Birth name | John Bleddyn Rhys Williams | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 18 October 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Weston-super-Mare, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 105 kg (16 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | The Forest School, Winnersh, St Paul's College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Johnny Williams (born 18 October 1996) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for the Scarlets in the Pro14 and the Wales national team. [1]
Williams made his debut for London Irish at the age of 18, [2] and signed for Newcastle Falcons in May 2018 following Irish's relegation. [3]
In 2019 Williams revealed he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer, and would take time away from the game to undergo treatment. [4] [5] He returned to professional rugby in January 2020. [6]
On 14 July 2020, Williams signed for Pro14 side Scarlets ahead of the 2020–21 season. [7]
Williams played for England under 20s in the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Championship, including starting the final where England beat Ireland. [8]
In March 2019, Williams was named as a target of interest for incoming Wales coach Wayne Pivac, [9] after it was confirmed that Williams is qualified to play internationally for the country through his father, who is from Rhyl. [7] He also identifies as Welsh, like his father. [10]
In June 2019 Williams played for England in a non capped international 51–43 win against the Barbarians, scoring a try. [11]
On 6 October 2020 Williams was named in the senior Wales squad for the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup. [12]
Williams made his debut for Wales on the 18 November 2020 in the starting line-up for the 18–0 win against Georgia. [13] On 28 November 2020 in his second appearance for Wales he scored a try in the 24–13 defeat against England. [14]
Try | Opponent | Location | Venue | Competition | Date | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | England | Llanelli, Wales | Parc y Scarlets | Autumn Nations Cup | 28 November 2020 | Loss |
2 | New Zealand | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2021 Autumn internationals | 30 October 2021 | Loss |
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.
Matthew Rees is a Welsh former professional rugby union footballer who played as a hooker. After beginning his career with Tonyrefail RFC and Merthyr RFC, he made his professional debut for Pontypridd RFC in 2001. With the arrival of regional rugby in Wales in 2003, he joined the Celtic Warriors, but their closure a year later led to him signing for the Llanelli Scarlets. He played more than 180 matches for the Scarlets, captaining them on several occasions, leading to his first Wales call-up in 2005.
Kenneth James Owens is a Welsh rugby union player who plays 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.
Rhys Priestland is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Cardiff Rugby and the Wales national team. Although he primarily plays as a fly-half, he is also capable of playing at full-back. Born in Llangathen, Carmarthenshire, he began his career with Llanelli RFC before progressing to the Scarlets regional side. After eight years with the Scarlets, he moved to England to play for Bath in the English Premiership, where he spent six seasons before returning to Wales with Cardiff Rugby. He made his Wales debut in 2011, and earned 50 caps – including being named in the squad for the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups – before his move to England made him ineligible for selection.
Gareth Owen is a Welsh rugby union player who plays at Centre, Fullback and Flyhalf. He currently plays for Newcastle Falcons in England's second division, the RFU Championship.
Andrew Mark Fenby is a Welsh former rugby union footballer who played as a fullback or on the wing. Fenby's professional career started relatively late, as he earned his first professional contract with Newcastle Falcons at the age of 24. After a brief cameo for the Falcons at the end of the 2008–09 season, he returned to Wales to sign for the Scarlets. The emergence of fellow wing George North on the international scene gave Fenby the opportunity to play regularly for the Scarlets during the Autumn internationals and the Six Nations, before he finally nailed down the left wing position during the 2012–13 season. A record of 14 tries in 28 appearances that season resulted in a transfer to London Irish in 2013. After initially retiring from professional rugby at the end of the 2015–16 season, he briefly returned to the sport in October 2016, signing a three-month contract with Saracens.
George Philip North is a Welsh professional rugby union player who primarily plays centre for Ospreys and Wales. He made his international debut against South Africa during the 2010 Autumn Internationals. North has previously played for clubs such as Northampton Saints and Scarlets in the past.
Scott Williams is a Welsh international rugby union player who currently plays for the Scarlets in the United Rugby Championship.
Jordan Rhys Williams is a Welsh rugby union footballer who plays for the Dragons. His regular position is at full-back, but he has also played at fly-half and on the wing. He began his career with amateur side New Dock Stars RFC, before being signed by Llanelli RFC and ultimately breaking into the Scarlets regional side. However, he struggled to find playing time with the Scarlets and moved to Bristol in 2016, only to return to Wales with the Dragons two years later. He has also played internationally for Wales at under-16, under-18 and under-20 level, as well as for the Wales Sevens team.
Liam Brian Williams is a Welsh professional rugby union player who will play for Kubota Spears in Japan Rugby League One following the 2023 Rugby World Cup. 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, Saracens, and Cardiff.
Hadleigh William Parkes is a New Zealand-born Welsh international rugby union player, whose favoured position is at the centre. He currently plays for the Black Rams Tokyo in the Japan Rugby League One. Parkes also has a successful BBC sport rugby union column.
Rhodri Williams is a Wales international rugby union player. A scrum-half, he plays his club rugby for the Dragons, having previously played for Scarlets.
The 2017–18 season is the 15th season in the history of the Scarlets, a Welsh rugby union regional side based in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. This season, they are competing in the newly revamped Pro14 as the defending champions, the Rugby Champions Cup and the Anglo-Welsh Cup. This season, Welsh international Liam Williams and Canadian international D. T. H. van der Merwe departed the club, while Welsh internationals Leigh Halfpenny and Tom Prydie and Australia Sevens international Paul Asquith were among the new arrivals.
The 2019–20 season was the 16th season in the history of the Scarlets, a Welsh regional rugby union side based in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. They competed in the Pro14 and, having failed the previous season to qualify for the Champions Cup for the first time in their history, the Challenge Cup.
Carwyn Tuipulotu is a Welsh rugby union player, currently playing for United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup side Scarlets. His preferred position is flanker or number 8.