Dan Biggar

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Dan Biggar
ST vs Ospreys 08-12-120090.JPG
Full name Daniel Rhys Biggar
Date of birth (1989-10-16) 16 October 1989 (age 34)
Place of birth Morriston, Swansea, Wales
Height 188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 89 kg (14 st 0 lb; 196 lb)
School Gowerton Comprehensive School
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Fly-half
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2007–2008 Swansea 13 (129)
Provincial/State sides
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2007– Ospreys 186 (1916)
correct as of 7 May 2016.
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)

2008
2008–
Wales U16
Wales U20
Wales

9
45

(37)
(271)
correct as of 29 May 2016.

Daniel "Dan" Biggar (born 16 October 1989) is a Welsh international rugby union outside-half who plays club rugby for the Ospreys. He is the youngest player to reach 100 games for the Ospreys.[1] On 7 December 2015, Biggar won the BBC Cymru Sports Personality of the Year Award.[2]

Early career

Biggar was born in Morriston, Swansea.[citation needed] He was a Wales age grades international, including Under-20.[citation needed] In October 2008 he was selected for the Wales national rugby union team squad for the 2008 Autumn Internationals series, making his debut at the age of 19 against Canada on 18 November.

On 18 January 2010, he was named in the 35-man Wales national squad for the 2010 Six Nations tournament.[3]

2012–2014

After 18 months in the wilderness, including missing the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Biggar was recalled for the 2012 Welsh squad after a run of good form with the Ospreys. This form was topped off by the match-winning conversion from the touchline in the 2012 RaboDirect Pro12 Final, as well as a number of man-of-the-match performances in the run-in at the end of the season. Biggar finally got his chance in the Welsh number 10 shirt in the victorious 2013 RBS Six Nations Championship campaign, starting all five games at fly half, thanks to a Rhys Priestland injury. Biggar impressed many,[citation needed] capping off the tournament with a drop goal, conversion and penalty in the Championship decider against England.

Biggar continued his good run of form into the 2013-14 season, his performances for the Ospreys earning him a call-up for the 2013 Autumn Internationals, in which he started against Australia and Argentina, scoring a try against the former. He played three games during the 2014 Six Nations, coming on as a substitute for Rhys Priestland against France and England and starting against Scotland. In June 2014 Biggar started two tests against South Africa, impressing many with his performance in the narrow 31-30 second test defeat,[citation needed] despite being yellow-carded. Biggar cemented his place as the Wales starting fly-half during the 2014 Autumn Internationals, starting three out of the four tests. He received many plaudits for his world-class performances, as well as receiving the man-of-the-match award against South Africa in a 12-6 victory.[4]

2015–present

Biggar starred in all of Wales' 2015 RBS Six Nations matches, impressing with his kicking game,[citation needed] and scoring his first Welsh try vs France.

In the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Biggar took over the kicking duties after Halfpenny was ruled out of the whole tournament. Biggar kicked 56 points during the tournament including 23 points in Wales 28-25 win over England and also claimed the man of the match accolade. In the quarter final he set up Wales's try against South Africa after a fantastic re gather from an up and under before offloading to Gareth Davies who ran in for the try. Despite this they would go on to lose 23-19 after a late try by Fourie Du Preez

Biggar has his own routine before kicking goals, which fans now call "The Biggarena" after Los Del Rio's 1995 smash hit, Macarena.[5]

References

  1. ITV News, "Hundred caps for Biggar", 13 April 2012
  2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/wales/35018538
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External links