Andy Powell (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Andy Powell is a Welsh
international rugby union
player now playing his club rugby for Sale Sharks
. He is a back row forward who has played for both the Wales sevens team
and the Wales national rugby union team
.
. Mentored by South Africa
n Ian McIntosh
, he made the Wales Under-21 squad. He then joined Leicester Tigers
, before returning to Wales via French club AS Béziers Hérault
with the Llanelli Scarlets
in the summer of 2005, making an impact in his first season winning a number of man of the match awards. The 2006/07 season was an exceptionally unlucky one for Powell, who injured his left shoulder in a pre season friendly against Bristol Rugby
. The injury required total shoulder reconstruction and he returned to action at the beginning of April 2007. Three games in to his comeback he suffered an identical injury to his right shoulder, which would also require reconstruction.
club Crusaders. But Powell joined London Wasps
on a 12 month contract in July 2010, coached by Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards
, which he hoped would improve his chances of a return to the national squad. On May 5, 2011 Andy Powell left London Wasps by mutual consent after a drunken brawl outside a pub.
after his release by London Wasps
.
on the 8 November 2008 where he won Man of the Match in the 15 – 20 loss.
On 21 April 2009, Powell was named as a member of the British and Irish Lions for the 2009 tour to South Africa.
at 0600 GMT 14 February 2010.
The following day, for behaviour "contrary to the squad's code of conduct", he was removed from Wales' 35-man training squad for the Six Nations 2010, and played no further part in the tournament. He was later given a 15 month driving ban and fined after admitting the offence at Cardiff Magistrates court.
club Crusaders made an approach to sign Powell in 2010, but the offer was rejected. Powell's then agent Mike Burton stated that Powell had a year left on his contract with Cardiff and that he would be honouring it, but Powell then parted company with Burton. Cardiff Blues wanted £60,000 in compensation from the Crusaders to release Powell from his contract.
Powell has stated that he is interested in switching to rugby league and played during his teenage years with amateur club Cardiff Demons
. The Crusaders are interested in signing him for the 2010 season although he stated he would be interested playing in the next year or two and still has ambitions to represent Wales in rugby union. The Crusaders have made an official offer of £240,000.
Powell's new agent Emanuele Palladino has since confirmed that Powell will not be joining the Crusaders next season, but he still remains a target for Super League
clubs. After being sacked by the Wasps he has again received interest from Crusaders to join them after the 2011 Rugby Union World Cup.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player now playing his club rugby for Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
. He is a back row forward who has played for both the Wales sevens team
Wales national rugby union team (sevens)
The Wales national rugby union sevens team is the international rugby sevens side for Welsh rugby union players. They currently compete in the IRB Sevens World Series, the Rugby World Cup Sevens and in the Commonwealth Games....
and the Wales national rugby union team
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
.
Rugby union career
Born in Brecon, Powell joined Newport RFCNewport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
. Mentored by South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n Ian McIntosh
Ian McIntosh
Ian McIntosh is a Zimbabwean-South African rugby union coach. He served as head coach for the Springboks during the early 1990s.McIntosh grew up near Bulawayo....
, he made the Wales Under-21 squad. He then joined Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
, before returning to Wales via French club AS Béziers Hérault
AS Béziers Hérault
Association Sportive Béziers Hérault, often referred to by rugby media simply by its location of Béziers, is a French rugby union club preparing to return to the second tier of the country's professional rugby system, Pro D2. They earned promotion as 2011 Fédérale 1 champions...
with the Llanelli Scarlets
Llanelli Scarlets
The Scarlets are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Llanelli, south-west Wales the team play at the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, as well as competing in the LV= Cup and the Heineken Cup...
Cardiff Blues:2005–2010
Powell joined the Cardiff BluesCardiff Blues
Cardiff Blues are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, the team have played at Cardiff City Stadium since the start of the 2009/2010 season and are owned by Cardiff Rugby Football Club....
in the summer of 2005, making an impact in his first season winning a number of man of the match awards. The 2006/07 season was an exceptionally unlucky one for Powell, who injured his left shoulder in a pre season friendly against Bristol Rugby
Bristol Rugby
Bristol Rugby is a rugby union club based in Bristol, England. The club currently plays in the RFU Championship and competes in the British and Irish Cup. They rely in large part on the many junior rugby clubs in the region, particularly those from 'the Combination'...
. The injury required total shoulder reconstruction and he returned to action at the beginning of April 2007. Three games in to his comeback he suffered an identical injury to his right shoulder, which would also require reconstruction.
Wasps:2010-2011
In July 2010, Blues agreed to release Powell from his contract, even though it had 12 months remaining, stating that Powell had "lost his way" since the buggy incident. Early speculation linked Powell with newly promoted French rugby union team SU Agen, and with Welsh Rugby LeagueRugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
club Crusaders. But Powell joined London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
on a 12 month contract in July 2010, coached by Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards
Shaun Edwards
Shaun Edwards OBE is an English rugby union coach and former rugby league player. He is defence coach of Wales, a post he has held since 2008. In November 2011 he left London Wasps after 10 years with the club, latterly as head coach....
, which he hoped would improve his chances of a return to the national squad. On May 5, 2011 Andy Powell left London Wasps by mutual consent after a drunken brawl outside a pub.
Sale Sharks:2011-
In May 2011, Powell signed for Sale SharksSale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
after his release by London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
.
International
Powell played his first cap for Wales against South AfricaSouth Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
on the 8 November 2008 where he won Man of the Match in the 15 – 20 loss.
On 21 April 2009, Powell was named as a member of the British and Irish Lions for the 2009 tour to South Africa.
Golf buggy incident
Powell was arrested "for taking and driving away a golf buggy" a few hours after the Welsh team's last-minute victory over Scotland in their 2010 Six Nations match. He was arrested near Junction 33 on the M4 motorwayM4 motorway
The M4 motorway links London with South Wales. It is part of the unsigned European route E30. Other major places directly accessible from M4 junctions are Reading, Swindon, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff and Swansea...
at 0600 GMT 14 February 2010.
The following day, for behaviour "contrary to the squad's code of conduct", he was removed from Wales' 35-man training squad for the Six Nations 2010, and played no further part in the tournament. He was later given a 15 month driving ban and fined after admitting the offence at Cardiff Magistrates court.
Rugby league
Welsh Super LeagueSuper League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
club Crusaders made an approach to sign Powell in 2010, but the offer was rejected. Powell's then agent Mike Burton stated that Powell had a year left on his contract with Cardiff and that he would be honouring it, but Powell then parted company with Burton. Cardiff Blues wanted £60,000 in compensation from the Crusaders to release Powell from his contract.
Powell has stated that he is interested in switching to rugby league and played during his teenage years with amateur club Cardiff Demons
Cardiff Demons
Cardiff Demons RLFC are a rugby league side who play out of St. Albans RFC in the east of Cardiff, Wales. They play in the Welsh Premier of the Rugby League Conference.-History:...
. The Crusaders are interested in signing him for the 2010 season although he stated he would be interested playing in the next year or two and still has ambitions to represent Wales in rugby union. The Crusaders have made an official offer of £240,000.
Powell's new agent Emanuele Palladino has since confirmed that Powell will not be joining the Crusaders next season, but he still remains a target for Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
clubs. After being sacked by the Wasps he has again received interest from Crusaders to join them after the 2011 Rugby Union World Cup.