Leigh Halfpenny facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Leigh Halfpenny

Birth name	Stephen Leigh Halfpenny
Date of birth	(1988-12-22) 22 December 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth	Swansea, Wales
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	85 kg (187 lb; 13 st 5 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback Wing Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2006 Neath 2 (0) 2007–2008 Cardiff RFC 21 (184) 2008–2014 Cardiff Blues 87 (568) 2014–2017 Toulon 40 (544) 2017–2023 Scarlets 56 (519) 2023–2024 Crusaders 1 (2) 2024– Harlequins 5 (11) Correct as of 11 January 2025 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2007 Wales U19 5 (57) 2008 Wales U20 9 (90) 2008–2023 Wales 101 (801) 2009, 2013, 2017 British & Irish Lions 4 (49)

Stephen Leigh Halfpenny (born December 22, 1988) is a famous Welsh rugby union player. He plays as a fullback or wing. Currently, he plays for Harlequins in the English Premiership. Leigh Halfpenny is known for being the third highest points scorer for Wales. Only Neil Jenkins and Stephen Jones have scored more points than him.

Early Life and Education

Leigh Halfpenny grew up in Gorseinon, which is a town in Swansea, Wales. He went to Pontybrenin Primary School. Later, he attended Penyrheol Comprehensive School.

Starting His Rugby Journey

Leigh Halfpenny began his rugby career as a young player. He played as a winger or fullback. The Ospreys rugby team signed him when he was young. He played for their Under-18 team in the 2005–06 season.

After that, he trained with Neath RFC. Then, he joined the Cardiff Blues. He spent the 2007–08 season playing for Cardiff RFC. This was a feeder club for the Blues. He made his first big team debut in May 2008. He played against Ulster and helped his team win.

Club Career Highlights

Leigh Halfpenny has played for several top rugby clubs. He has shown his skill in both Wales and France.

Playing for Cardiff Blues

On April 18, 2009, Halfpenny scored two tries for the Cardiff Blues. This was in the final of the EDF Energy Cup. The Blues won the match 50–12 against Gloucester. The game took place at Twickenham.

In January 2014, Halfpenny announced he would leave the Blues. He signed a two-year deal with Toulon. This is a big French rugby club. His last game for the Blues was against Exeter Chiefs. He scored a conversion and two penalties in that match.

Time with Toulon

Leigh Halfpenny moved to France to play for Toulon. He made his debut for Toulon on October 12, 2014. This was two months after the Top 14 season began.

On May 2, 2015, Halfpenny scored 14 points in a big final. This was the 2015 European Rugby Champions Cup Final. Toulon beat Clermont to win their third European title in a row.

Returning to Wales with Scarlets

On August 3, 2017, Halfpenny came back to Wales. He signed a three-year contract with the Scarlets team. This was a special contract with the Welsh Rugby Union. He played for the Scarlets from the 2017–18 season.

Short Spell with Crusaders

Halfpenny continued to play for Scarlets until 2023. Then, he signed with the Crusaders. This is a team from New Zealand. He joined them for the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season.

He only played in one Super rugby game for the Crusaders. He got injured during pre-season training. He tore a muscle in his chest. He was the 290th player for the club.

Joining Harlequins

On July 31, 2024, it was announced that Halfpenny had signed with Harlequins. This is an English club. He joined them for the 2024-25 Premiership season. He scored a try in his first home game for the club. Harlequins won that match 28-14 against Newcastle Falcons.

International Career for Wales

Leigh Halfpenny has had a long and successful international career. He has played for the Wales senior national team and the British & Irish Lions.

Early Years with Wales (2008–2011)

Halfpenny played for Wales Under-20 before joining the senior team. He was first called up for Wales in October 2008. He was only 19 years old when he made his debut. This was against South Africa on November 8, 2008. He scored his first points from a penalty kick. A week later, he scored his first two tries against Canada.

He played in the 2009 Six Nations Championship. He scored a try against Scotland and England. His points against England helped Wales win. He was an important part of the Wales squad.

Halfpenny was chosen for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He played well in many positions, especially at fullback. He also became the main kicker for Wales during this tournament. In the semi-final against France, he tried a long penalty kick. If it had gone in, Wales would have reached the final. But it fell just short.

Success and Injuries (2012–Present)

In the 2012 Six Nations, Halfpenny became a key player at fullback. He was one of the best players in the tournament. He scored the most points in the competition. He kicked important penalties, including one that won the game against Ireland in the last minute. Wales also beat England and France with his help.

In late 2012, he got a neck injury against Australia. He was taken to hospital but was fine. He was named man of the match in that game.

In the 2013 Six Nations Championship, Halfpenny scored a try against Ireland. He was named Man of the Match when Wales beat France in Paris. He also won the award again against Italy. He was voted the player of the tournament by fans.

In November 2013, Halfpenny was a finalist for the IRB Player of the Year award. In December 2013, he was named BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year. He was also runner-up for the main BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

In March 2014, Halfpenny dislocated his shoulder. This injury kept him out for the rest of the season. He returned for the 2014 Autumn internationals. He scored 27 points in those games. He helped Wales get a famous win over South Africa.

In September 2015, Halfpenny was ruled out of the 2015 Rugby World Cup. He tore a knee ligament during a warm-up game against Italy.

In 2021, he played his 100th international cap for Wales and the Lions. But he got a knee injury in the first minute of that game against Canada.

Halfpenny announced he would retire from international rugby in October 2023. His final match for Wales was against the Barbarians on November 4, 2023.

Playing for the British & Irish Lions

Halfpenny was chosen for the 2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa. He missed the start due to a thigh injury. He later had to leave the tour because the injury came back.

He was selected again for the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. He was one of three fullbacks on the tour. Halfpenny played in all three test matches. He was named the player of the series. He also broke the Lions' record for most points in a series. He set a new record for most points in one test match too.

International Tries Scored

Try	Opponent	Location	Venue	Competition	Date	Result
1	Canada	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2008 Autumn Internationals	14 November 2008	Win
2	Scotland	Edinburgh, Scotland	Murrayfield	2009 Six Nations	8 February 2009	Win
3	England	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2009 Six Nations	14 February 2009	Win
4	Samoa	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2009 Autumn Internationals	13 November 2009	Win
5	Scotland	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2010 Six Nations	13 February 2010	Win
6	France	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2010 Six Nations	26 February 2010	Loss
7	Fiji	Hamilton, New Zealand	Waikato Stadium	2011 Rugby World Cup	2 October 2011	Win
8	Australia	Auckland, New Zealand	Eden Park	2011 Rugby World Cup	21 October 2011	Loss
9	Scotland	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2012 Six Nations	12 February 2012	Win
10
11	Ireland	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2013 Six Nations	2 February 2013	Loss
12	Scotland	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2018 Six Nations	3 February 2018	Win
13
14	France	Paris, France	Stade de France	2020 Autumn Internationals	24 October 2020	Loss

Professional Points Record

Leigh Halfpenny has scored many points throughout his professional career. Here is a summary of his points for different teams:

Images for kids

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  Leigh Halfpenny playing rugby.

See also

In Spanish: Leigh Halfpenny para niños