Bruce George Wells was born on June 4, 1937, in Orange, New South Wales. His family later purchased a newsagency in Orange, connecting his upbringing with the regional city where he began playing senior rugby. Orange is a major Central West centre whose sporting life has included a strong tradition of country rugby union.
Wells attended Sydney Church of England Grammar School, commonly known as Shore School, in North Sydney. Founded in 1889, Shore is an Anglican boys' school with a long-established rugby tradition. He played two seasons in the school's First XV in 1952 and 1953 and was selected for the GPS Second XV in his final year.
Wells began his rugby career at Shore School before spending a period working as a jackaroo in outback Queensland. After his family acquired a newsagency in Orange, he joined Orange Emus, a rugby union club established in 1947 that has promoted the sport in Orange and the Central West. He also represented Western New South Wales against the touring All Blacks at Warren in 1957, played for Country Seconds, and was selected for the Australian Colts tour of Ceylon that year.
In 1958, Wells was selected for Australia's opening match against New Zealand Māori in Brisbane after the initially chosen fly-half, Ron Harvey, withdrew with a back injury. Playing at fly-half, Wells helped Australia win 15–14 in a match decided by a late Jim Lenehan penalty after Wells was obstructed. He was Wallaby number 441 and earned his only international cap in that match.
Wells lost his place for the remainder of the series as the selectors changed the halves and later preferred Arthur Summons and other fly-halves. Orange City Council records that he subsequently took a season away from rugby while touring internationally with the Queensland Collegians cricket team, returned to representative rugby with Central West in 1961, and played against Fiji at Wade Park in Orange before retiring from the sport.
Wells earned one international cap for Australia as a fly-half in 1958, playing in the Wallabies' 15–14 victory over New Zealand Māori in Brisbane.
He was selected for the Australian Colts tour of Ceylon in 1957 after representing Western New South Wales against the touring All Blacks and playing for Country Seconds.
Wells was designated Wallaby number 441 in the historical sequence of Australian international rugby union players.
