Martyn Williams
Encyclopedia
Martyn Elwyn Williams is a Welsh international rugby union
player. A flanker, he plays for Cardiff Blues
and the Wales national rugby union team
as an open-side flanker
. He is Wales' most-capped forward.
, with whom he won the 1996-7 Welsh league, then moved to Cardiff
in 1999. He captained Cardiff from 2002 until 2005, when Rhys Williams
took over the role.
In the Heineken Cup
semi final against Leicester Tigers
on 3 May 2009, Williams missed a crucial kick in the penalty shootout after the game had finished level after extra time, allowing Jordan Crane to step up and score the winning kick. It was the first time that a rugby union match had been decided in a shootout.
the same year. His first appearance in the Five Nations Championship was against England
in 1998. He captained Wales
for the first time against Scotland
at Murrayfield
in 2003.
He won his 50th Welsh cap against England
in the first match of the 2005 Six Nations Championship
and played a prominent part in Wales' Grand Slam
that year, notably scoring two tries early in the second half against France
in Paris when Wales had appeared to be heading for defeat. He was named RBS Six Nations player of the Championship (2005).
Williams announced his retirement from international rugby on 1 October 2007, following Wales' early exit from the 2007 Rugby World Cup only to make a surprise decision to return to international action when he was recalled by new Wales head coach Warren Gatland
in January 2008. He was a key member of Wales Grand Slam winning side of 2008, and was considered by many to be one of the best players in the tournament.
Williams currently holds the Welsh record for most appearances in the Five and Six Nations championships, surpassing Gareth Edwards
' record of 45 appearances in the third round of the 2009 Six Nations.
tours to Australia in 2001 and to New Zealand
in 2005. He was also named as part of Ian McGeechan
's 37 man British & Irish Lions squad to tour South Africa in the summer of 2009.
Williams is affiliated with the charity Cancer Care Cymru.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player. A flanker, he plays for Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....
and the Wales national rugby union team
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
as an open-side flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
. He is Wales' most-capped forward.
Club career
Williams, height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), weight 15 st 10 lb (100 kg), played club rugby for PontypriddPontypridd RFC
Pontypridd Rugby Football Club, known as Ponty, are a rugby union team from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, currently playing in the British and Irish Cup, Principality Premiership, and are the current SWALEC Cup champions....
, with whom he won the 1996-7 Welsh league, then moved to Cardiff
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
in 1999. He captained Cardiff from 2002 until 2005, when Rhys Williams
Rhys Williams (rugby player)
Gethin Rhys Williams is a Welsh rugby union player who played for Cardiff Blues and won 44 caps for the Wales national rugby union team as a full-back and winger...
took over the role.
In the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
semi final against Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
on 3 May 2009, Williams missed a crucial kick in the penalty shootout after the game had finished level after extra time, allowing Jordan Crane to step up and score the winning kick. It was the first time that a rugby union match had been decided in a shootout.
Wales
After gaining international caps at every junior level he won his first Wales A cap in 1996 and then made the senior side against the BarbariansBarbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
the same year. His first appearance in the Five Nations Championship was against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
in 1998. He captained Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
for the first time against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
at Murrayfield
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
in 2003.
He won his 50th Welsh cap against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
in the first match of the 2005 Six Nations Championship
2005 Six Nations Championship
The 2005 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the sixth series of the Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
and played a prominent part in Wales' Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
that year, notably scoring two tries early in the second half against France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
in Paris when Wales had appeared to be heading for defeat. He was named RBS Six Nations player of the Championship (2005).
Williams announced his retirement from international rugby on 1 October 2007, following Wales' early exit from the 2007 Rugby World Cup only to make a surprise decision to return to international action when he was recalled by new Wales head coach Warren Gatland
Warren Gatland
Warren David Gatland is a former New Zealand rugby footballer and the current head coach of the Wales national team.Gatland was born in Hamilton, New Zealand and educated at Hamilton Boys' High School and Waikato University...
in January 2008. He was a key member of Wales Grand Slam winning side of 2008, and was considered by many to be one of the best players in the tournament.
Williams currently holds the Welsh record for most appearances in the Five and Six Nations championships, surpassing Gareth Edwards
Gareth Edwards
Gareth Owen Edwards CBE is a former Welsh rugby union footballer who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey"....
' record of 45 appearances in the third round of the 2009 Six Nations.
British and Irish Lions
Williams was selected for the British and Irish LionsBritish and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
tours to Australia in 2001 and to New Zealand
2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
In 2005 the British and Irish Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand for the first time since 1993, playing 7 tour matches against first and second division clubs from the National Provincial Championship series, 1 tour match against the national New Zealand all Māori club, and 3 official test...
in 2005. He was also named as part of Ian McGeechan
Ian McGeechan
Sir Ian Robert McGeechan OBE is a Scottish former rugby union player and coach. His nickname is "Geech".-Playing career:...
's 37 man British & Irish Lions squad to tour South Africa in the summer of 2009.
Personal life
He played centre half for the Welsh YMCA U16 soccer side. He stated his intentions to play for the Cardiff Blues for another couple of seasons before taking up a career in commercial banking.Williams is affiliated with the charity Cancer Care Cymru.