Ben Flower facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Benjamin Thomas Flower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 19 October 1987 Cardiff, Wales |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 17 st 2 lb (109 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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Rugby union
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Rugby league
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| Position | Prop, Loose forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 28 Sep 2021
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Ben Flower (born 19 October 1987) is a former professional rugby league player from Wales. He played as a prop and loose forward. Ben played for several teams during his career, including the Crusaders Rugby League, Wigan Warriors, and Leigh Centurions. He also proudly represented his home country, Wales, in international matches.
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Ben Flower's Early Life and Career
Ben Flower was born in Cardiff, Wales. He started playing rugby at a young age. He was an under-17 international player for Cardiff Demons. Ben also played rugby union for Wales at different youth levels. These included the under-18, under-19, and under-20 teams.
Starting with Crusaders
Ben joined the Crusaders from a Welsh rugby union team called Bedwas RFC. He had also played for Newport Gwent Dragons. Ben became a professional rugby league player in 2007. He started with the Crusaders Colts team. Soon, he became a regular player for the Crusaders' main team. In 2008, he earned his first full cap for Wales.
He played for the Crusaders in their first Super League season in 2009. He stayed with the club until 2011. After the Crusaders left the league, Ben signed with the Wigan Warriors. In 2010, Ben also played on loan for the South Wales Scorpions. He played four games for them and scored one try.
Playing for Wigan Warriors
Ben Flower spent nine seasons playing for the Wigan Warriors. This was a big part of his career.
First Seasons at Wigan (2012-2013)
In his first year with Wigan in 2012, Ben played 18 games. In 2013, he became a key player for the team. He helped Wigan win the 2013 Challenge Cup Final against Hull F.C. at Wembley Stadium. He also played in the 2013 Super League Grand Final. Wigan won that match against the Warrington Wolves at Old Trafford.
A Difficult Moment (2014)
On 11 October 2014, Ben Flower was sent off during the 2014 Super League Grand Final. This happened early in the game. He was the first player ever to be sent off in a Super League Grand Final. Wigan played most of the game with one less player. They eventually lost the match. Ben was later given a six-month ban from playing. This was a very long ban for an on-field incident.
Returning to Play (2015-2017)
Ben made his return to the field on 16 April 2015. He played against the Warrington Wolves. He played 19 games that season and scored four tries. He also played in the 2015 Super League Grand Final, where Wigan lost to the Leeds Rhinos.
In early 2016, Ben signed a new four-year contract with Wigan. He played 27 games that season and scored three tries. He helped Wigan win the 2016 Super League Grand Final against the Warrington Wolves. In 2017, Ben helped Wigan win the World Club Challenge. They beat the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 22-6. He had a good start to the season. However, after 13 games, he got an Achilles tendon injury. This meant his season ended early.
Later Years at Wigan (2018-2020)
In 2018, Ben played in another Grand Final. Wigan won the 2018 Super League Grand Final against the Warrington Wolves. In 2019, Ben played 18 games for Wigan. In 2020, he played nine games. He got a leg injury in the semi-final against Hull F.C. This injury meant he could not play in the 2020 Super League Grand Final. On 30 November 2020, it was announced that Ben would join Leigh Centurions for the 2021 season.
Retirement and New Path (2021)
In 2021, Ben Flower retired from professional rugby league. He then signed with a Welsh rugby union club, Pontypool RFC. He started a new chapter in his rugby career playing rugby union.
International Career
Ben Flower played for his country, Wales, in rugby league. He made his debut for the Wales against England in 2008. At that time, he was playing for Celtic Crusaders.
He represented Wales in the 2010 European Cup. He also played in the 2011 Rugby League Four Nations tournament. Ben was chosen to be part of the squad for the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.
Images for kids
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Flower playing for Crusaders RL in 2009
