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Michael Owen (rugby union)

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Rugby player
Michael Owen
Date of birth (1980-11-07) 7 November 1980 (age 44)
Place of birthPontypridd, Wales
Height1.97 m (6 ft 5+1⁄2 in)
Weight109 kg (17.2 st)
SchoolBryn Celynnog
UniversityUniversity of Glamorgan (now the University of South Wales)
Rugby union career
Position(s) No.8 / Flanker
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1999–2003 Pontypridd 103 ()
2003–2008 Dragons 98 (45)
2008–2010 Saracens 23 (5)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2002–2010 Wales 41 (10)
2005 British & Irish Lions 1 (0)

Michael Owen (born 7 November 1980 in Pontypridd), is a former Welsh international rugby union player, who most often played Number 8, but was also versatile enough to play flanker or even 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 from 1999 until in 2003 the side merged with Bridgend RFC to form the ill-fated Celtic Warriors and then played for the Newport Gwent Dragons in the Celtic League 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 in 27 years.

Owen was selected for the British & Irish Lions for their 2005 New Zealand tour. On 23 May in Cardiff, he had the honour of captaining the side for their match at Millennium Stadium against Argentina, 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

Try Opponent Location Venue Competition Date Result
1  Scotland Cardiff, Wales Millennium Stadium 2003 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches 30 August 2003 Win
2  Fiji Cardiff, Wales Millennium Stadium 2005 Autumn Internationals 11 November 2005 Win

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.

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's coverage of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

From September 2013 Owen took up the position of Director of Rugby at Haileybury College.

References

  1. "Golden swimmer with a will to win". BBC News. 14 September 2008. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  2. "Owen quits Dragons for Saracens". BBC. 25 January 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
  3. "Michael Owen to make Vicarage Road switch". Saracens. 25 January 2008. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
  4. "Injury forces Owen to quit rugby". BBC News. 2 July 2010.
  5. Grand Slam star Owen to- teach Haileybury's new-breed Archived 24 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Hertfordshire Mercury 28 February 2013 accessed 24 March 2014

External links

Wales squad – 2007 Rugby World Cup
Forwards
Backs
British & Irish Lions – 2005 New Zealand tour
Forwards
Backs
CoachWoodward
British & Irish Lions team captains
To 1910
To present
NotesNote 1: Robert Seddon died on tour after a boating accident. Andrew Stoddart became captain for the remainder of the tour.

Note 2: Matthew Mullineux decided that after losing the first test that he should withdraw from further test matches, handing on field captaincy to Frank Stout, but remained tour captain.
Note 3: David Bedell-Sivright was injured during the first test. Teddy Morgan took over captaincy on the field but Bedell-Sivright remained tour captain.
Note 4: The team that John Raphael captained was not selected by the four Home Nations governing body, but had been organised by Oxford University and billed as the English Rugby Union team. However, it was considered the Combined British team by Argentina because it also included three Scots.
Note 5: Jack Jones was captain for the first test, but Tommy Smyth remained the tour captain.
Note 6: Bleddyn Williams captained in the third and fourth tests v New Zealand and the first test v Australia.
Note 7: Cliff Morgan captained in the third test.
Note 8: David Watkins captained in the second and foruth tests v New Zealand.
Note 9: Michael Owen captained the Lions in the first tour game, the test vs. Argentina in Cardiff. Brian O'Driscoll was injured at the beginning of the first test against New Zealand. Gareth Thomas replaced him as tour captain.
Note 10: Sam Warburton was injured in the second test. Alun Wyn Jones replaced him as captain for the third test.
Note 11: Tour captain Sam Warburton was named on the bench for the first test. Peter O'Mahony was the captain on the field.

Note 12: Tour captain Alun Wyn Jones left the squad for 17 days due to an injury in the first warm-up match, and was replaced by Conor Murray temporarily.
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