Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Matthew Barron | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Durham, England | 17 November 1986||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 106 kg (16 st 10 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Prop, Second-row | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Matt Barron (born 17 November 1986) is a former Wales international rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He played at representative level for Wales, and at club level for the Newcastle Thunder (previously Gateshead Thunder) in League 1, as a prop or second-row. [1] [2] He announced his retirement from rugby league on 7 February 2018. [4]
Born in Durham, England, Barron is of Welsh descent from his Rhondda-born mother. He played his community rugby league for the Gateshead Panthers. [5] He was previously in a relationship with England goalkeeper Carly Telford. [6]
On 20 Sep 2021 it was reported that Matt had come out of retirement to play for Toronto Wolfpack, in their first fixture since their Super League exit, versus Washington DC Cavalry in the inaugural Canada Cup competition. [7] He was named as captain.
Barron was named in the Wales squad to face England at the Keepmoat Stadium prior to England's departure for the 2008 World Cup. [8] [9] He played for Wales in the 2009 European Cup, 2014 European Cup and 2015 European Cup tournaments.
On 10 October 2017, Barron was named in Wales' 24-man squad for the 2017 World Cup. [10]
The Newcastle Thunder is a professional rugby league club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It was founded in 2000 as Gateshead Thunder, after the merger of the original Gateshead Thunder into Hull F.C. in 1999. The Thunder were based in Gateshead until 2014. In 2015, the club relocated and changed its name to Newcastle Thunder. In 2024, the Newcastle Thunder made a return to Gateshead as their playing base. For 2025 they will play their home games at Crow Trees Ground in Swalwell, home of Blaydon RFC. The club currently competes in League 1, the third tier of rugby league in the United Kingdom.
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