Ken Owens

Ken Owens
Full name Kenneth James Owens
Date of birth 3 January 1987
Place of birth Carmarthen, Wales
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 109 kg (240 lb; 17 st 2 lb)
School Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Hooker
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2006–2008
2010		 Llanelli RFC
Carmarthen Quins		 11
1		 (15)
(5)
Provincial/State sides
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2006– Scarlets 166 (55)
correct as of 7 March 2015.
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2006
2011–		 Wales U19
Wales		 2
27		 (5)
(10)
correct as of 21 March 2015.

Kenneth James "Ken" Owens (born 3 January 1987 in Carmarthen, Wales)[1][2] is a Wales international rugby union footballer who currently plays as a hooker for the Scarlets regional side in the Pro12 league.

Owens began his career at Carmarthen Athletic RFC before moving to UWIC RFC when he began studying at the university in 2005. He has been contracted to the Scarlets throughout, and made his Scarlets debut towards the end of the 2005–06 Magners League season in a match against the Glasgow Warriors. He left UWIC and began playing his club rugby for Llanelli RFC. In 2006–07, Owens made 47 appearances for the Scarlets, and scored his first and only try in a Magners League match against Border Reivers. However, in 2007–08, Owens suffered a knee injury, forcing the region to bring in Samoan hooker Mahonri Schwalger on a short-term contract.[3]

In May 2010, before he had received his first international cap for Wales, Owens was called up to the Barbarians squad, with his first match being against England.[4] This experience helped him score the Magners League 2009–10 try of the season for the Scarlets and improving his line-out throwing statistics.

On 15 February 2010, Owens was called into Wales 2010 Six Nations squad due to injury to hookers Matthew Rees and Gareth Williams.[5] In June 2011 he was called up to the Wales national rugby union team 45 man training squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup[6] following injury to Richard Hibbard. He made his debut for Wales on 26 September 2011 against Namibia in the Rugby World Cup as a second half replacement.

Since then he has been a part of the Grand Slam winning side in 2012 and was involved in all five games. [7] He has since moved on to win 15 caps for Wales by the end of the 2013 Six Nations Competition.

On 11 March 2013 Owens signed his 3rd professional contract and committed himself to the Scarlets for a further 2 years, [8] making him the second most played individual for the region at this present time with 135 appearances. [9]

References

  1. ↑ The Squad: Ken Owens, Scarlets website. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
  2. ↑ Wales Senior Player Archive: Ken Owens, Welsh Rugby Union website. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
  3. ↑ "New signing". scarlets.co.uk. 16 January 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2008.
  4. ↑ "Uncapped Welsh hooker Ken Owens wins Barbarians call", BBC Sport, 27 May 2010.
  5. ↑ "Wales call for Owens". BBC News. 2010-02-17. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  6. ↑ "Wales 2011 rugby world cup training squad". BBC News. 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  7. ↑ "Ken OWENS - International appearance for Wales. - Wales". Sporting-heroes.net. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  8. ↑ "BBC Sport - Wales hooker Ken Owens commits his future to the Scarlets". Bbc.co.uk. 2013-03-11. Retrieved 2013-06-19.
  9. ↑ Ken Owens. "Squad". The Scarlets. Retrieved 2013-06-19.