Gareth Owen (rugby union)

For the rugby league footballer of the 1980s for Wales and Oldham, see Gareth Owen (rugby league).
Gareth Owen
Full name Gareth Owen
Date of birth 5 November 1988
Place of birth Bridgend, Wales
Height 183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 95 kg (14 st 13 lb; 209 lb)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Fullback, Centre, Fly-half
Amateur clubs
Years Club / team
–2007
2007–2009
2009–2011
2012–
Maesteg
Bridgend
Swansea
Llanelli
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2007–2012
2012–
Ospreys
Scarlets
50
28
(86)
(12)
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2006–07
2007–08
Wales U19
Wales U20
7
4
(20)
(5)
Sevens national teams
Years Club / team Comps
2007– Wales 7's 1

Gareth Owen (born 5 November 1988 in Bridgend, Wales)[1] is a Welsh rugby union player who plays at Centre, Fullback and Flyhalf.

Owen started his domestic club rugby with Maesteg RFC where he played alongside several greats such as Alan Bateman, Kevin Ellis and Jonathan Davies. In June 2007 he gained a development contract with the Ospreys region for the 2007–2008 season after impressing in the U19 IRB World Championships.

Owen earned a Wales U19 squad call up ahead of the spring internationals in February 2007, and made a replacement appearance in the victory over the Irish and scored an injury time try against France.

Owen subsequently earned himself a place in the Wales U19 squad for the 2007 IRB U19 World Championships in Belfast. He played in all five games of the tournament, making the starting XV on four occasions and coming on as a replacement in the victory over Samoa. Owen scored three tries over the course of the Championship, against Argentina and New Zealand in the Division A knockout stages and against Australia in the third place play-off.

In November 2007 Owen received a call-up to the Wales Sevens squad ahead of the initial legs of the 2007–2008 IRB Sevens World Series, though he sustained a knee injury in the first day of play at the Dubai Sevens against Samoa.

In May 2009 Owen was called up to the senior Wales Rugby team as one of 11 uncapped players for their summer tour of North America even though he had played most of the season for the semi-professional Bridgend Ravens in the Principality Premiership (suffering relegation), unfortunately he was forced to withdraw from the squad due to an injury.

He played regularly for the Ospreys in the following two seasons, before suffering an ACT injury that ruled him out of the entire 2011/12 season, which eventually lead to him being released by the Ospreys in July 2012[2] and he joined the Scarlets[3]

References