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Martin Roberts (rugby Union)
Martin Roberts (born 6 June 1986) is a Wales international rugby union footballer who plays as a scrum-half. Born in Aberdare, Roberts began his professional career with Neath RFC, before graduating to the Ospreys regional team, and during his time there would play infrequently for Neath, as well as the Ospreys' other Welsh Premier Division feeder clubs, Swansea and Bridgend. One of Roberts' teammates at the Ospreys was fly-half James Hook, with whom he formed an effective half back partnership, after the pair had done the same at both Neath College and Neath RFC. After three years with the Ospreys, Roberts signed for their regional rivals, the Scarlets, on 27 March 2008, following the departure of former Scarlets scrum-half Dwayne Peel to Sale Sharks. He signed a two-year contract with the Llanelli region, where he would compete with Sililo Martens, Lee Williams and Gavin Cattle for the number 9 jersey. Roberts has represented Wales internationally at every level from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aberdare
Aberdare ( ; cy, Aberdâr) is a town in the Cynon Valley area of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, at the confluence of the Rivers Dare (Dâr) and Cynon. Aberdare has a population of 39,550 (mid-2017 estimate). Aberdare is south-west of Merthyr Tydfil, north-west of Cardiff and east-north-east of Swansea. During the 19th century it became a thriving industrial settlement, which was also notable for the vitality of its cultural life and as an important publishing centre. Etymology The name ''Aberdare'' means "mouth/confluence of the river dare", as the town is located where the Dare river ( cy, Afon Dâr) meets the Cynon ( cy, afon Cynon). While the town's Welsh spelling uses formal conventions, the English spelling of the name reflects the town's pronunciation in the local Gwenhwyseg dialect of South East Wales. ''Dâr'' is an archaic Welsh word for oaks (the plural of ''derwen''), and the valley was noted for its large and fine oaks as late as the nineteenth century. In ancien ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wales National Rugby Union Team
The Wales national rugby union team ( cy, Tîm rygbi'r undeb cenedlaethol Cymru) represents Wales in men's international rugby union. Its governing body, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), was established in 1881, the same year that Wales played their first international against England. The team plays its home matches at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff (currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Principality Stadium), which replaced Cardiff Arms Park as the national stadium of Wales in 1999. Wales has competed annually in the Six Nations Championship (previously the Home Nations Championship and Five Nations Championship) since it was established in 1883. They have won the tournament (and its predecessors) outright 28 times, most recently in 2021. Since 2005, Wales has been the most successful team in the Six Nations, winning six Six Nations titles. They include four Grand Slams, again more than any other side. Wales has also participated in every Rugby World Cup since the com ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Warren Gatland
Warren David Gatland (born 17 September 1963) is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player who is currently in his second spell as the head coach of the Wales national team. As head coach of Wales from 2007 to 2019, he won four Six Nations titles, including three Grand Slams, and reached the semi-finals of the 2011 and 2019 Rugby World Cups. Gatland was also head coach of the British & Irish Lions on three tours, to Australia in 2013, when they won the Test series 2–1; New Zealand in 2017, when the series was drawn; and South Africa in 2021, losing the series 2–1. He has previously coached Connacht, Ireland, London Wasps, where he won three Premierships and the Heineken Cup, and Waikato, with whom he won the Air New Zealand Cup. He has also coached Chiefs between 2020 and 2022 before returning to Wales in December 2022. As a player, he played as a hooker and was one of Waikato's longest-serving players, playing 140 games for the province – a record at the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Australia National Rugby Union Team
The Australia national rugby union team, nicknamed the Wallabies, is the representative national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of Australia. The team first played at Sydney in 1899, winning their first test match against the touring British Isles team. Australia have competed in all nine Rugby World Cups, winning the final on two occasions and also finishing as runner-up twice. Australia beat England at Twickenham in the final of the 1991 Rugby World Cup and won again in 1999 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff when their opponents in the final were France. The Wallabies also compete annually in The Rugby Championship (formerly the Tri-Nations), along with southern hemisphere counterparts Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa. They have won this championship on four occasions. Australia also plays Test matches against the various rugby-playing nations. More than a dozen former Wallabies players have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame. Hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gareth Cooper
Gareth Cooper (born 7 May 1979 in Bridgend) is a former Wales international rugby union player who played in the scrum-half position. Career Cooper started playing rugby with Pencoed before moving to Bath in the West Country. Cooper made his international debut in 2001 against Italy, when many were claiming him to be the successor to Rob Howley. He toured to Japan in later that year. After Howley's retirement in 2002 he was given his first run in the side in 2003, becoming first choice for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He returned to play in Wales after that tournament with the Celtic Warriors, but he found himself scrapping with the Scarlets Dwayne Peel for the scrum half jersey during the 2004 Six Nations. He joined the Newport Gwent Dragons in 2004 when the Celtic Warriors were disbanded, but his form went downhill and Dwayne Peel secured the scrum half shirt with some stunning performances during Wales' Grand Slam in the 2005 Six Nations. Despite playing mostly on the bench ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gloucester Rugby
Gloucester Rugby are a professional rugby union club based in the West Country city of Gloucester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby, as well as in the European Rugby Champions Cup. The club was formed in 1873 and since 1891 has played its home matches at Kingsholm Stadium, on the fringes of the city centre. Their biggest successes are winning the Anglo-Welsh Cup five times: in 1971–72, 1977–78, 1981–82, 2002–03 and 2010–11; and the European Challenge Cup twice: in 2005–06 and 2014–15. The club has no official nickname but are often referred to as the Cherry and Whites by supporters and the media in reference to the traditional Cherry and white hooped shirts worn by the team. Matches with local rivals Bath and Bristol Bears are referred to as West Country derbies. History Formation & Early Years The club was formed in 1873 after a meeting at the Spread Eagle Hotel with the announcement in the Gloucester Journal: '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gavin Cattle
Gavin Cattle (born 5 April 1980) is a Welsh former rugby union player, and the current co-coach of the Cornish Pirates along with Alan Paver. As a player, Cattle played as a scrum-half and captained the Cornish Pirates to the 2007 EDF Energy Trophy with a 19–16 win over the Exeter Chiefs at Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stadium () in Twickenham, south-west London, England, is a rugby union stadium owned by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), English rugby union governing body, which has its headquarters there. The England national rugby union team play .... External linksProfileat scarlets.co.uk 1980 births Cornish Pirates players Living people Rotherham Titans players Rugby union scrum-halves Scarlets players Welsh rugby union players Rugby union players from Bridgend {{wales-rugbyunion-bio-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lee Williams (rugby Union)
Lee Williams (born 27 October 1986 in Pontyberem, Wales) is a Welsh rugby union footballer who plays at scrum-half for the Scarlets and Wales Sevens, although he played on the wing during the Scarlets' injury crisis in 2008–09. Williams signed for the Scarlets on a professional development contract in March 2006, having previously played for his hometown club, Pontyberem RFC, and UWIC RFC Cardiff Metropolitan University Rugby Football Club (aka Cardiff Met RFC) is a Welsh rugby union team currently playing in the WRU Championship based at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Notable former players ''Inclusion criteria: Attained int .... Williams attended UWIC, studying for a Business Studies degree. He was selected in the Wales Sevens squad for 2012-13 References 1986 births Living people Commonwealth Games rugby sevens players for Wales Llanelli RFC players Rugby sevens players at the 2010 Commonwealth Games Rugby sevens players at the 2014 Commonwealth Game ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sililo Martens
Sililo Victor Martens (born 27 April 1977 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a former Tongan international rugby union player. Career Martens was born in Auckland, New Zealand to a Tongan mother and Australian father. He spent most of his early childhood in Tonga, but moved back to start his education. His high school years were spent at Onehunga High where he went on to play rugby for Auckland and continued through the grades to reach New Zealand Schools status. In 1999 he played for Tonga in the Rugby World Cup which led to a professional rugby contract with English premiership side Worcester. From 2000 to 2002 he played for Swansea in the Welsh Premiership. 2002 -2003 he joined fellow Welsh team Bridgend. During the 2003/2004 Martens joined the short lived Welsh regional side Celtic Warriors. He played is his second Rugby World Cup in 2003 for Tonga. 2004-2008 moved back to the English Premiership with Sale Sharks who went on to win the Guinness Premiership in 2006, to which Martens ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks is a professional rugby union club from Greater Manchester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. Originally founded in 1861 as Sale Football Club, now a distinct amateur club, they adopted the nickname Sharks in 1999. Since 2012 they have played their home games at the A.J. Bell Stadium in Barton-upon-Irwell, Salford. Between 1905 and 2003 they played at Heywood Road in Sale, before moving to Edgeley Park in Stockport where they stayed until 2012. Their traditional colours are blue and white. Sale have won four major trophies. They were Premiership Rugby Champions in 2005–06, won the European Rugby Challenge Cup in 2001–02, 2004–05 and the Premiership Rugby Cup in 2019/20. They also won the RFU Championship in 1994. In the 2021–22 Premiership Rugby season Sale finished sixth, which entitled them to compete in the 2022–23 European Rugby Champions Cup. The Director of Rugby is Alex Sanderson who was appointed in J ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dwayne Peel
Dwayne John Peel (born 31 August 1981) is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player. He was the most capped scrum-half for the Wales national rugby union team with 76 caps, until his record was surpassed by Mike Phillips on 16 March 2013. Youth and early career Peel was born in Carmarthen, Wales. He started his rugby career playing for Tumble RFC at Under-8s level. He attended Ysgol Gyfun Maes-yr-Yrfa in Cefneithin, and is a fluent Welsh speaker. He made his professional club debut for Llanelli RFC before joining the Llanelli Scarlets region at its creation in 2003. International Peel made his international debut for Wales in 2001 against Japan. He was still on his geography degree course at the Swansea University at the time. During his time at Swansea University, he became friends with Edward Lewsey – a Welsh Under-21 international, and brother of England international Josh Lewsey. Peel has since scored five tries (25 points) scoring his debut Test try against Italy in 2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rugby Union Positions
In the game of rugby union, there are 15 players on each team, comprising eight forwards (wearing jerseys numbered 1–8) and seven backs (numbered 9–15). In addition, there may be up to eight replacement players "on the bench", numbered 16–23. Players are not restricted to a single position, although they generally specialise in just one or two that suit their skills and body types. Players that play multiple positions are called "utility players". Forwards compete for the ball in scrums and line-outs and are generally bigger and stronger than the backs. Props push in the scrums, while the hooker tries to secure the ball for their team by "hooking" it back with their heel. The hooker is also the one who is responsible for throwing the ball in at line-outs, where it is mostly competed for by the locks, who are generally the tallest players on the team. The flankers and number eight are expected to be the first players to arrive at a breakdown and play an important role in se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
