![]() | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Birth name | Robert Howley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 13 October 1970 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Bridgend, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 83 kg (13 st 1 lb; 183 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Brynteg Comprehensive School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University | University College of Swansea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Robert Howley (born 13 October 1970) is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player. As a player, he won 59 caps for Wales, 22 of them as captain. He was part of the Wales coaching staff from 2008 to 2019. He is currently a coaching consultant for the Toronto Arrows in Major League Rugby (MLR).
Howley played for Bridgend, Cardiff and Wasps. He gained the distinction of Welsh Player of the Year in 1996 and 1997.[ citation needed ]
He helped Wasps win back-to-back Premiership titles in 2003 and 2004. [1] [2] He also helped Wasps win the Heineken Cup in 2004; his late try in the final won them the game against Toulouse. [3] A wrist injury saw Howley announce his retirement from the game in 2004.
Howley represented Wales at Schools, Students, U21, A and B levels. [4]
He made his senior Wales debut in February 1996. He was selected for the 1997 British Lions tour to South Africa, prompting speculation of a match-up with the Springboks' Joost van der Westhuizen, but Howley suffered a tour-ending shoulder injury in a match against Natal prior to the start of the test series. Howley made the 2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia and played in the first two tests before succumbing to injury.
He retired from international rugby when he joined Wasps.
Following his retirement from playing, Howley coached Cardiff RFC.
In 2008, he was named as the attack coach as part of Warren Gatland's Wales coaching staff. [5] Over the next 12 years, the national side won four Six Nations titles, including three Grand Slams, and reached the Rugby World Cup semi-finals in 2011 and the quarter-finals in 2015.
He was attack coach during 2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa under head coach Ian McGeechan, and retained the role under Warren Gatland in the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia, helping the Lions secure their first series win since 1997.
In April 2012, Howley temporarily covered the day-to-day running of the coaching team, after Warren Gatland suffered two broken heels while on holiday in New Zealand. [6] Warren Gatland was unable to lead Wales on their 2012 tour to Australia because of his injury, and Rob Howley took charge as caretaker coach during the tour. [7] Rob Howley continued his caretaker role in the 2012 Autumn Internationals as Gatland was selected as head coach of the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. [8] However, Howley would only coach Wales in the opening 2 matches; Argentina and Samoa, and that Gatland would return to coach the side against New Zealand and Australia in week 3 and 4. Due to Gatland's role as head coach of the Lions, he was unable to coach Wales in the 2013 Six Nations, therefore Howley continued his role through the 2013 tournament. [9]
As Wales coach, Howley faced much criticism. Wales beat the Barbarians 30–21 in his opening match as caretaker, but after that, Wales suffered eight consecutive defeats, six of which were under Howley. This included a 3–0 series defeat against Australia during their 2012 tour, a series whitewash in the 2012 Autumn internationals and a loss in the opening round of the 2013 Six Nations against Ireland. The last five defeats were all at home, setting a new Wales record for consecutive home defeats. The streak was broken in round 2 of the Six Nations with a 16–6 win over France. Howley led Wales to a Championship win in the 2013 Six Nations after beating England by a record winning margin, 30–3 at the Millennium Stadium. This was Wales' fourth Championship win since it became the Six Nations in 2000, and the first time Wales won back-to-back championships since 1979.
On 7 September 2016, Howley was once again given the head coaching duties for the Welsh national side after Gatland retained his head coaching role of the British & Irish Lions for their 2017 tour to New Zealand. Howley took charge of Wales effective immediately, [10] coaching Wales in all 2016 Autumn internationals, which saw Wales win 3 from 4. He also coached the side during the 2017 Six Nations Championship, and assisted the British & Irish Lions during their 2017 Summer tour.
On 17 September 2019 Rob Howley was sent home from Wales' Rugby World Cup training camp in Japan for a breach of sports betting rules. [11] He was later banned for 18 months with nine suspended after being found guilty of placing 363 bets on rugby union, covering 1,163 matches in total. [12] Howley linked his betting to his sister's depression, alcoholism and early death. [13]
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 most-capped front-row forward.
Warren David Gatland is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player who is the head coach of the Wales national team.
Robin Currie McBryde, is a rugby union former player and coach. He gained 37 caps for Wales. He played hooker.
William Michael Phillips is a rugby union player who plays at scrum-half. On 16 March 2013, Phillips surpassed the record of 76 caps set by Dwayne Peel as the most capped scrum-half for Wales.
Alun Wyn Jones is a Welsh former international rugby union player who played as a lock. He played most of his career for Ospreys and for the Wales national team. He is the world's most-capped rugby union player, with 158 caps for Wales and 13 for the British & Irish Lions, and also holds the records for the most Wales caps and the second most Wales caps as captain. He retired from rugby in 2023.
Adam Rhys Jones is a Welsh former professional international rugby union player for Wales and the British & Irish Lions. He is currently scrum coach for Premiership Rugby club Harlequins.
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 Webb is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Ospreys. Born in Bridgend, he is a product of the Ospreys academy and played club rugby for Bridgend RFC and Aberavon RFC before breaking into the regional side in 2008. He played for the Ospreys for 10 years before moving to French club Toulon in 2018, but terminated his contract with them in 2020 and agreed a return to the Ospreys; however, he was unable to join the Ospreys immediately and signed for Bath for the remainder of the 2019–20 season before returning to the Ospreys.
Stephen Leigh Halfpenny is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a fullback or wing for the Crusaders in Super Rugby. Halfpenny is the third highest points scorer for Wales after Neil Jenkins and Stephen Jones.
Daniel Biggar is a Welsh professional rugby union player currently playing for French Top 14 side Toulon as a fly-half. A Wales international, Biggar has also twice been selected to tour with the British and Irish Lions.
The 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia was a rugby union tour during June and July 2013. The British & Irish Lions played ten matches - a three-test series against Australia, and matches against the five Australian Super Rugby sides, a Combined New South Wales–Queensland Country team, and a match en route to Australia against the Barbarians.
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.
Alex Cuthbert is an English-born rugby union player. Born and raised in Gloucester, he plays on the wing for the Ospreys and the Wales national team.
Justin Tipuric is a former Welsh international rugby union player who played for Wales as an openside flanker.
Mako Vunipola is a professional rugby union player who plays as a loosehead prop for English club Saracens and the England national team. Born in New Zealand to Tongan parents, he qualified for England through residency having lived and been educated in Wales and then England since the age of 7.
Luke Anthony Cowan-Dickie is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a hooker for Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks and the England national team.
Anthony Kenneth Chisom Watson is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a wing or fullback for Leicester Tigers and the England national team.
The British & Irish Lions toured New Zealand during June and July 2017. The Lions, a rugby union team selected from players eligible to represent England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales, played ten matches: against all five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises, the NZ Provincial Barbarians, the Māori All Blacks and three test matches against New Zealand.
Kyle Norval Jonathan Sean Sinckler is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Premiership Rugby club Bristol Bears and the England national team.
Tomas Francis is a Wales international rugby union player who plays at tight head prop for Ospreys.