Shaun Edwards
Encyclopedia
Shaun Edwards OBE
(born 17 October 1966) is an English rugby union
coach and former rugby league
player. He is defence coach of Wales
, a post he has held since 2008. In November 2011 he left London Wasps
after 10 years with the club, latterly as head coach.
Edwards generally played at either scrum half or stand-off. He played for Wigan
in the Rugby Football League Championship and then Super League
between 1983 and 1996. He also had spells with Balmain Tigers
, London Broncos (twice) and Bradford Bulls
. Playing for Wigan, Edwards won a record eight championships and a record nine Challenge Cup
s. In total he played in eleven Challenge Cup finals, also a record. He was voted Man of Steel in 1990 and is an inductee of the Wigan Hall of Fame.
Edwards played 36 times for Great Britain
, and played for England
from 1995-1996 and Ireland
in 1998. In all, he appeared in three Rugby League World Cup
s.
, Lancashire
on 17 October 1966. His father, Jack, played half-back for Warrington
in the late 1950s and early 1960s, until a severe spinal injury ended his career prematurely at age 24.
Edwards was England schoolboy captain at both rugby league
and rugby union
, and had been pursued by several clubs.
His younger brother, Billy-Joe, also played rugby league for Wigan until his death, in a car crash, in 2003.
on 6 November 1983, 20 days after signing for Wigan.
Edwards played for Great Britain
36 times, staring 32 games with a further four from the substitute's bench, and scored 16 tries. His political views meant that on a Great Britain Lions tour, Edwards taped over the British Coal
logo on his shirt in support of the miners' strike
.
Edwards went on to become the captain of the most successful club team in rugby league
history as his Wigan side went 43 Challenge Cup ties unbeaten, with Edwards playing in every round over 8 successful seasons.
He played in Wigan's 1987
, 1991
and 1994
World Club Challenge
victories over Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
, Penrith Panthers
and Brisbane Broncos
respectively. In 1990, he played through the Challenge Cup
final with a broken cheekbone. That season he also received the Man of Steel Award.
He finished the 1991/92 season as the League's leading try scorer with a total of 40. Edwards was then selected to go on the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand.
He matched Wigan's record for most tries in a single match (10) in the 78–0 rout of Swinton in the Lancashire Cup
2nd round in September 1992. It was a County Cup
record and record for a non-winger in any game. In addition he scored four tries in a game on four occasions and hat-tricks seven times. During the 1992–93 Rugby Football League season Edwards played at scrum half for defending RFL champions Wigan in the 1992 World Club Challenge
against the visiting Brisbane Broncos
.
He played in every round of Wigan's eight consecutive Challenge Cup
wins. Altogether Edwards made 452 appearances for Wigan. He played his last game for the club against St Helens in the Challenge Cup defeat at Knowsley Road in 1997.
After a fall-out with coach Eric Hughes
, Edwards left Wigan to join the London Broncos. He had wanted to spend some time with his expectant girlfriend Heather Small
, but was refused permission by Hughes. When he returned to Wigan with the Broncos in May 1997, he got on the score sheet and was warmly applauded by the Wigan crowd to which he gave his customary nod of approval. After just a season in London, Edwards moved to Bradford Bulls
but was soon on his way back to London where he represented the Broncos in the 1999 Challenge Cup final at Wembley. He retired in 2000.
Edwards still stays strong to his Wigan roots. In a 2007 interview Edwards claimed that 'I almost had an heart attack' after Wigan came back to defeat Bradford Bulls in an epic 30-31 play off victory. He also claimed that one day he would come back to coach Wigan.http://www.wigantoday.net/warriors/Edwards39-Wigan-dream.3231776.jp
rugby union
team as backs coach, taking over as head coach in 2005 after Warren Gatland
returned to New Zealand. Wasps won the English Rugby Union Championship
three times in succession, in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and the Heineken Cup
in 2004 and 2007.
Edwards teamed up with Warren Gatland
again, after the latter was appointed head coach of : Edwards had been offered the job of coaching England's second-tier side, England Saxons
, but preferred the position with Wales. Former player Matt Dawson
stated that it was "a crime" that England lost him to Wales and described him as "the best coach in the world". Edwards left his position at London Wasps in November 2011.
singer Heather Small
, with whom he has a son, James. Although no longer together, a key factor in his moving to the south was that he could be close to his son. He turned down the job of coaching the Great Britain national rugby league team
as it would mean being up north a lot of the time.
A devout Roman Catholic, Edwards prayed
before each game. He has said: "One of the greatest sayings that I have heard was that you have to be prepared to suffer. I think it’s the same with any walk of life. Nothing comes easily. No pain, no gain, and that is certainly the case in rugby. If you’re not prepared to put in the hard work, to go through the pain and suffering, both mental and physical, you probably won’t make it. Jesus
suffered on the cross in his life and that’s a reality that inspired and helped me in the good times and the bad."
Edwards writes a regular column each Friday for the Guardian newspaper.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 17 October 1966) is an English 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...
coach and former rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player. He is defence coach of 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...
, a post he has held since 2008. In November 2011 he left London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
after 10 years with the club, latterly as head coach.
Edwards generally played at either scrum half or stand-off. He played for Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
in the Rugby Football League Championship and then Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
between 1983 and 1996. He also had spells with Balmain Tigers
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
, London Broncos (twice) and Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
. Playing for Wigan, Edwards won a record eight championships and a record nine Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
s. In total he played in eleven Challenge Cup finals, also a record. He was voted Man of Steel in 1990 and is an inductee of the Wigan Hall of Fame.
Edwards played 36 times for Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
, and played for England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
from 1995-1996 and Ireland
Ireland national rugby league team
The Ireland national rugby league team, known as the Wolfhounds, represent the island of Ireland in rugby league football. The team is organized by Rugby League Ireland and are accredited as an affiliate member of the Rugby League International Federation...
in 1998. In all, he appeared in three Rugby League World Cup
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
s.
Biography
Edwards was born in WiganWigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
on 17 October 1966. His father, Jack, played half-back for Warrington
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
in the late 1950s and early 1960s, until a severe spinal injury ended his career prematurely at age 24.
Edwards was England schoolboy captain at both rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and 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...
, and had been pursued by several clubs.
His younger brother, Billy-Joe, also played rugby league for Wigan until his death, in a car crash, in 2003.
Playing career
Edwards signed for Wigan in a blaze of media coverage on his seventeenth birthday; for a fee of £35,000, the largest in history for a schoolboy player. He made his début for the club at stand-off in the 30–13 home win against YorkYork City Knights
York City Knights Rugby League Club is a British professional rugby league club hailing from York. They play at the Huntington Stadium, situated to the north of York city centre...
on 6 November 1983, 20 days after signing for Wigan.
Edwards played for Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
36 times, staring 32 games with a further four from the substitute's bench, and scored 16 tries. His political views meant that on a Great Britain Lions tour, Edwards taped over the British Coal
British Coal
thumb|right|British Coal company logoThe British Coal Corporation was a nationalised corporation in the United Kingdom responsible for the extraction of coal...
logo on his shirt in support of the miners' strike
UK miners' strike (1984–1985)
The UK miners' strike was a major industrial action affecting the British coal industry. It was a defining moment in British industrial relations, and its defeat significantly weakened the British trades union movement...
.
Edwards went on to become the captain of the most successful club team in rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
history as his Wigan side went 43 Challenge Cup ties unbeaten, with Edwards playing in every round over 8 successful seasons.
He played in Wigan's 1987
1987 World Club Challenge
The 1987 World Club Challenge was only the second game of its kind to be played between Britain's and Australia's respective domestic rugby league champions...
, 1991
1991 World Club Challenge
The 1991 World Club Challenge was contested by 1990–91 RFL Championship winners, Wigan and 1991 NSWRL season premiers, the Penrith Panthers. The match was played on a dry Wednesday the 2nd of October, 1991 at Anfield, Liverpool...
and 1994
1994 World Club Challenge
The 1994 MMI World Club Challenge was a replay of the 1992 World Club Challenge, with 1993–94 Rugby Football League season champions Wigan facing the 1993 NSWRL season premiers, the Brisbane Broncos, this time in Australia. Wigan were clearly the dominant club in the English game, having won the...
World Club Challenge
World Club Challenge
The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league football match held between the champions of the Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League competitions to determine the world's best rugby league club...
victories over Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
, Penrith Panthers
Penrith Panthers
The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...
and Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
respectively. In 1990, he played through the Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
final with a broken cheekbone. That season he also received the Man of Steel Award.
He finished the 1991/92 season as the League's leading try scorer with a total of 40. Edwards was then selected to go on the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand.
He matched Wigan's record for most tries in a single match (10) in the 78–0 rout of Swinton in the Lancashire Cup
Rugby league county cups
Historically, British rugby league clubs competed for the Lancashire Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, known collectively as the county cups. The leading rugby clubs in Yorkshire had played in a cup competition for several years prior to the schism of 1895...
2nd round in September 1992. It was a County Cup
Rugby league county cups
Historically, British rugby league clubs competed for the Lancashire Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, known collectively as the county cups. The leading rugby clubs in Yorkshire had played in a cup competition for several years prior to the schism of 1895...
record and record for a non-winger in any game. In addition he scored four tries in a game on four occasions and hat-tricks seven times. During the 1992–93 Rugby Football League season Edwards played at scrum half for defending RFL champions Wigan in the 1992 World Club Challenge
1992 World Club Challenge
The 1992 World Club Challenge match was contested by the 1991–92 Rugby Football League season champions Wigan and the 1992 NSWRL season's premiers, the Brisbane Broncos...
against the visiting Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
.
He played in every round of Wigan's eight consecutive Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
wins. Altogether Edwards made 452 appearances for Wigan. He played his last game for the club against St Helens in the Challenge Cup defeat at Knowsley Road in 1997.
After a fall-out with coach Eric Hughes
Eric Hughes
Eric Hughes was a rugby league footballer for the Widnes Vikings, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and for the Great Britain national side. He unwittingly added confusion to the Canterbury side as he played at the same time as the three Hughes brothers Garry, Graeme and Mark.Hughes coached Rochdale...
, Edwards left Wigan to join the London Broncos. He had wanted to spend some time with his expectant girlfriend Heather Small
Heather Small
Heather Small is a British soul singer, best known for being the lead singer in the Manchester based band M People. Her debut solo album was Proud in 2000...
, but was refused permission by Hughes. When he returned to Wigan with the Broncos in May 1997, he got on the score sheet and was warmly applauded by the Wigan crowd to which he gave his customary nod of approval. After just a season in London, Edwards moved to Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
but was soon on his way back to London where he represented the Broncos in the 1999 Challenge Cup final at Wembley. He retired in 2000.
Edwards still stays strong to his Wigan roots. In a 2007 interview Edwards claimed that 'I almost had an heart attack' after Wigan came back to defeat Bradford Bulls in an epic 30-31 play off victory. He also claimed that one day he would come back to coach Wigan.http://www.wigantoday.net/warriors/Edwards39-Wigan-dream.3231776.jp
Coaching career
In 2001, Edwards joined London WaspsLondon Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
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...
team as backs coach, taking over as head coach in 2005 after 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...
returned to New Zealand. Wasps won the English Rugby Union Championship
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...
three times in succession, in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and 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,...
in 2004 and 2007.
Edwards teamed up with 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...
again, after the latter was appointed head coach of : Edwards had been offered the job of coaching England's second-tier side, England Saxons
England Saxons
England Saxons is the current name of England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England A...
, but preferred the position with Wales. Former player Matt Dawson
Matt Dawson
Matthew James Sutherland "Daws" Dawson, MBE is a retired English rugby union player who played scrum half for Wasps and Northampton Saints. During his international career he toured with the British and Irish Lions three times and was part of England's 2003 Rugby World Cup winning side...
stated that it was "a crime" that England lost him to Wales and described him as "the best coach in the world". Edwards left his position at London Wasps in November 2011.
Personal life
Edwards had a long-term relationship with M PeopleM People
M People are a British house music act from Manchester, who formed in 1990 and achieved success throughout most of the 1990s. The name M People is from the initials of Mike Pickering, who formed the group.-Career:...
singer Heather Small
Heather Small
Heather Small is a British soul singer, best known for being the lead singer in the Manchester based band M People. Her debut solo album was Proud in 2000...
, with whom he has a son, James. Although no longer together, a key factor in his moving to the south was that he could be close to his son. He turned down the job of coaching the Great Britain national rugby league team
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
as it would mean being up north a lot of the time.
A devout Roman Catholic, Edwards prayed
Prayer
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of...
before each game. He has said: "One of the greatest sayings that I have heard was that you have to be prepared to suffer. I think it’s the same with any walk of life. Nothing comes easily. No pain, no gain, and that is certainly the case in rugby. If you’re not prepared to put in the hard work, to go through the pain and suffering, both mental and physical, you probably won’t make it. Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
suffered on the cross in his life and that’s a reality that inspired and helped me in the good times and the bad."
Edwards writes a regular column each Friday for the Guardian newspaper.