Liam Wright

Last updated

Liam Wright
Full nameLiam Wright
Date of birth (1997-11-06) 6 November 1997 (age 26)
Place of birth Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa [1]
Height1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight105 kg (16 st 7 lb; 231 lb)
School Anglican Church Grammar School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2015– Easts Tigers (0)
Correct as of 21 October 2017
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2016–2019 Queensland Country 12 (0)
Correct as of 12 October 2019
Super Rugby
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2018– Reds 84 (55)
Correct as of 7 June 2024
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2016–2017 Australia U20 9 (5)
2019– Australia 5 (0)
Correct as of 21 November 2020

Liam Wright (born 6 November 1997) is an Australian professional rugby union player who co-captains the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby. He also played for Queensland Country in Australia's NRC. [2] His usual position is flanker. He is also the current captain of Australia in international rugby, receiving the honour under coach Joe Schmidt for the Wallabies’ 2024 Test series against Wales and Georgia. [3] [4]

Contents

Career

Wright began his senior rugby career with Easts Tigers, playing Queensland Premier Rugby in 2016. [5] He was selected in the Australian Under-20 team in 2016 and 2017 for the World Championships in Italy and Georgia. [6] Wright joined the Queensland Country team and made his debut in Australia's National Rugby Championship (NRC) in October 2016, playing against the NSW Country Eagles. [7]

In 2017, he signed a two-year professional contract with the Queensland Reds for the following two seasons. [8] After impressing national selectors during the NRC in 2017, Wright played for Australia against the Barbarians in Sydney, [9] and was then chosen as one of two development players in the Wallabies tour squad for the 2017 end-of-year rugby union internationals. [10] [11]

Wright made his Super Rugby debut for the Reds off the bench in the team's first match of the 2018 season, playing against the Rebels in Melbourne. [12]

He was selected in the Australia squad for the Bledisloe Cup in 2019, [13] and made his test debut against New Zealand at Eden Park in August that year. [3]

After suffering a run of injury, Wright returned to the Wallabies fold under newly-appointed coach Joe Schmidt. He was made captain for their first test against Wales. [3] [4]

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References

  1. "Liam Wright". Rugby Australia. 2017. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  2. "Liam Wright". It's Rugby. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Greenwood, Emma (19 August 2019). "Newest Wallaby, rising star, extend contracts with Reds". Rugby.com.au. Archived from the original on 19 August 2019.
  4. 1 2 "Liam Wright set to be made Wallabies Captain". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
  5. "BLK Queensland Premier Rugby preview - Round 17". reds Rugby. 8 July 2016. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  6. "Liam Wright: International career". It's Rugby. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  7. "Liam Wright: NRC 2016". It's Rugby. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  8. Tucker, Jim (2 September 2017). "Queensland Reds can bank on 'St George' Smith for another season". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  9. "Wallabies v Barbarians: Injuries to Jack Dempsey and Lukhan Tui sour Australian win". The Sunday Telegraph. Sydney. 28 October 2017. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  10. Decent, Tom (29 October 2017). "Blake Enever, Matt Philip, Jack Maddocks and Liam Wright the bolters for Wallabies spring tour". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  11. "Uncapped locks make Wallabies tour squad". Special Broadcasting Service . 29 October 2017. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  12. "Rebels v Reds". Rugby Australia. 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
  13. Cully, Paul (18 August 2019). "Wallabies far better off than last year, despite Bledisloe blacklash". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 22 August 2019.