled in rucks and mauls. Very mobile - Newport won 6 of first 9 Snelling 7s (Runners up in other 3) with Meredith. Played one season for London Welsh when teaching at St. Albans but returned to star in victory over 1957 Wallabies. Next season he captained Newport (P42 W29 L7 D6) to their 7th Welsh Championship. BBC Wales Personality of the Year 1961.
On retiring joined committee and with Bryn Williams and Ian McJennett became Newports first ever coaches.
During Newport's Centenary Season in 1974-75 Bryn penned the following article for the match programme of the game against Carwyn James' International XV on 5th April 1975.
"TOURING WITH THE BRITISH LIONS"
"By Bryn Meredith - Newport, Wales, Barbarians, British Lions"
2Duw it's 'ard! Of course, this is not the first recollections which come flooding back. The hard work, sweat, toil and tears are always first forgotten and one remembers the good times, the players, the places one visited, the overwhelming hospitality of our hosts and the marvellous times which one had."
"To be asked to make a Lions Tour is like a dream come true. To be selected from amongst the best players in the four home countries is an honour in itself but then to have thrown in a visit to South Africa, New Zealand and Australia makes it an even greater privilege."
"I suppose most people think that to go on tour is just like going on holiday for four or five months. I wouldn't have missed it for anything but the cycle of travelling, training, receptions, cocktail parties, rugby dinners, visiting schools and hospitals are all very wearying and all of this could be great if it wasn't for the fact that one is there to play rugby. I sometimes felt that the only thing that spoiled a tour was the rugby!"
"The success of any tour depends on the number of games which are won, and, my word, it can feel pretty miserable if you lose when you are twelve thousand miles away from home. It is also much easier to play in a Test match than to sit in the stand and watch. I remember sitting in the stand during the first Test match at Dunedin in 1959, when Don Clarke kicked us to defeat with six penalty goals and the Lions had scored four tries, one conversion and a penalty."
"On any tour there must be characters. Every tour throws up its personalities. In 1955 we had Cliff Morgan, as effervescent off the field as he was on, and Tony O'Reilly's mimicry. In 1959 we again had O'Reilly and Mulligan with the most loved of them all, Ray Prosser. These characters are needed on a long tour as they are needed in any rugby club to oil the tourists through their difficult phases. Tensions are relieved if there is someone to relate an anecdote or get the team to sing their troubles away."
"As far as the players are concerned, some play the best rugby of their lives and thrive on the demands which are made of them. Then there are the others who never live up to their reputations and they find it impossible to stick the pace."
"Living together cheek by jowl for four months can be a bit wearing. Little things tend to become larger than life. The player who is perpetually late for the bus tends to grate on the nerves. The same routine, particularly in training, gets boring and finding new formulae for the same thing gets more difficult as the tour goes on. Players become more edgy and yet one must still carry on as ambassadors being nice to people when all one wants to do is spend a quiet evening away from it all."
"One normally stays in a town for three days before one moves on to the next venue. That particular rugby union pulls out all the stops entertaining you so that you will always remember that place as being the best place you visited. At the end of your stay they wave you off and they can go back to sleep again until the next touring side visits them. You're happy to be leaving too because it's been so hectic. When you are arriving at the next town you are met by a fresh set of hosts who want to outbid everyone else. And so it goes on, only three days for each set of hosts but every day for the tourists."
"At the end of it all one is only looking forward to getting home again and that excitement is just as intense as at the beginning of the tour. And yet, after a couple of weeks at home one thinks that it would be rather nice again to be back in Durban, Sydney or even Taranaki living the false fabulous life of a rugby tourist."