Lee Byrne facts for kids
| Birth name | Lee Martin Byrne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1 June 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Bridgend, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 191 cm (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 98 kg (15 st 6 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Andrea Byrne (wife) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Rugby league career
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Playing information
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lee Byrne (born June 1, 1980) is a former professional rugby union and rugby league player from Wales. He played during the 2000s and 2010s, mainly as a fullback or wing.
Contents
Lee Byrne's Club Rugby Career
Lee Byrne began his rugby career playing for local clubs like Bridgend Athletic RFC and Tondu RFC. He was noticed while playing rugby league for Bridgend Blue Bulls and soon signed with the Llanelli Scarlets.
In 2007, during a game against Connacht, Lee Byrne stepped in as a kicker. He successfully kicked two penalties and two conversions after the main kicker, Shaun Connor, had to leave the game due to an injury.
Later, Lee Byrne decided to move to a French club. He signed a three-year deal with ASM Clermont Auvergne in 2011. He joined them after the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
In 2014, it was announced that Byrne would return to Wales to play for Newport Gwent Dragons starting from the end of the 2013–14 season.
Lee Byrne announced his retirement from rugby on April 23, 2015. He had to stop playing because he could not recover from a shoulder injury.
Lee Byrne's International Rugby Journey
After playing well for the Llanelli Scarlets in both the Celtic League and the Heineken Cup during the 2005–06 season, Lee Byrne was chosen to join the Welsh national team.
Making His Debut for Wales
He played his first game for Wales on November 5, 2005, against New Zealand at the Millennium Stadium. Wales lost that game. He also played in matches against Fiji (which Wales won) and South Africa.
Byrne continued to play for Wales in the 2006 Six Nations Championship and in two games against Argentina. In the 2006 Autumn Internationals, he played on the wing against the Pacific Islands.
Grand Slam Success and Lions Selection
Lee Byrne was a key player in the 2008 Six Nations Championship team that achieved a Grand Slam. A Grand Slam means a team wins every single game in the tournament. He scored tries against England and Italy during this championship.
After his strong performances for Wales in the 2008 Autumn Internationals against South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, many people thought Byrne would be chosen for the British & Irish Lions squad. This was confirmed on April 21, 2009, when he was selected as one of the fullbacks for the Lions tour.
In February 2010, during a match against Scotland, there was a disagreement. Scotland's coach, Andy Robinson, suggested that Byrne had pretended to fall to get a penalty for Wales. Wales scored from that penalty and went on to win the match.
Lee Byrne was also part of the Wales squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. His last game for Wales was a pool match against Fiji in that tournament.
Lee Byrne's International Tries
| Try | Opponent | Location | Venue | Competition | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Argentina |
Buenos Aires, Argentina | Estadio Jose Amalfitani | 2006 June rugby union tests | 17 June 2006 | Loss |
| 2 | Pacific Islanders | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2006 Autumn Internationals | 11 November 2006 | Win |
| 3 |  England |
London, England | Twickenham Stadium | 2008 Six Nations | 2 February 2008 | Win |
| 4 |  Italy |
Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2008 Six Nations | 3 February 2008 | Win |
| 5 | ||||||
| 6 |  Australia |
Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2008 Autumn Internationals | 29 November 2008 | Win |
| 7 |  France |
Paris, France | Stade de France | 2009 Six Nations | 27 February 2009 | Loss |
| 8 |  Scotland |
Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2010 Six Nations | 13 February 2010 | Win |
| 9 |  New Zealand |
Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2010 Autumn Internationals | 27 November 2010 | Loss |
| 10 |  Namibia |
New Plymouth, New Zealand | Yarrow Stadium | 2011 Rugby World Cup | 26 September 2011 | Win |
Lee Byrne's Personal Life
In March 2011, it was announced that Lee Byrne was engaged to Andrea Benfield, a presenter for ITV Wales Tonight. They got married on New Year's Day in 2012.
The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter, in 2019. Andrea had faced challenges in becoming pregnant, but they were very happy to have their daughter.
Lee Byrne has openly talked about having dyslexia. This learning difference caused him some difficulties, especially when he was trying to learn French while playing in France. He recalled some French players thinking he was "lazy" because he wasn't picking up the language easily, which upset him. However, he also believes his dyslexia gave him a special advantage in rugby. He said, "I could see space before it happened - quicker than anybody else - so in a way I suppose it was a gift for me."
In November 2017, Lee Byrne released his autobiography, called The Byrne Identity. Parts of his book were shared in four different editions of the Western Mail newspaper.
