Rhys Priestland facts for kids
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Rhys Priestland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 9 January 1987 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Llangathen, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 183 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 95 kg (14 st 13 lb; 209 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Swansea University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rhys Priestland was born on January 9, 1987. He is a Welsh rugby union player. He mainly plays as a fly-half. Sometimes, he also plays as a full-back.
Rhys started his rugby journey with Llanelli RFC. Then he joined the Scarlets team. After playing for the Scarlets for eight years, he moved to England. There, he played for Bath in the English Premiership. He stayed with Bath for six seasons. Later, he came back to Wales to play for Cardiff Rugby.
Rhys first played for the Wales national team in 2011. He played 50 games for his country. He was part of the Wales squad for the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup tournaments.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Rhys Priestland started his senior rugby career with Carmarthen Quins in the 2005–06 season. In March 2006, he signed a professional contract with the Scarlets. He played for the Scarlets for many years. He played 150 games for them and scored over 1,000 points.
In January 2015, Rhys announced he would join the English club Bath. He signed a two-year contract. He played for Bath for six seasons. Then, he returned to Wales for the 2021–22 season. He signed a long-term contract with Cardiff Rugby.
He played his first game for Cardiff on September 24, 2021. This was against Connacht. He had to leave the game early due to an injury. But he quickly recovered. He then played against the Ospreys and scored two conversions. He also scored many points in games against the Bulls and the Sharks.
International Career Highlights
Rhys Priestland was part of the Wales under-19 team. This team won the Grand Slam in the 2006 Six Nations tournament.
First Senior Call-Up
In January 2011, Rhys was called up to the senior Wales squad. This was for the 2011 Six Nations Championship. He made his first international appearance on February 12, 2011. He played a short time at full-back against Scotland. Wales won that game 24–6.
Rugby World Cup Appearances
Rhys's good performance for the Scarlets helped him get picked for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He started as fly-half for Wales' first game against South Africa. He kept the number 10 jersey for the next game against Samoa, where he scored two penalties.
He also started as fly-half in the quarter-finals against Ireland. Wales won 22–10. However, he got a shoulder injury in that game. This meant he missed the semi-final match against France.
Rhys was also selected for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. He started the opening game against Uruguay. He kicked seven conversions, helping Wales win 54–9. He also came off the bench in other matches during the tournament.
2012 Six Nations Grand Slam
Rhys played in all five matches of the 2012 Six Nations Championship. Wales won all their games. This meant they won their third Grand Slam title in eight seasons. A Grand Slam means winning every game in the tournament.
After this success, Rhys faced some challenges. He had a loss of confidence and injuries. He tore his Achilles tendon in December 2012. This kept him out of the 2013 Six Nations.
Return to Wales and Later Career
In 2016, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) changed its rules. This made it harder for players based outside Wales to be selected. Rhys was playing for Bath in England at the time. This meant he was not picked for Wales for a while.
In October 2017, the WRU changed the rules again. This allowed Rhys to be selected if he returned to Wales later. His good play for Bath led to him being picked for the 2017 Autumn internationals. He earned his 50th cap (game) for Wales against New Zealand.
After returning to Wales with Cardiff Rugby, Rhys became eligible for Wales again. He was called up for the 2021 Autumn internationals. He scored a penalty to help Wales win 29–28 against Australia. He also played in the 2022 Six Nations Championship and the 2022 Autumn internationals.
International Tries
| Try | Opponent | Location | Venue | Competition | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Australia |
Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2011 Autumn International | 3 December 2011 | Loss |
See also
In Spanish: Rhys Priestland para niños
