Sharni Williams

Sharni Williams
Date of birth (1988-03-02) 2 March 1988
Place of birth Batlow, New South Wales
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Weight 75 kg (165 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre, Forward
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2008 – present Australia ()
National sevens team(s)
Years Team Comps
Medal record
Olympic Games
2016 Rio de JaneiroTeam

Sharni Williams OAM (born 2 March 1988) is a female Australian rugby union player. She has played in the centre position for Australia, Brumbies and 2008-2012 Canberra Royals. She won a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

She made her international debut when winning her first Australia cap, against New Zealand on 14 October 2008 at Viking Park in Canberra. Some days before, she collected three tries in an unofficial test match won 95-0 by the Wallaroos against with the Australian President’s XV.[7][8]

During the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup in England, Williams scored one try against Wales and two in Australia's 62-0 victory over South Africa.[9][10]

She was awarded ACT Rugby Rookie of the Year 2008 and Australian Women's Player of the Year 2010.[11][12]

Williams made the transition to rugby sevens in 2011, earning a spot in the Australian Women’s Rugby Sevens team where she played every leg of the Women's Sevens World Series from its inception in November 2012. Injury ruled her out of the Sao Paulo Sevens in February 2016, however she returned in time to be named in the final round of the 2015-16 season in Clermont that saw her side win the country's first-ever World Series.

Williams was co-captain of Australia's team at the 2016 Olympics, defeating New Zealand in the final to win the inaugural Olympic gold medal in the sport.[13]

On Australia Day 2017, Williams, along with her Rio team mates, was awarded an Order of Australia Medal[14].

Aside from her rugby union career, Williams is a qualified mechanic.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Newman, Beth (14 July 2016). "Rio Olympics: Australian Sevens teams announced". www.rugby.com.au. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
  2. ↑ "Rio Olympics: Australia's men's and women's sevens squads unveiled". foxsports.com.au. 2016-07-14. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
  3. ↑ "Rio 2016: Olympic squads named by Australia for rugby sevens debut at Games". ABC.net.au. 2016-07-14. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
  4. ↑ "Australia's Olympic Sevens squads announced". Rugby News.net.au. 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
  5. ↑ "Australia name a mix of veterans, young guns for men's, women's Olympic sevens squads". ESPN.com.au. 15 July 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
  6. ↑ "Key players return as Australia name Olympic sevens squads". worldrugby.org. 2016. Retrieved 2016-09-14.
  7. ↑ "Paper To Paper Wallaroos name first test team to play New Zealand". 13 October 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  8. ↑ "Paper to Paper Wallaroos beaten by Black Ferns in first test". 14 October 2008. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  9. ↑ "Wallaroos open World Cup with bonus-point win over Wales". 21 August 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  10. ↑ "Wallaroos win through to World Cup semi-finals". 29 August 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  11. 1 2 "2010 squad – Sharni Williams profile". Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  12. ↑ Greg Growden (22 October 2010). "Eales Medal seals Pocock's rise to leader of the pack in breakaway year". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  13. ↑ "Australia wins gold in women's rugby sevens". Sky News. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
  14. ↑ Australian sevens captain Sharni Williams gets Australia Day honour after Olympic gold (in English)
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