37 Facts About Shane Williams

1.

Shane Williams is Wales's most capped winger and is considered to be one of the greatest wingers of all time.

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2.

In 2008, Shane Williams was selected as the World Rugby Player of the Year, then known as the IRB Player of the Year.

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3.

Shane Williams was selected to the Barbarians squad that played Wales in June 2012.

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4.

Shane Williams was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to rugby.

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5.

Shane Williams extended his stay in Japan several times, taking on a role as player-coach and turning down an offer from French Top 14 side Toulon in the process.

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6.

In November 2016, Shane Williams was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame during opening ceremonies for the Hall's first physical home in Rugby, Warwickshire.

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7.

Shane Williams was born in Morriston in Swansea, but grew up in Glanamman in the Amman Valley.

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8.

Shane Williams picked up his first rugby ball while still in primary school, and was always small for his age, even going into secondary school at Amman Valley Comprehensive School.

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9.

Shane Williams played for Cwmamman United up to the senior level, while only playing rugby sporadically, and admits that, at the time, football was "[his] main sport".

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10.

However, on the day of Cwmamman United's cup final, Shane Williams was invited to play rugby with his friends at Amman United RFC; Amman United ended up winning by 82 points, with Shane Williams scoring five tries.

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11.

Shane Williams started his junior career as a scrum-half at Amman United he joined Neath as a second-choice scrum-half.

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12.

When it came to Shane Williams signing his first professional contract with Neath, Amman United demanded a transfer fee for him, resulting in negotiations between the two clubs.

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13.

Nevertheless, Shane Williams eventually signed for Neath on a contract worth approximately £7,500 per annum, equivalent to his wage at the local Job Centre where he was working part-time.

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14.

Shane Williams planned to retire from rugby and join Ospreys' backroom staff, but received an offer to play one season in Japan with Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars, in the second division of the Japanese league system.

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15.

Shane Williams was awarded his first cap for Wales by Graham Henry as a replacement against France in the 2000 Six Nations season, he was three weeks short of his 23rd birthday and weighed a little over 11 stone.

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16.

Shane Williams scored in his first full start for Wales with a try against Italy in the same Six Nations tournament and went on to score a total of 60 international tries.

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17.

Shane Williams is Wales' record try scorer in Six Nations Championships with 22 and Wales' record try scorer in Rugby World Cups with 10.

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18.

Shane Williams suffered a series of hamstring injuries in 2002 and did not often figure in Steve Hansen's squad.

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19.

Shane Williams was taken to the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia as a third choice scrum half.

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20.

Shane Williams was selected in the final group game against New Zealand as Wales made numerous changes to their starting fifteen.

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21.

Shane Williams scored two tries in that match, temporarily putting him on top of the 2007 Rugby World Cup try-scoring table with a total of five tries.

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22.

Shane Williams's try against France in their 2008 Six Nations Championship decider on 15 March 2008 placed him joint eighth on the all-time test try scoring list with Thomas, and surpassed Thomas on the all-time Wales try scoring list.

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23.

Shane Williams participated in a second Grand Slam win with Wales in the 2008 Six Nations Championship, when he scored tries against Scotland, Italy, Ireland, and France, breaking the record on the all-time Wales try scoring list in the championship's final match against France, when he scored his 41st try for Wales.

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24.

On 23 November 2008, Shane Williams became the first Welshman to be named IRB Player of the Year, beating fellow Welshman Ryan Jones, New Zealand's Dan Carter, Scotland captain Mike Blair, and Italy captain Sergio Parisse.

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25.

On 13 February 2010, Shane Williams scored the winning try against Scotland in Cardiff, completing a remarkable Welsh comeback.

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26.

Shane Williams was a part of the 2011 Rugby World Cup squad in New Zealand and scored three tries.

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27.

Shane Williams stated that he would retire from playing for Wales after the 2011 Rugby World Cup but later decided to play against Australia on 3 December 2011.

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28.

Shane Williams said that wearing the Welsh jersey was the "best feeling ever".

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29.

On 15 June 2013, Shane Williams was called up to the Lions squad to face the ACT Brumbies.

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30.

The police lost his passport; his lawyer described the whole incident as a "total stitch-up"; and on his return to the United Kingdom, Shane Williams suggested that he should have spent his holiday in Tenby instead.

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31.

On 23 December 2005, Shane Williams married his childhood sweetheart, Gail Branwen Lacey, whom he had met at Amman Valley School 14 years previously, at Twyn Church in Garnant.

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32.

Shane Williams has appeared numerous times in Welsh language television programmes on S4C.

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33.

Shane Williams was green gunged with swimmer David Davies in the Crawfr children's television programme and in 2011 has appeared in Clwb Rygbi Shane.

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34.

In 2012, Shane Williams made a cameo appearance as himself in an episode of the UK TV comedy drama Stella.

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35.

In February 2012, Shane Williams joined the team of BBC Wales pundits, covering the Six Nations.

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36.

Shane Williams proceeded to give Jonathan a signed shirt for him taking his time to perform for the film crew for his television programme.

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37.

Shane Williams continued to maintain the links he had established with the club.

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