Shane Williams

Infobox Rugby biography
name = Shane Williams


caption =
birthname = Shane Mark Williams
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1977|2|26
placeofbirth = Swansea, Wales
dateofdeath =
placeofdeath =
height = convert|5|ft|7|in|2|abbr=on
weight = convert|12|st|8|lb|kg|abbr=on
ru_position = wing|capital=yes scrum-half
ru_amateuryears =
ru_amateurclubs = Amman United
ru_amupdate =
ru_nationalteam = Wales
British and Irish Lions
ru_nationalyears = 2000-
2005
ru_nationalcaps = 58
1
ru_nationalpoints = (215)
(0)
ru_ntupdate = 2008-03-15
ru_clubyears = 1999-2003
ru_proclubs = Neath
ru_clubcaps =
ru_clubpoints =
ru_clubyears = 2003-
ru_proclubs = Ospreys
ru_clubcaps = 81
ru_clubpoints = (198)
ru_clubupdate = [2008-03-09
ru_province =
ru_provinceyears =
ru_provincecaps(points) =
ru_provinceupdate =
ru_sevensnationalyears =
ru_sevensnationalteam =
ru_sevensnationalcaps(points) =
ru_sevensupdate =
ru_coachclubs =
ru_coachyears =
ru_coachupdate =
other = yes
occupation =
family = Wife leanne Willams
spouse = Gail Lacey
children = Georgie Williams Jamie Willams
relatives =
school = Amman Valley School
university =

Shane Mark Williams (born 26 February 1977 in Swansea) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Ospreys club and Wales but who can also play scrum-half.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/7421322.stm|title=Williams offers scrum-half option|publisher=BBC|date=2008-05-27|accessdate=2008-05-27]

Club career

Williams started his junior career as a scrum-half at Amman United he was moved out to the wing. He is most famous for his well-known "side-step". His acceleration and raw quickness off the mark are incomparable and he has been describedWho|date=March 2008 as the most exciting player of the modern age.

International career

Williams earned his first cap in 1999-2000 season, he was 21 and a little over 11 stones. He scored in his first full start for Wales with a try against Italy in the 2000 Six Nations and has since earned 58 caps for Wales and has scored 43 tries (215 points).

He suffered a series of hamstring injuries in 2002 and did not often figure in Steve Hansen's squad. He considered quitting rugby entirely at this time [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/7310338.stm BBC News: I almost quit rugby - Wales hero] ]

He was part of the Grand Slam-winning Wales side in the 2005 Six Nations championship, where he scored tries against Italy, Scotland, and most famously England, the try that helped them achieve a famous 11-9 victory that got their campaign underway. He was then selected to the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 New Zealand tour. On 28 June, he equalled a single-game Lions record by scoring five tries in a tour match against Manawatu.

In the summer of 2007, Williams underwent elbow and shoulder surgery and missed the tour of Australia. However, he did return in time to play the last World Cup warm up game against France.

During the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Williams earned his 50th cap against Japan. He scored two tries in that match, temporarily putting him on top of the 2007 World Cup try-scoring table with a total of five tries. The tries also put him above Ieuan Evans on the all-time Wales try scoring list, trailing only Gareth Thomas at that time. His try against France in their Six Nations decider on 15 March 2008 placed him joint eighth on the all-time Test try scoring list with Thomas, and surpassed Thomas on the all-time Wales try scoring list.

He was part of his second Grand Slam-winning Wales side in the 2008 Six Nations Championship, when he scored tries against Scotland (twice), Italy (twice), Ireland, and France, breaking the record on the all-time Wales try scoring list in the championship's final match against France, when he scored his 41st try for Wales. This try resulted in his father Mike Williams winning £25,000 from a £50 bet placed almost 10 years previously that he'd one day become Wales' leading try scorer. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7300137.stm BBC report 'New Grand Slam celebration plans' 17/3/2008] ] His performances in the 6 Nations led to him being named the player of the tournament. Shane's recent nomination for IRB Player of the Year has capped off a hugely successful year.

Personal life

In August 2005, a holiday to Cyprus made the headlines when Shane Williams was erroneously held over an assault. The police lost his passport; his lawyer described the whole incident as a "total stitch-up"; and on his return to Wales, Williams suggested that he should have spent his holiday in Tenby instead.

On 23 December 2005, Shane married his childhood sweetheart Gail Branwen Lacey, (who, coincidently has a professional rugby union player brother, Oliver Johnson, playing in the Super 14 leagues for the Canterbury Crusaders) whom he had met at Amman Valley school 14 years previously, at Twyn Church in Garnant. The couple's first child, Georgie, was born on 8 November 2006.

Points record

Up to date as of April 8 2008, taken from the official sites of the Ospreys, [http://www.wru.co.uk/2634_1765.php the Welsh Rugby Union] and [http://www.lionsrugby.com/squads_profile_81.html the British & Irish LIons] .

References

External links

* [http://ospreys.sportstatdata.com/ST_OSP_1005.aspx?pr=114637 Shane Williams' details on the Ospreys website]
* [http://www.wru.co.uk/2634_1765.php Wales profile]
* [http://www.scrum.com/celtic/williams.asp Scrum.com's page]
* [http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/ru/si/profiles/s_williams.html Yahoo Sports page]
* [http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_method=full%26objectid=16517357%26siteid=50082-name_page.html Article on Shane Williams' Wedding]
* [http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_method=full%26objectid=18277711%26siteid=50082-name_page.html Article on Shane Williams' Daughter, Georgie.]