# Wales national rugby sevens team

The Wales national rugby sevens team did compete at the annual World Rugby Sevens Series between 2000 and 2022, however merged with England and Scotland to form the Great Britain sevens team from the 2022–23 season onward. The team also competes at the quadrennial Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.
Wales were the World Cup Sevens Champions after winning the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens in the United Arab Emirates. But they relinquished that title after failing to defend their crown at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow.
The Welsh sevens squad was disbanded by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) due to financial constraints. After a three-year absence, the Wales sevens team returned to international competition in the 2006–07 season. They competed at half of the eight tournaments and won the plate competition (fifth place) at each of them. They repeated this feat at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
The star of the 2005–06 squad was Neath RFC and Ospreys player James Hook. Hook later progressed to the Wales national 15-a-side team. In 2006–07, Wales competed in the Dubai, South Africa, Australia, Hong Kong, Scotland and England legs of the IRB's World Sevens Series, reaching the semi-finals of the cup at Twickenham and Murrayfield Stadium. Wales have been a core team that has competed in all legs of the IRB Sevens Series since the 2007–08 season.
At the 2016 USA Sevens, Wales beat Canada, Portugal, Scotland and France to win the Bowl final and claim 9th place.

## Tournament history
### Rugby World Cup Sevens

World Cup Sevens record :
| Year | Round | Position | Played | Won | Lost | Drew |
| 1993 | Plate Semifinalists | 11th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 1997 | Plate Quarterfinalists | 13th | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2001 | Plate Semifinalists | 11th | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 2005 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2009 | Champions | 1st | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | Quarterfinalists | 5th | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | Round of 16 | 11th | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | Challenge quarter-finals | 15th | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 1 Title | 7/8 | 38 | 20 | 16 | 2 |

### Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games record :
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | L | D |
| 1998 | Quarterfinalists | 5th | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 2002 | Plate Semifinalists | 7th | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 2006 | Plate Winners | 5th | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 2010 | Plate Semifinalists | 7th | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 2014 | Plate Finalists | 6th | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 2018 | Seventh playoff | 7th | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | Ninth–twelfth playoff | 11th | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 0 Titles | 7/7 | 37 | 18 | 19 | 0 |

## 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens

In Wales's first ever cup final appearance in a major rugby sevens event, Wales played Argentina in the 2009 World Cup Final.
In the Group stages Wales beat Zimbabwe 31–5 and Uruguay 27–0 before losing to Argentina 14–0 in the final pool match, leaving Wales uncertain of a cup quarterfinals spot. With results going their way Wales made it to the cup quarterfinals as one of the second place qualifiers for the first time in their history.
Wales beat favourites New Zealand in the quarterfinals 15–14, and defeated Samoa in the semifinals 19–12.
Wales faced Argentina for the second time in the tournament in the Final. Wales started with the same team that played against New Zealand and Samoa earlier in the day. At half time Wales had a lead of 12–7 after tries from Richie Pugh and Tal Selley. In the second half Argentina levelled the score at 12–12. With less than 90 seconds left, Wales's Aled Thomas scored underneath the posts and with a successful conversion put Wales into the lead at 19–12. Argentina claimed the restart. After the siren sounded to indicate there was no time left on the clock Argentina fumbled the ball in a ruck leading to the ball being kicked out of play and Wales being crowned the 2009 Sevens Rugby World Cup Champions.
2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens (Winners) :
| Day | Round | Opposition | Score | Scorers |
| Day one | Group stage | Zimbabwe | 31 – 5 | Tries: C. Hill (3), L. Williams, A. Brew Conv: A. Thomas (3) |
| Day two | Group stage | Uruguay | 27 – 0 | Tries: R. Pugh (2), A. Thomas, J. Merriman, L. Beach Conv: L. Williams (1) |
| Day two | Group stage | Argentina | 0–14 | Tries: Conv: |
| Day three | Cup Quarterfinal | New Zealand | 15 – 14 | Tries: L. Williams, T. Isaacs, R. Pugh Conv: |
| Day three | Cup Semifinal | Samoa | 19 – 12 | Tries: T. Isaacs, T. Selley, A. Brew Conv: A. Thomas (2) |
| Day three | Cup Final | Argentina | 19 – 12 | Tries: A. Thomas, T. Selley, R. Pugh Conv: A. Thomas (2) |

### 2009 World Cup winning squad

The 12-man squad, coached by Paul John of Pontypridd, for the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
| Player | Club |
| Rhodri McAtee | Cornish Pirates |
| Lee Williams | Scarlets |
| Tom Isaacs | Newport Gwent Dragons |
| Craig Hill | Newport Gwent Dragons |
| James Merriman | Unattached |
| Tal Selley | Newport Gwent Dragons |
| Aled Brew | Newport Gwent Dragons |
| Aled Thomas | London Welsh |
| Rhys Webb | Ospreys |
| Richie Pugh | Exeter Chiefs |
| Dafydd Hewitt | Cardiff Blues |
| Lee Beach (c) | Neath |

## World Rugby Sevens Series record

2006–2007 Series (sixth overall) :
| First Day | Event | Finish |
| 2006-12-01 | Dubai | Shield winners |
| 2006-12-08 | George | Plate winners |
| 2007-02-02 | Wellington | Did not compete |
| 2007-02-10 | San Diego | Did not compete |
| 2007-03-30 | Hong Kong | Plate winners |
| 2007-04-07 | Adelaide | Bowl winners |
| 2007-05-26 | London | Cup semi-finalists |
| 2007-06-02 | Edinburgh | Cup semi-finalists |
2007–2008 Series (eighth overall) :
| First Day | Event | Finish |
| 2007-11-30 | Dubai | Bowl semi-finalists |
| 2007-12-07 | George | Bowl winners |
| 2008-02-01 | Wellington | Plate runners-up |
| 2008-02-09 | San Diego | Bowl winners |
| 2008-03-28 | Hong Kong | Cup Quarter finalists |
| 2008-04-05 | Adelaide | Bowl runners-up |
| 2008-05-25 | London | Bowl runners-up |
| 2008-05-31 | Edinburgh | Cup semi-finalists |
2008–2009 Series (ninth overall) :
| First Day | Event | Finish |
| 2008-11-29 | Dubai | Bowl semi-finalists |
| 2008-12-06 | George | Bowl semi-finalists |
| 2009-02-07 | Wellington | Plate runners-up |
| 2009-02-15 | San Diego | Bowl semi-finalists |
| 2009-03-29 | Hong Kong | Plate semi-finalists |
| 2009-04-05 | Adelaide | Plate semi-finalists |
| 2009-05-24 | London | Bowl runners-up |
| 2009-05-31 | Edinburgh | Cup semi-finalists |
2009–2010 Series :
| First Day | Event | Finish |
| 2009-12-04 | Dubai | Bowl winners |
| 2009-12-11 | George | Bowl winners |
| 2010-02-05 | Wellington | Bowl winners |
| 2010-02-13 | Las Vegas | Plate semi-finalists |
| 2010-03-19 | Adelaide | Plate semi-finalists |
| 2010-03-26 | Hong Kong | Bowl runners-up |
| 2010-05-22 | London | Plate semi-finalists |
| 2010-05-29 | Edinburgh | Bowl winners |

## Team
### Current squad

| Player | Club |
| Luke Treharne | |
| Tyler Morgan | |
| Morgan Sieniawski | Pontypridd |
| Sam Cross | Ospreys |
| Tom Brown | Oxfam Crusaders |
| Callum Williams | Scarlets |
| Owen Jenkins | Os Belenenses |
| Tom Williams | |
| Morgan Williams | Scarlets |
| Cole Swannack | Newport |
| Lloyd Lewis | Pontypridd |
| Ewan Rosser | Dragons |
| Callum Carson | Aberavon |
| Christopher Smith | Bishop's Stortford RFC |

## Notable former players

* Lee Byrne
* Taliesin Selley
* Jason Forster
* James Hook
* Rhys Oakley
* Robin Sowden-Taylor
* Josh Turnbull
* Andy Powell
* Wayne Proctor
* Alex Cuthbert
* David Evans
* Richie Pugh
* James Davies

## Notable former coaches

* Dai Rees
* Colin Hillman
* Gareth Baber