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Michael Owen (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Michael Owen was educated at Bryn Celynnog
Comprehensive school in Beddau
and was a Welsh
rugby union
player. He played for Saracens
at club level and Wales
internationally, having previously represented Newport Gwent Dragons
in the Magners League. Owen, who is , most often played Number 8, but was also versatile enough to play flanker
or even lock. His ball handling was arguably his greatest asset.
In July 2010, Owen announced his retirement from the game at 29 due to a persistent knee problem. He is studying business at the University of Hertfordshire, on a two year course.
In March 2010 he began coaching at Hertford RFC, helping them to gain National 2 league status in April 2011.
He was a co-commentator for ITV
's coverage of the 2011 Rugby World Cup
.
He took over from the injured Gareth Thomas
as Wales captain during the 2005 Six Nations
, and became the 122nd Captain of his country when he led Wales out against Scotland and led Wales to its first Grand Slam
in 27 years.
Owen was selected for the British and Irish Lions
for their 2005 New Zealand tour
. On 23 May in Cardiff
, he had the honour of captaining the side for their match at Millennium Stadium
against Argentina
, the first Lions Test match to take place outside of the touring country. He temporarily returned home for the birth of his second child.
from 1999 until the side merged with Bridgend RFC
to form the ill fated Celtic Warriors
in 2003 and from 2003 until 2008 he played for the Newport Gwent Dragons. Owen joined Guinness Premiership
side Saracens
for the 2008/2009 season after signing a two-year deal with the club.
Bryn Celynnog
Bryn Celynnog Comprehensive is a state run school located in Beddau, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales.-Alumni:Its alumni include many rugby stars who have gone on to be highly successful, such as rugby players Neil Jenkins MBE, Michael Owen, and Gethin Jenkins, who have all represented the British and...
Comprehensive school in Beddau
Beddau
Beddau is a large village around 1.5 miles from Llantrisant and 4 miles from the larger town of Pontypridd in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales.-Education:Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Castellau is the village's Welsh speaking primary school...
and was a Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
rugby union
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. He played for Saracens
Saracens F.C.
Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
at club level and 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...
internationally, having previously represented Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
in the Magners League. Owen, who is , most often played Number 8, but was also versatile enough to play 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...
or even lock. His ball handling was arguably his greatest asset.
In July 2010, Owen announced his retirement from the game at 29 due to a persistent knee problem. He is studying business at the University of Hertfordshire, on a two year course.
In March 2010 he began coaching at Hertford RFC, helping them to gain National 2 league status in April 2011.
He was a co-commentator for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's coverage of the 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
.
International career
Owen became the 1,000th player capped by Wales when he made his debut in the first Test against South Africa in June 2002.He took over from the injured Gareth Thomas
Gareth Thomas (rugby player)
Gareth Thomas , known as Alfie, is a retired Welsh professional rugby footballer who played rugby league for the Crusaders RL in the Super League. He also previously played rugby union for the Cardiff Blues and as a fullback, wing or centre.On 26 May 2007, Thomas surpassed Gareth Llewellyn as the...
as Wales captain during the 2005 Six Nations
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 became the 122nd Captain of his country when he led Wales out against Scotland and led Wales to its first 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...
in 27 years.
Owen was selected for the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
for their 2005 New Zealand tour
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...
. On 23 May in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, he had the honour of captaining the side for their match at Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
against Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
, the first Lions Test match to take place outside of the touring country. He temporarily returned home for the birth of his second child.
Club career
Owen played for Pontypridd RFCPontypridd 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....
from 1999 until the side merged with Bridgend RFC
Bridgend RFC
Bridgend Ravens are a semi-professional rugby union club based in Bridgend, South Wales. They currently play in the Welsh Premier Division...
to form the ill fated Celtic Warriors
Celtic Warriors
The Celtic Warriors were a regional rugby union team from Wales, who played in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup between 2003 and 2004.-History:The Warriors were one of the five original regions of the Welsh Regional Rugby Era...
in 2003 and from 2003 until 2008 he played for the Newport Gwent Dragons. Owen joined Guinness Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
side Saracens
Saracens F.C.
Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
for the 2008/2009 season after signing a two-year deal with the club.