Shane Williams

At 47 years old, Shane Williams has this physical status:

Shane Mark Williams, (born 26 February 1977) is a Welsh rugby union player best known for his time as a wing for the Ospreys and the Wales national team.

He has also played scrum-half on occasion.

Williams is the highest try scorer for Wales on the international list, behind Daisuke Ohata, Bryan Habana, and David Campese.

He is Wales' most captained winger and is known as one of the top wingers of all time. Williams was named as the World Rugby Player of the Year in 2008, and as a pundit on BBC, ITV, and Channel 4's "Inside Welsh Rugby" commenting on Welsh rugby's grassroots, and as a commentator on Welsh rugby's grassroots.

Williams was selected to the Barbarians squad that represented Wales in June 2012.

It was supposed to be his last game as a player, but he soon agreed to play in Japan with Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars in June 2012.

In the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to rugby, Williams was made Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). Williams continued his stay in Japan several times, playing the role of player-coach and turning down a bid from French Top 14 side Toulon.

Williams was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in November 2016, Warwickshire, before finally announcing that he would return home at the start of the 2014–15 Japanese Top League season in November.

Early life

Williams was born in Morriston, Swansea, but grew up in Glanamman in the Amman Valley. Even before going to secondary school at Amman Valley Comprehensive School (now Ysgol Dyfryn Aman), he picked up his first rugby ball while still in primary school and was still small for his age. Williams, who was too small to play rugby, picked up football instead, playing for Cwmman United A.F.C. Williams had to play in goal in his first appearance for the club's junior team, as no one else would volunteer to take the position. Alun Rees, Williams' former youth football coach, remembers him as a "superb goalkeeper," but notes that he could also play outfield. Williams competed for Cwmun United up to the senior level, while still playing rugby sparsely, and admits that football was "[his] main sport" at the time. However, Williams was invited to play rugby with his colleagues at Amman United RFC on the day of Cwmman United's cup final; Amman United beat Amman United by 82 points, with Williams scoring five tries.

Personal life

When Williams was erroneously detained due to an assault, it made news when he was erroneously held in August 2005. Williams' father lost his passport; his advocate called the whole affair a "complete stitch-up," and on his return to the United Kingdom, Williams suggested that he should have spent his holiday in Tenby rather than Tenby.

Williams married Gail Branwen Lacey, who had attended Amman Valley School 14 years ago, at Twyn Church in Garnant, on December 23, 2005. Georgie, the couple's first daughter, was born on November 7, 2006. Carter, the couple's son, was born on July 11, 2009.

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Club career

Williams began his junior career at Amman United as a scrum-half. He later joined Neath as a second-choice scrum-half. However, Williams could not be left out of the equation, and Neath's then-coach, Lyn Jones, found him on the right wing, opposite Delme Williams on the left. However, Delme Williams had a tendency not to kick and chase the ball, resulting in Shane and Shane swapping wings.

Williams' first professional deal with Neath came as a result of a transfer fee, which culminated in discussions between the two teams. Nonetheless, Williams eventually signed for Neath on a £7,500 per annum deal, roughly equivalent to his salary at the local Job Centre, where he was working part-time.

He ended his career at the Liberty Stadium in a similar manner as he did with Wales scoring a try beyond the 80-minute mark and converted his own attempt for his final bow at the Liberty. Williams then scored two tries for the Ospreys in their PRO12 final 30–31 victory over Leinster in his last game of professional club rugby. There was one more in the 78th minute to give Dan Biggar what was supposed to be the winning conversion.

Williams had intended to retire from rugby and join Ospreys' backroom workers, but was accepted by Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars to spend one season in Japan in the second division of the Japanese league system. On the expiration of his Japanese contract, the Ospreys granted him their permission for the transfer, and he continued his service with the club until that time.

He officially retired from playing in the 2013/14 season, but Amman United, his home village club, returned to play in the 2016 – 2017 WRU Bowl final at the Millennium Stadium, with a try-scoring appearance. He now works as a commentator and pundit.

International career

In the 2000 Six Nations season, Williams was given his first cap for Wales as a replacement against France; he was three weeks shy of his 23rd birthday and weighed a little over 11 stone. He got off to a promising start for Wales against Italy in the same Six Nations tournament, getting a total of 60 international goals (58 for Wales, 2 for the British & Irish Lions). Williams also scored in Six Nations Championships for Wales with 22 goals, and Wales' highest try scorer in Rugby World Cups with 10. In addition, he has scored six tries for the Lions in tour games, five of whom were played in a single game.

In 2002, he sustained a string of hamstring injuries and did not appear in Steve Hansen's squad often. At this point, he was considering quitting rugby completely.

He was named in Australia's third choice scrum half for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. In the last group game against New Zealand, he was drafted as Wales made several changes to their starting fifteen. He showed his world class potential in this match and the following against England, ensuring that he would be a first choice winger for Wales from this point onwards.

He was part of the Grand Slam-winning Wales team in the 2005 Six Nations Championship, scoring against Italy, Scotland, and most famously England, who helped them beat them by a famous 11-9 victory that started their campaign. He was then selected to the British & Irish Lions for their 2005 New Zealand tour. In a tour match against Manawatu on June 28, he tied for the first time in a single-game Lions record by scoring five tries.

Williams underwent elbow and shoulder surgery in the summer of 2007 and skipped the tour of Australia. However, he did return in time to face France in the final Rugby World Cup warm-up match. Williams earned his 50th cap against Japan during the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He scored two attempts in the match, taking him to the top of the 2007 Rugby World Cup try-scoring table with a total of five tries. He also ranked above Ieuan Evans on the all-time Wales try scoring list, trailing only Gareth Thomas at that time. On March 15, 2008, he was ranked eighth on the all-time test try scoring list with Thomas, and he defeated Thomas on the all-time Wales try scoring list.

He scored tries against Scotland (twice), Italy (twice), Ireland, and France, a new 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 in his second Grand Slam victory with Wales. Mark Williams' father won £25,000 from a £50 bet placed nearly ten years ago that he was Wales' top try scorer after this try. Due to his success in the Six Nations, he was named Tournament Player of the tournament.

Williams became the first Welshman to be named IRB Player of the Year on November 23, 2008, defeating Dan Carter, New Zealand's Dan Carter, Scotland captain Mike Blair, and Italy captain Sergio Parisse.

He received the BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year on December 7, 2008, bringing the competition of Tom James, David Roberts, Geraint Thomas, and runners up Joe Calzaghe and Nicole Cooke to an end.

In his first 2009 Six Nations game against Scotland, he scored his 45th test attempt to put him ahead of Jeff Wilson on the all-time top try scorers list, sixth. He sustained an ankle injury while playing and was booted off the field. Following the injury, he missed England's next game against England, but Wales' third game against France will begin. Williams scored Wales' opening goal against Italy, putting him fifth on the all-time leading try scorers list in the fourth game of the championship.

Williams was appointed as a member of the British & Irish Lions on the 2009 tour to South Africa on April 21, 2009. Williams missed out on a starting position in the first two Tests, but he was selected to play in the final Test, where he put on a man-of-the-match winning effort and two tries that resulted in the 28-19 victory over the Springboks.

Williams scored two tries in Wales' landslide over Argentina in the Millennium Stadium on November 21, bringing his international try total number to 50.

Williams made the winning try against Scotland in Cardiff on February 13, 2010, capping off a spectacular Welsh comeback. With four minutes remaining in the game, Wales trailed 24–14, and Williams' attempt on the final play of the game brought the final score to Wales to 31–24. It was Williams' 49th international appearance for Wales (51st in all internationals) and his 18th in the Six Nations, equaling the record held by a Welshman in the tournament, held by Gareth Edwards.

Williams scored in the final minute of the 26-20 loss to France on February 26, 2010. With 19 tries for his country, he took sole responsibility for his sole position of tries scored by a Welshman in the tournament. He would later raise his Six Nations total number to 22 tries.

He was a member of the 2011 Rugby World Cup team in New Zealand and scored three goals. In the quarter final against Ireland in Wellington, one of them was scored. Wales has progressed to the semi-finals.

Williams said he would retire from playing for Wales after the 2011 Rugby World Cup, but later decided to play against Australia on December 3rd 2011. Williams' last Wales match culminated in him scoring in a final bid to round off his glittering career. With a score of 24–18 to Australia, he scored his 58th attempt with the very last touch of his international career. He said wearing the Welsh jersey was the "best feeling ever."

In 2013, Williams was heading to Australia to test the British and Irish Lions test games. Williams was called up to the Lions squad for the ACT Brumbies on June 15, 2013.

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