Martyn Williams
Birth name | Martyn Elwyn Williams | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 1 September 1975 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Pontypridd, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 97 kg (15 st 4 lb; 214 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Coedylan Comprehensive School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Martyn Elwyn Williams, MBE (born 1 September 1975) is a Welsh former professional rugby union player who played as a flanker. He earned 100 caps for the Wales national team, the most by a forward until he was surpassed by Gethin Jenkins in November 2013. He remains Wales's most-capped back-row forward. He also played for the British & Irish Lions, touring Australia in 2001, New Zealand in 2005 and South Africa in 2009. Overall, he played 17 times for the Lions across the 3 tours scoring 2 tries which included 4 test matches (NZ and SA*3).
Club career
Williams played club rugby for Pontypridd, with whom he won the 1996–97 Welsh league, then moved to Cardiff RFC in 1999. He was named captain in 2002, and retained the role when the Cardiff Blues regional team was established in 2003. Rhys Williams took over the role in 2005.
In the
In March 2012, Williams announced that he would retire at the end of the 2011–12 season.[citation needed]
International career
Wales
After gaining international caps at every junior level he won his first Wales A cap in 1996 and then made the senior side against the
He won his 50th Welsh cap against
Williams announced his retirement from international rugby on 1 October 2007, following Wales' early exit from the 2007 Rugby World Cup only to make a surprise decision to return to international action when he was recalled by new Wales head coach Warren Gatland in January 2008. He was a key member of Wales Grand Slam winning side of 2008, and was considered by many to be one of the best players in the tournament.
Williams currently holds the Welsh record for most appearances in the Five and Six Nations championships, surpassing
British & Irish Lions
Williams was selected for the British & Irish Lions tours to Australia in 2001 and to New Zealand in 2005. He was also named as part of Ian McGeechan's 37-man British & Irish Lions squad to tour South Africa in the summer of 2009.He is now the Welsh Rugby Team Manager
International tries
Personal life
He played centre-back for the Welsh YMCA U16 football side.[2]
Williams was appointed
Publications
He re-released his autobiography Magnificent Seven in August 2008 after coming out of international retirement.
References
- ^ BBC – Williams to set new Wales record
- ^ SkySports Player Profile Archived 2 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "No. 60009". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2011. p. 23.
- ^ "Veteran flanker Martyn Williams gets MBE in Queen's list". BBC News. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
External links
- Cardiff Blues profile at the Wayback Machine (archived 29 April 2008)
- Pontypridd profile
- Wales profile at the Wayback Machine (archived 9 November 2008)