Career statistics
List of international tries
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 October 2019 | Ōita Bank Dome, Ōita, Japan |  France | 5–12 | 20–19 | 2019 Rugby World Cup |
as of 20 October 2019 [update]
| Full name | Aaron James Wainwright | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 25 September 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Newport, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 106 kg (234 lb; 16 st 10 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Bassaleg School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Cardiff Metropolitan University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Aaron James Wainwright (born 25 September 1997) is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a number eight for United Rugby Championship club Dragons and the Wales national team.
Wainwright originally looked destined for a career in football having been on the books of both Cardiff City and Newport County during his teenage years. He was at Cardiff City from Under 9-16 and was included in the Wales Under 16 football squad. [1] Wainwright played youth rugby for Whiteheads RFC. Wainwright attended Cardiff Metropolitan University and played in the BUCS Super Rugby tournament. [2]
Wainwright made his debut for the Dragons regional team in 2017 having previously played for Newport RFC. The back row completed a clean sweep at the region's end of season awards in May 2019 as he was named the Coaches Player-of-the-Year, Players' Player-of-the-Year and DOSC Player-of-the-Year.
From his new position of Number 8, Wainwright scored against the Ospreys, as the Dragons won the derby 31–20 on 6 March 2021. [3] His success against regional rivals continued as he touched down twice helping the Dragons beat the Scarlets 52–32 on 25 April 2021. [4]
Wainwright made his debut for the Welsh national team on 10 June 2018 versus Argentina as a second-half replacement. [5] He was named on the bench a week prior for the match against South Africa, but did not take to the field. [6]
He scored his debut international try, on 20 October 2019, as Wales' opening try in the 2019 Rugby World Cup quarter-final against France at the Oita stadium. A foul against him by Sébastien Vahaamahina led to Vahaamahina being sent off. Wales went on to win the match by one point and Wainwright was named Mastercard Player of the Match. [7] [8]
Under new Welsh coach Wayne Pivac, Wainwright underwent a shift from blindside flanker to Number 8. [9] He was named man of the match in the win against Georgia in the 2020 Autumn Nations Series. [10] He featured twice in the 2021 Six Nations Championship, as Wales won the title and the Triple Crown. Wainwright continued to feature for Wales throughout the 2021 end-of-year rugby union internationals and 2022 Six Nations, primarily at Number 8 but also appearing on the blindside.
Injury ruled Wainwright out of the 2022 Wales rugby union tour of South Africa, [11] and he was omitted from the squad for the 2022 end-of-year rugby union internationals, but was selected for the Barbarians in their match against the All Blacks XV. [2]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 October 2019 | Ōita Bank Dome, Ōita, Japan | France | 5–12 | 20–19 | 2019 Rugby World Cup |
as of 20 October 2019 [update]
Newport Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in the city of Newport, Wales. They presently play in the Welsh Premier Division. Until 2021 Newport RFC were based at Rodney Parade situated on the east bank of the River Usk.
The Scarlets are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby competitions. The club was originally named the Llanelli Scarlets but was renamed at the start of the 2008–09 rugby season.
Dragons RFC are one of the four professional rugby union regional teams in Wales. They have been owned by Dragons RFC Ltd since 2023, having been solely owned by the Welsh Rugby Union from 2017 to 2023 and jointly owned by the WRU and Newport RFC between 2004 and 2017. Dragons play their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport, which was the home of Newport RFC from 1877 to 2017, and is shared with Newport County AFC, the city's English Football League team. They play in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup/European Rugby Challenge Cup. The region they represent covers an area of southeast Wales including Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen with a total population approaching 600,000 and they are affiliated with a number of semi-professional and amateur clubs throughout the area, including Pontypool RFC, Caerphilly RFC, Cross Keys RFC, Ebbw Vale RFC and Newport RFC.
Gethin Jenkins is a Welsh former professional rugby union player who played as a prop for Pontypridd, Celtic Warriors, Cardiff Blues and Toulon. At international level, he won 129 caps for Wales. On his 105th appearance in 2014, he became Wales' most-capped player, overtaking the record held by Stephen Jones; having earned his final cap in November 2016, his record was surpassed by Alun Wyn Jones in September 2019. He is one of a small group of Welsh players to have won three Grand Slams. He also won five caps for the British & Irish Lions on three tours in 2005, 2009 and 2013. He is the sixth most-capped player in rugby union history and the second most-capped front-row forward.
Wayne Pivac is a New Zealand rugby union coach who is the head coach of the NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu who play in the Japan Rugby League One. In November 2019 he replaced Warren Gatland as the Wales national team coach and remained in this position until 2022.
Kenneth James Owens is a former Welsh rugby union player who played as a hooker for the Scarlets and Wales. He made his debut for the Scarlets in 2006, taking over from Matthew Rees as their first-choice hooker upon Rees' departure for the Cardiff Blues in 2013. He also served as backup to Rees, among others, for Wales following his debut against Namibia at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In 2016, he took over as Wales' first-choice hooker, and in January 2023, following almost a year out with a back injury, he was named as captain for the 2023 Six Nations Championship.
Joshua Turnbull is a Welsh former professional rugby union player, who played in the back row and second row. He played for the Scarlets and Cardiff Rugby in the United Rugby Championship, and at club level for Carmarthen Quins, Llanelli and Llandovery. He played internationally for Wales at under-16, under-18, under-19 and under-20 levels, Wales 7s and earned 13 caps for the senior team between 2011 and 2022. Born in Haverfordwest, he is a fluent Welsh speaker.
Jason Tovey is a retired Welsh rugby union player who played at fly-half. He has represented the Wales under-20.
Tangaki Taulupe Faletau, commonly known as Toby Faletau but professionally as Taulupe Faletau, is a Welsh professional rugby union player for Cardiff Rugby in the United Rugby Championship and has represented the Wales national team for over 10 years. The back row forward played for Cross Keys RFC, Newport RFC and Newport Gwent Dragons in Wales before joining Bath in England in 2016. He joined present club Cardiff in 2022.
Liam Brian Williams is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays for Saracens in Premiership Rugby. At international level, he has represented Wales, having made his test debut against New Zealand in 2012, and the British & Irish Lions in 2017 and 2021. Williams has previously played for Scarlets, Cardiff and Kubota Spears.
Sébastien Vahaamahina is a French rugby union player of Wallisian origin from the French-administered South Pacific overseas collectivity of New Caledonia.
Cory Allen is a retired Welsh international rugby union player. A centre or wing, he played for Cardiff Blues and the Ospreys. Allen joined the Dragons in 2021, but did not feature for the side.
Ashton Hewitt is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Dragons regional team, having previously played for Cross Keys RFC and Newport RFC. He is a Wales under-20 international. Hewitt made his Dragons debut in an LV Cup match against the Scarlets on 8 November 2013.
Leon Michael Brown is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for United Rugby Championship club Dragons and the Wales national team.
Shane Lewis-Hughes is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for Dragons as a flanker or lock. He is a Wales under-20 international.
Dane Blacker is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for Dragons regional team as a scrum-half. He is a former Wales Under-20 international. Blacker has previously played for Cardiff Rugby and the Scarlets.
William Michael Colin Rowlands is a professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for Top 14 club Racing 92. Born in England, he represents Wales at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Taine Owen Basham is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for United Rugby Championship club Dragons and the Wales national team.
Rio Dyer is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a wing for United Rugby Championship club Dragons and the Wales national team.
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) Wales squad – 2019 Rugby World Cup fourth place | |
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