Michael Owen (born 7 November 1980 in
Pontypridd
() ( colloquially: Ponty) is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.
Geography
comprises the electoral wards of , Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan ( Rhydfelen), Trallwng ( Trallwn) and Treforest (). ...
), is a former Welsh international
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...
player, who most often played
Number 8, but was also versatile enough to play
flanker or even
lock
Lock(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
*Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance
*Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal
Arts and entertainment
* ''Lock ...
. His ball handling was arguably his greatest asset.
Club career
Having been educated at
Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive School in
Beddau, Owen played for
Pontypridd RFC
Pontypridd Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Pontypridd) are a rugby union team from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. They compete in the Indigo Group Premiership, which they won for four consecutive seasons between 2012 and 2015, and ...
from 1999 until in 2003 the side merged with
Bridgend RFC
Bridgend Ravens ( cy, Cigfrain Pen-y-bont) (formerly Bridgend RFC) are a semi-professional rugby union club based in Bridgend, South Wales.
They currently play in the Welsh Premier Division and are a feeder club to the Ospreys regional team ...
to form the ill-fated
Celtic Warriors and then played for the
Newport Gwent Dragons
Dragons RFC ( cy, Dreigiau) are one of the four professional rugby union regional teams in Wales. They are owned by the Welsh Rugby Union and play their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport and at other grounds around the region. They play in ...
in the
Celtic League
The Celtic League is a pan-Celtic organisation, founded in 1961, that aims to promote modern Celtic identity and culture in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall and the Isle of Man – referred to as the Celtic nations; it places part ...
from 2003 until 2008.
Owen joined
Guinness Premiership side
Saracens for the 2008/2009 season after signing a two-year deal with the club.
International career
Owen became the
1,000th player capped by Wales when he made his debut in the first Test against South Africa in June 2002.
He took over from the injured
Gareth Thomas as Wales captain during the
2005 Six Nations, and became the 122nd Captain of his country when he led Wales out against Scotland and led Wales to its first
Grand Slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
in 27 years.
Owen was selected for the
British & Irish Lions
The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The Lions are a test side and most often select players who have already played for their national ...
for their
2005 New Zealand tour. On 23 May in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
, he had the honour of captaining the side for their match at
Millennium Stadium against
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
, the first Lions Test match to take place outside of the touring country. He temporarily returned home for the birth of his second child.
International tries
Post professional rugby career
In July 2010, Owen announced his retirement from the game at 29 due to a persistent knee problem and embarked on a two-year master's degree course in Business at the
University of Hertfordshire
The University of Hertfordshire (UH) is a public university in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. The university is based largely in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Its antecedent institution, Hatfield Technical College, was founded in 1948 and was ident ...
.
In March 2010 he began coaching at
Hertford RFC, helping them to gain
National 2 league status for the 2011/12 season.
Owen was a co-commentator for
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
's coverage of the
2011 Rugby World Cup.
From September 2013 Owen took up the position of Director of Rugby at
Haileybury College Haileybury may refer to:
Australia
* Haileybury (Melbourne), a school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
** Haileybury Rendall School, an offshoot in Berrimah, North Territory, Australia
China
* Haileybury International School, an internatio ...
.
Grand Slam star Owen to- teach Haileybury's new-breed
Hertfordshire Mercury 28 February 2013 accessed 24 March 2014
References
External links
Pontypridd profile
Newport Gwent Dragons profile
Wales profile
Saracens profile
Sporting-Heroes.net (Part 1)
Sporting-Heroes.net (Part 2)
Welsh Rugby Union
{{DEFAULTSORT:Owen, Michael
1980 births
Living people
Rugby union locks
Rugby union flankers
Rugby union number eights
Welsh rugby union coaches
Welsh rugby union players
British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Wales
Rugby union players from Pontypridd
Pontypridd RFC players
Dragons RFC players
Wales rugby union captains
Saracens F.C. players
Wales international rugby union players
Alumni of the University of Glamorgan
Alumni of the University of South Wales