Kate Williams (rugby union)
| Date of birth | 5 April 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Swansea, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 170 cm (5 ft 7 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 83 kg (183 lb; 13 st 1 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kate Williams (born 5 April 2000) is a Welsh international rugby union player for Gloucester-Hartpury in Premiership Women's Rugby, as well as the Wales national team.
Early life and career
[edit]Kate Williams was born on 5 April 2000 in Swansea, Wales.[2] At the age of four, she moved to Auckland, New Zealand.[3][4] While in New Zealand, she began playing rugby union for North Shore RFC.[4] She then played at Glenfield College, North Harbour Under-18, and East Coast Bays RFC.[5]
Outside of rugby, she was an officer in the Royal New Zealand Navy.[4]
Rugby career
[edit]Williams played at the top level with the North Harbour Hibiscus in the Farah Palmer Cup from 2017 to 2022, she was captain of the team in 2020 and 2021.[2][4][5][6] In addition, she also played in the first women's Super Rugby game in New Zealand's history, she played for the Blues against the Chiefs Manawa in May 2021.[2][7]
During the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, she was called up for the first time with Wales following an injury to Alisha Butchers.[8][3][9] She had previously trained with Wales after her friends and family sent videos of her playing in New Zealand to the Welsh head coach.[8][6]
In March 2023, she signed for the English club Gloucester-Hartpury.[9][6] The same month, she was selected in the Welsh squad for the Six Nations.[3] During the competition, she made her international debut and played all five matches.[2] In the autumn of 2023, she returned to New Zealand with Wales to play in the WXV tournament.[10]
She was named in Wales squad for the 2025 Six Nations Championship on 4 March 2025.[11][12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Player | Kate Williams". Gloucester Rugby. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Kate Williams". Welsh Rugby Union. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ a b c Feringa, Megan (8 March 2023). "Wales Six Nations squad announced as six uncapped players called up". Wales Online. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Wales call up NZ naval officer for Black Ferns clash". NZ Herald. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Kate R Williams". NZ Rugby History. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ a b c "Kate Williams' whirlwind journey from New Zealand navy to Wales international". BBC Sport. 25 March 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ "History in the making as Chiefs and Blues women prepare to play at Eden Park". Super Rugby. 27 April 2021. Archived from the original on 15 February 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Rugby World Cup: Wales call up New Zealand naval officer Kate Williams". BBC Sport. 26 October 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Gloucester-Hartpury sign Wales forward Kate Williams". Gloucester Rugby. 30 March 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ "Cunningham names 30-strong squad for historic WXV1 tournament - Welsh Rugby Union". Welsh Rugby Union. 1 October 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
- ^ "NEWS: Wales Women name squad for Guinness Women's Six Nations". Six Nations Rugby. 15 March 2025. Retrieved 16 March 2025.
- ^ Gillespie, Graeme (14 March 2025). "Lynn names 37-strong Wales Women squad for Six Nations". Welsh Rugby Union. Retrieved 16 March 2025.