top sports stars: shane williams early life

Shane Mark Williams born 26 February 1977 is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Ospreys and who can also play scrum-half.Williams is well-known for his side-step, acceleration and his ability to find open space through opposition defence. He has been described as one of the most exciting wingers in the world,and is currently third on the international all-time Test try scoring list.
In 2008, Williams was selected as the IRB International Player of the Year.
Contents
* 1 Early life
* 2 Club career
* 3 International career
* 4 Personal life
* 5 Points record
* 6 References
* 7 External links
Early life
Williams was born in Morriston, in Swansea, but grew up in Glanamman in the Amman Valley. He picked up his first rugby ball while still in primary school, and was always small for his age, even going into secondary school at Amman Valley Comprehensive School. Told that he was too small to play rugby, Williams took up football instead, playing for Cwmamman United A.F.C.; in his first appearance for the club's junior team, Williams had to play in goal as no one else would volunteer to take the position. Williams' former junior football coach, Alun Rees, remembers him as a "superb goalkeeper", but notes that he could also play outfield. Williams played for Cwmamman United up to the senior level, while only playing rugby sporadically, and admits that, at the time, football was "main sport". However, on the day of Cwmamman United's cup final, Williams was invited to play rugby with his friends at Amman United RFC; Amman United ended up winning by 82 points, with Williams scoring five tries.
Club career
Williams started his junior career as a scrum-half at Amman United but, despite having been a fan of Llanelli RFC growing up, he joined Neath as a second-choice scrum-half. However, it became apparent to Lyn Jones, Neath's then-coach, that Williams simply could not be left out of the side, and placed him on the right wing, opposite Delme Williams on the left. However, Delme Williams had shown a tendency not to kick and chase the ball, resulting in him and Shane swapping wings.
When it came to Williams signing his first professional contract with Neath, Amman United demanded a transfer fee for him, resulting in negotiations between the two clubs. Nevertheless, Williams eventually signed for Neath on a contract worth approximately £7,500 per annum, equivalent to his wage at the local Job Centre where he was working part-time.
International career
Williams earned his first cap from the bench against France in 1999–2000 Six Nations season, he was 22 three weeks short of his 23rd birthday, and weighed a little over 11 stone, having been deemed too small by som ever play international rugby. He scored in his first full start for Wales with a try against Italy in the same Six Nations tournament and has since earned 73 caps for Wales and has scored 55 international tries 53 for Wales, 2 for the British and Irish Lions and 275 points 265 for Wales, 10 for the Lions . He is Wales' most capped winger.
He suffered a series of hamstring injuries in 2002 and did not often figure in Steve Hansen's squad. He considered quitting rugby entirely at this time
He was part of the Grand Slam-winning Wales side in the 2005 Six Nations championship, where he scored tries against Italy, Scotland, and most famously England, the try that helped them achieve a famous 11–9 victory that got their campaign underway. He was then selected to the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 New Zealand tour. On 28 June, he equalled a single-game Lions record by scoring five tries in a tour match against Manawatu.
In the summer of 2007, Williams underwent elbow and shoulder surgery and missed the tour of Australia. However, he did return in time to play the last World Cup warm up game against France. During the 2007 Rugby World Cup, Williams earned his 50th cap against Japan. He scored two tries in that match, temporarily putting him on top of the 2007 World Cup try-scoring table with a total of five tries. The tries also put him above Ieuan Evans on the all-time Wales try scoring list, trailing only Gareth Thomas at that time. His try against France in their Six Nations decider on 15 March 2008 placed him joint eighth on the all-time Test try scoring list with Thomas, and surpassed Thomas on the all-time Wales try scoring list.
Williams scores a try for the Ospreys away to Ulster in April 2010.
He participated in a second Grand Slam win with Wales in the 2008 Six Nations Championship, when he scored tries against Scotland twice Italy twice Ireland, and France, breaking the record on the all-time Wales try scoring list in the championship's final match against France, when he scored his 41st try for Wales. This try resulted in his father Mark Williams winning £25,000 from a £50 bet placed almost 10 years previously that he'd one day become Wales' leading try scorer His performances in the Six Nations led to him being named the player of the tournament.
On 23 November 2008, Williams became the first Welshman to be named IRB International Player of the Year, beating fellow Welshman Ryan Jones, New Zealand's Dan Carter, Scottish skipper Mike Blair, and Italy captain Sergio Parisse
On 7 December 2008, he won the BBC Welsh Sports Personality Of The Year, seeing off the competition of Tom James, David Roberts, Geraint Thomas and runners up Joe Calzaghe and Nicole Cooke.

shane williams

Monday, February 21, 2011

shane williams early life