Rhys M. Thomas

Last updated

Rhys Thomas
Birth nameRhys Muir Thomas
Date of birth (1982-07-31) 31 July 1982 (age 40)
Place of birth Johannesburg, South Africa
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m )
Weight19 st 12 lb (126 kg)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2002–2004 Newport RFC 21 (20)
Correct as of 01:51, 4 November 2007 (UTC)
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2003–2009
2009–12
Newport Gwent Dragons
Scarlets
126
24
(60)
(20)
Correct as of 12:59, 16 April 2009 (UTC)
National team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2006–09 Wales 7 0
Correct as of 01:51, 4 November 2007 (UTC)

Rhys Muir Thomas (born 31 July 1982) is a former Wales international rugby union prop forward.

Contents

Career

Club career

Thomas attended King Edward VII School in Houghton, Johannesburg, South Africa alongside Joe van Niekerk and Bryan Habana. Despite being born and raised in South Africa, Thomas began his professional rugby career in his father's birthplace, Newport, South Wales, playing for the Newport RFC youth team. [1] Thomas progressed through the ranks at Newport RFC, eventually making his senior debut in 2003. He made six appearances for Newport in the 2002–03 season, and was rewarded with a development contract with the Newport Gwent Dragons regional side. Thomas made a try-scoring debut for the Dragons in October 2003 against the Glasgow Warriors, but divided his 2003–04 season between Newport RFC and the Dragons, making 15 appearances for Newport and 16 for the Dragons.

The 2004–05 season saw Thomas establish himself as a regular in the Dragons squad, making 27 appearances and scoring two tries, as the team finished in 4th place in the Celtic League. Thomas made a further 30 appearances in 2005–06, but he was unable to prevent the team from slipping to 8th place in the Celtic League, forcing them to have to play a play-off match against Rugby Parma to determine qualification for the 2006-07 Heineken Cup.

Thomas was involved in the play-off, but could not prevent the 24–15 loss that condemned the Dragons to playing in the European Challenge Cup in 2006–07. The team went all the way to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup, before losing 46–29 to eventual champions ASM Clermont Auvergne. Thomas had missed most of the season due to a back injury but was available for the Challenge Cup semi-final and the final three games of the Celtic League. Thomas was ever-present for the Dragons in the 2007–08 season scored three tries – a personal record for one season – including two in one match against Newcastle Falcons on 3 October 2007, the first time he had scored more than one try in a game for the Dragons.

In May 2009 Thomas joined the Scarlets.

International career

Thomas made appearances at three different levels for Wales, beginning at Under-19 level while still playing for Newport RFC Youth. Following his displays for Newport RFC, Thomas was included in the Wales Under-21 side and played a big part in Wales winning the U-21 six nations in his final year of U21s. He was also selected for the world cup dream team as best tight head, the only Northern Hemisphere player to be selected in that team.

In 2006, Thomas made his debut for the Wales national rugby union team, coming on as a replacement for Adam Jones in the 57th minute of a match against Argentina on 17 June 2006. Due to Injury it was to be 14 months before Thomas made another appearance for the national team, again as a substitute, but this time in a 62–5 defeat by England. During the 2007–2008 season he made a further 3 appearances for Wales, starting as a prop in the autumn international against South Africa on 24 November 2007, against Italy in the 6 Nations on 23 February 2008 and against South Africa at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium on 14 June 2008.

Retirement

In April 2012 Thomas retired from rugby following a heart attack during training and subsequent emergency operation. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dragons RFC</span> One of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales

Dragons RFC are one of the four professional rugby union regional teams in Wales. They are owned by the Welsh Rugby Union and play their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport and at other grounds around the region. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Charvis</span> Wales and British Lions international rugby union player

Colin Charvis is a former captain of the Wales national rugby union team and also played for the British & Irish Lions. A back row forward, Charvis was equally adept as a flanker or as the no. 8.

Rod Snow is a Canadian former professional rugby union prop.

Ceri Sweeney is a rugby union footballer who plays at fly-half for Pontypridd RFC and Wales.

Bruce Andrew Ferguson Douglas is a former Scottish rugby union rugby player. He played as a prop, and had been signed with French top 14 club Montpellier from July 2008 up until March 2010 when it was confirmed that he was signed with Worcester Warriors. He has represented Scottish Schools, Scottish Districts and Scotland at under-16, under-18, under-19 and under-21 levels.

Gavin Michael Thomas is a Welsh former international rugby union player who played as a flanker. He played his club rugby for Tondu, Bridgend, Bath, the Ospreys, the Scarlets and the Newport Gwent Dragons, and was capped 24 times for Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aled Brew</span> Welsh rugby union player

Aled Brew is a former Wales international rugby union player who played as a winger. He made his debut for the Wales national rugby union team against Ireland in the 2007 Six Nations Championship. In his career, as well as playing for Biarritz Olympique and Bath Rugby, he is one of only a handful of players to have played for all four top-level regional teams in Wales.

Rhys Oakley is a former professional rugby union footballer who played as a number eight. Oakley began his professional career with Bristol Rugby, before moving to the Newport Gwent Dragons, Leeds Tykes, Northampton Saints, and CS Bourgoin-Jallieu. During the final years of his career, Oakley spent time as a player-coach for Plymouth Albion R.F.C. and Hartpury University R.F.C. Oakley is a Wales international and represented Wales Sevens at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Lyn Jones is a former Wales international rugby union player, and now works as a coach. A flanker, Jones has experience at various different levels of the game, both as a player and a coach. Jones played most of his playing career for Neath RFC. He started his coaching career at the same club. He has coached professional clubs in Wales and England, and since 2018 has been head coach of the Russian national rugby union team. He is currently coaching the national rugby team of the Netherlands.

Adam Mathias Jones is a Welsh former professional rugby union player who played as a lock. He captained the Wales Under-19 team and earned his first caps for the Wales senior team as a replacement against England and Scotland in the 2006 Six Nations Championship. He began his career with Swansea RFC before a spell in England with Saracens and Harlequins, before returning to Wales with Cardiff RFC. At the start of the Welsh regional era, he signed for the Llanelli Scarlets and played for them for four seasons, before a seven-year spell with the Newport Gwent Dragons. He also made appearances for Llandovery RFC, Carmarthen Quins RFC, Cross Keys RFC and Newport RFC.

Richie Rees is a former Wales international professional rugby union player. He played as a scrum-half. He is now the attack coach for Cardiff Rugby.

Morgan Lloyd Stoddart is a former Wales international rugby union player. His usual position was fullback or wing.

Nathan Brew is a former Welsh international rugby union player. Brew played in the centre and on the wing.

Aled Thomas is a Welsh rugby union player. A fly-half, who plays for the Scarlets in the Pro14.

Scott Roberts is a rugby union prop forward

Jonathan Evans is a Welsh rugby union footballer, who play at scrum half for Ebbw Vale RFC. He also played for the Scarlets, Newport Gwent Dragons and Bath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Williams (rugby union)</span> Welsh rugby union player

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.

Alex Jeffries is a Welsh former professional rugby union player who played as a prop. He retired from rugby due to a neck injury in April 2023.

Dafydd Hughes is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for the Jersey Reds as a hooker. He is a Wales under-20 international.

Leon Michael Brown is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays for the Dragons regional team as a prop forward having previously played for Cross Keys RFC.

References

  1. Robin Davey (9 October 2007). "Rhys Set To Get Call Up". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 4 November 2007.
  2. "Wales and Scarlets prop Rhys Thomas announces retirement". BBC Sport. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2012.