Birth name | John Bleddyn Rhys Williams | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 18 October 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Weston-super-Mare, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 105 kg (16 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | The Forest School, Winnersh, St Paul's College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Johnny Williams (born 18 October 1996) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for the Scarlets in the Pro14 and the Wales national team. [1]
Williams made his debut for London Irish at the age of 18, [2] and signed for Newcastle Falcons in May 2018 following Irish's relegation. [3]
In 2019 Williams revealed he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer, and would take time away from the game to undergo treatment. [4] [5] He returned to professional rugby in January 2020. [6]
On 14 July 2020, Williams signed for Pro14 side Scarlets ahead of the 2020–21 season. [7]
Williams played for England under 20s in the 2016 World Rugby Under 20 Championship, including starting the final where England beat Ireland. [8]
In March 2019, Williams was named as a target of interest for incoming Wales coach Wayne Pivac, [9] after it was confirmed that Williams is qualified to play internationally for the country through his father, who is from Rhyl. [7] He also identifies as Welsh, like his father. [10]
In June 2019 Williams played for England in a non capped international 51–43 win against the Barbarians, scoring a try. [11]
On 6 October 2020 Williams was named in the senior Wales squad for the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup. [12]
Williams made his debut for Wales on the 18 November 2020 in the starting line-up for the 18–0 win against Georgia. [13] On 28 November 2020 in his second appearance for Wales he scored a try in the 24–13 defeat against England. [14]
Try | Opponent | Location | Venue | Competition | Date | Result |
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1 | England | Llanelli, Wales | Parc y Scarlets | Autumn Nations Cup | 28 November 2020 | Loss |
2 | New Zealand | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2021 Autumn internationals | 30 October 2021 | Loss |