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Wales national rugby sevens team

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This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Wales women's national rugby sevens team.

Wales
UnionWelsh Rugby Union
Emblem(s)Three feathers
Coach(es)Richie Pugh
Top scorerLuke Morgan (655)
Most triesLuke Morgan (131)
Team kit
Change kit
World Cup Sevens
Appearances7 (First in 1993)
Best resultChampions (2009)
Team Wales at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The Wales national rugby sevens team did compete at the annual World Rugby Sevens Series between 2000 and 2022,[1][2] however merged with England and Scotland to form the Great Britain sevens team from the 2022–23 season onward.[1][2] The team also competes at the quadrennial Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.[1][2]

Wales were the World Cup Sevens Champions after winning the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens in the United Arab Emirates. But they relinquished that title after failing to defend their crown at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow.

The Welsh sevens squad was disbanded by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) due to financial constraints. After a three-year absence, the Wales sevens team returned to international competition in the 2006–07 season.[3] They competed at half of the eight tournaments and won the plate competition (fifth place) at each of them.[citation needed] They repeated this feat at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

The star of the 2005–06 squad was Neath RFC and Ospreys player James Hook. Hook later progressed to the Wales national 15-a-side team. In 2006–07, Wales competed in the Dubai, South Africa, Australia, Hong Kong, Scotland and England legs of the IRB's World Sevens Series, reaching the semi-finals of the cup at Twickenham and Murrayfield Stadium. Wales have been a core team that has competed in all legs of the IRB Sevens Series since the 2007–08 season.

At the 2016 USA Sevens, Wales beat Canada, Portugal, Scotland and France to win the Bowl final and claim 9th place.

Tournament history

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Rugby World Cup Sevens

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World Cup Sevens record
Year Round Position Played Won Lost Drew
Scotland 1993 Plate Semifinalists 11th 6 3 3 0
Hong Kong 1997 Plate Quarterfinalists 13th 5 1 3 1
Argentina 2001 Plate Semifinalists 11th 7 3 3 1
Hong Kong 2005 Did not enter
United Arab Emirates 2009 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0
Russia 2013 Quarterfinalists 5th 4 3 1 0
United States 2018 Round of 16 11th 5 3 2 0
South Africa 2022 Challenge quarter-finals 15th 5 2 3 0
Total 1 Title 7/8 38 20 16 2

Commonwealth Games

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Commonwealth Games record
Year Round Position Pld W L D
Malaysia 1998 Quarterfinalists 5th 5 2 3 0
England 2002 Plate Semifinalists 7th 5 2 3 0
Australia 2006 Plate Winners 5th 6 4 2 0
India 2010 Plate Semifinalists 7th 5 2 3 0
Scotland 2014 Plate Finalists 6th 6 3 3 0
Australia 2018 Seventh playoff 7th 5 3 2 0
England 2022 Ninth–twelfth playoff 11th 5 2 3 0
Total 0 Titles 7/7 37 18 19 0

2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens

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Main article: 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens

In Wales's first ever cup final appearance in a major rugby sevens event, Wales played Argentina in the 2009 World Cup Final.

In the Group stages Wales beat Zimbabwe 31–5 and Uruguay 27–0 before losing to Argentina 14–0 in the final pool match, leaving Wales uncertain of a cup quarterfinals spot. With results going their way Wales made it to the cup quarterfinals as one of the second place qualifiers for the first time in their history.

Wales beat favourites New Zealand in the quarterfinals 15–14, and defeated Samoa in the semifinals 19–12.

Wales faced Argentina for the second time in the tournament in the Final. Wales started with the same team that played against New Zealand and Samoa earlier in the day. At half time Wales had a lead of 12–7 after tries from Richie Pugh and Tal Selley. In the second half Argentina levelled the score at 12–12. With less than 90 seconds left, Wales's Aled Thomas scored underneath the posts and with a successful conversion put Wales into the lead at 19–12. Argentina claimed the restart. After the siren sounded to indicate there was no time left on the clock Argentina fumbled the ball in a ruck leading to the ball being kicked out of play and Wales being crowned the 2009 Sevens Rugby World Cup Champions.

2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens (Winners)
Day Round Opposition Score Scorers
Day one Group stage  Zimbabwe 31 – 5 Tries: C. Hill (3), L. Williams, A. Brew
Conv: A. Thomas (3)
Day two Group stage  Uruguay 27 – 0 Tries: R. Pugh (2), A. Thomas, J. Merriman, L. Beach
Conv: L. Williams (1)
Day two Group stage  Argentina 0–14 Tries:
Conv:
Day three Cup Quarterfinal  New Zealand 15 – 14 Tries: L. Williams, T. Isaacs, R. Pugh
Conv:
Day three Cup Semifinal  Samoa 19 – 12 Tries: T. Isaacs, T. Selley, A. Brew
Conv: A. Thomas (2)
Day three Cup Final  Argentina 19 – 12 Tries: A. Thomas, T. Selley, R. Pugh
Conv: A. Thomas (2)

2009 World Cup winning squad

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The 12-man squad, coached by Paul John of Pontypridd, for the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens.

Player Club
Rhodri McAtee Cornish Pirates
Lee Williams Scarlets
Tom Isaacs Newport Gwent Dragons
Craig Hill Newport Gwent Dragons
James Merriman Unattached
Tal Selley Newport Gwent Dragons
Aled Brew Newport Gwent Dragons
Aled Thomas London Welsh
Rhys Webb Ospreys
Richie Pugh Exeter Chiefs
Dafydd Hewitt Cardiff Blues
Lee Beach (c) Neath

World Rugby Sevens Series record

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2006–2007 Series (sixth overall)
First Day Event Finish
2006-12-01 Dubai Shield winners
2006-12-08 George Plate winners
2007-02-02 Wellington Did not compete
2007-02-10 San Diego Did not compete
2007-03-30 Hong Kong Plate winners
2007-04-07 Adelaide Bowl winners
2007-05-26 London Cup semi-finalists
2007-06-02 Edinburgh Cup semi-finalists
2007–2008 Series (eighth overall)
First Day Event Finish
2007-11-30 Dubai Bowl semi-finalists
2007-12-07 George Bowl winners
2008-02-01 Wellington Plate runners-up
2008-02-09 San Diego Bowl winners
2008-03-28 Hong Kong Cup Quarter finalists
2008-04-05 Adelaide Bowl runners-up
2008-05-25 London Bowl runners-up
2008-05-31 Edinburgh Cup semi-finalists
2008–2009 Series (ninth overall)
First Day Event Finish
2008-11-29 Dubai Bowl semi-finalists
2008-12-06 George Bowl semi-finalists
2009-02-07 Wellington Plate runners-up
2009-02-15 San Diego Bowl semi-finalists
2009-03-29 Hong Kong Plate semi-finalists
2009-04-05 Adelaide Plate semi-finalists
2009-05-24 London Bowl runners-up
2009-05-31 Edinburgh Cup semi-finalists
2009–2010 Series
First Day Event Finish
2009-12-04 Dubai Bowl winners
2009-12-11 George Bowl winners
2010-02-05 Wellington Bowl winners
2010-02-13 Las Vegas Plate semi-finalists
2010-03-19 Adelaide Plate semi-finalists
2010-03-26 Hong Kong Bowl runners-up
2010-05-22 London Plate semi-finalists
2010-05-29 Edinburgh Bowl winners

Team

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Current squad

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Player Club
Luke Treharne
Tyler Morgan
Morgan Sieniawski Pontypridd
Sam Cross Ospreys
Tom Brown Oxfam Crusaders
Callum Williams Scarlets
Owen Jenkins Os Belenenses
Tom Williams
Morgan Williams Scarlets
Cole Swannack Newport
Lloyd Lewis Pontypridd
Ewan Rosser Dragons
Callum Carson Aberavon
Christopher Smith Bishop's Stortford RFC

Notable former players

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Notable former coaches

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Great Britain sevens: Nations combine for 2023 World Sevens Series". British Broadcasting Corporation. 20 July 2022. Archived from the original on 20 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Bean, Graham (20 July 2022). "Scotland Sevens team loses its elite status in Team GB merger". The Scotsman. National World. Archived from the original on 22 July 2022.
  3. ^ BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | Internationals | Wales Sevens back for Melbourne
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