Leigh Halfpenny facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Leigh Halfpenny

Halfpenny in 2012
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 22 December 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 is known for being one of Wales' top point scorers in rugby history. He is the third highest scorer for Wales, after Neil Jenkins and Stephen Jones.

Early Life and Rugby Beginnings

Leigh Halfpenny grew up in Gorseinon, a town in Swansea, Wales. He went to Pontybrenin Primary School and Penyrheol Comprehensive School.

Starting His Rugby Journey

Leigh began his rugby career as a young player with the Ospreys team. He played for their Under-18 team during the 2005–06 season. After that, he trained with Neath RFC in 2006–07.

He then joined the Cardiff Blues and spent the 2007–08 season playing for their feeder club, Cardiff RFC. Leigh made his first big regional game appearance in May 2008. This was against Ulster at the Ravenhill Stadium, where he helped his team win by scoring three conversions.

Club Career Highlights

Leigh Halfpenny has played for several major rugby clubs throughout his career.

Playing for Cardiff Blues

On 18 April 2009, Leigh scored two tries for the Cardiff Blues in the EDF Energy Cup final. They won the match 50–12 against Gloucester at Twickenham. In January 2014, Leigh announced he would leave the Blues at the end of the 2013–14 season. He signed a two-year deal with the French team Toulon.

His last game for the Blues was on 18 January 2014, against Exeter Chiefs. He had to leave the season early because of a shoulder injury he got in a game against England.

Time with Toulon

Leigh finally made his debut for Toulon on 12 October 2014. This was two months after the Top 14 season had started.

On 2 May 2015, Leigh scored 14 points in the 2015 European Rugby Champions Cup Final. His team, Toulon, beat Clermont to win their third European title in a row.

Returning to Wales with Scarlets

On 3 August 2017, Leigh returned to Wales. He signed a three-year contract with the regional team Scarlets, starting from the 2017–18 season. This was a special contract with the Welsh Rugby Union.

Playing for Crusaders

Leigh continued to play for Scarlets until the end of the 2023 season. Then, it was announced that he had signed with the New Zealand team Crusaders for the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season. He only played in one Super rugby game for them. He got injured in pre-season, tearing a muscle in his chest.

Joining Harlequins

On 31 July 2024, it was announced that Leigh had signed with Harlequins for the 2024-25 Premiership season. He scored a try in his first home game for the club against Newcastle Falcons, helping them win 28-14.

International Career for Wales

Leigh Halfpenny has had a long and successful career playing for his country, Wales.

Early Years with Wales (2008–2011)

Leigh was a former Wales Under-20 international player. He was first called up to the Wales senior national team in October 2008. This was before the 2008 Autumn international games. He made his first appearance on 8 November 2008, at just 19 years old, against world champions South Africa. He scored his first points from a penalty kick in that game. A week later, he scored his first two tries in his second game against Canada.

Leigh was chosen to play on the right wing for Wales in the 2009 Six Nations Championship games against Scotland and England. He scored a try in each match and kicked a penalty against England, which helped Wales win. He then played against France in a game Wales lost.

Leigh was an important part of the Wales team for the next two years, even though he often had injuries. Coach Warren Gatland trusted him, and Leigh earned his spot in the squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. During the World Cup, Leigh played very well in different positions, especially at fullback. He also became the main kicker for Wales during this tournament. In the semi-final against France, Leigh tried a long penalty kick that could have sent Wales to the final, but it just missed.

Success and Injuries (2012–2023)

In the 2012 Six Nations, Leigh became a key player at fullback and was one of the best players in the tournament. He finished as the top point scorer. He scored important points, including a penalty in the last minute against Ireland to win the game 23–21. He also helped Wales beat England and France.

In November 2013, Leigh was nominated for the IRB Player of the Year award. In December 2013, he was named BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year and came second for BBC Sports Personality of the Year to Andy Murray.

In March 2014, Leigh had to stop playing for the rest of the season. He dislocated his right shoulder during a game against England in the 2014 Six Nations Championship.

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

In 2021, during a Wales match against Canada, Leigh played his 96th game for Wales. With four British & Irish Lions games, this was his 100th international cap. However, a knee injury in the first minute took him out of the game.

Leigh announced he was retiring from international rugby in October 2023. His final game for Wales was against the Barbarians on 4 November 2023.

Playing for the British & Irish Lions

Leigh was chosen for the 2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa. He missed the start of the tour due to a thigh injury. Once he was better, he joined the team in South Africa. However, he had to leave the squad again because his thigh injury returned.

Leigh was also picked for the 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. He was one of three fullbacks on the tour. Leigh played in all three test matches and was named player of the series. He also broke the Lions' points record, which was previously held by Neil Jenkins. He set a new record for the most points scored in one test match for the Lions.

International Tries

Leigh Halfpenny has scored many tries for Wales during his international career.

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 rugby career.

See also

In Spanish: Leigh Halfpenny para niños