Background
Gilbert was born and brought up in Llanhilleth, Monmouthshire, and moved to Yorkshire in the mid-1930s.
Gilbert was born and brought up in Llanhilleth, Monmouthshire, and moved to Yorkshire in the mid-1930s.
At representative level he played for Wales, winning one international cap in 1938, and at club level for Streatham and Mitcham, Halifax and Dewsbury, as a second-row, id est (that is) number 11 or 12, during the era of contested scrums. Gilbert played for Streatham and Mitcham in the early 1930s before moving to Halifax from around 1935 until 1937 then joining Dewsbury in 1938. After retiring from rugby, he worked in carpet mills.
He died in Dewsbury, on 11 August 1973, aged 65.