Famous Welsh Sportspersons

The charismatic Welsh footballer player, Gareth Frank Bale played for Southampton football club and Tottenham Hotspur extensively before joining Real Madrid in 2013 for a fees that exceeded Christiano Ronaldo’s earlier record fee. Known for his speed and accuracy, Gareth Bales is also the captain of Wales national team and plays for Tottenham Hotspur, on loan from Real Madrid.

Welsh boxer Joe Calzaghe scripted history as the longest-reigning champion ever in boxing, having defended the WBO title for more than a decade. Excelling in both super-middleweight and light-heavyweight categories, he had registered 46 wins in 46 fights by the time he retired. He now owns a boxing promotion company.

Welsh racing cyclist Geraint Thomas is a 2-time Olympic gold medal winner, apart from being a 3-time world champion and the 2018 Tour de France winner. Starting cycling at age 10, he is now an OBE and has also bagged numerous endorsement deals, such as the one with Continental Tyres.

Tony Pulis is a Welsh former football player who played for teams like Bristol Rovers, AFC Bournemouth, and Newport County in a career that spanned 17 years. Pulis is better known for his career as a football manager, for which he was made an inductee to the LMA Hall of Fame.

Welsh professional footballer, Joe Allen, plays as a midfielder for Championship club, Stoke City, and the Welsh national team. He is capable of playing in several midfield roles. He has been playing football since he was a child and made his professional first-team debut at the age of 16. Since then, he has played hundreds of matches across all competitions.

Alun Wyn Jones is a Welsh rugby union player who is currently playing for the Ospreys. Jones is the current captain of the Wales national rugby team and has helped his team win  five Six Nations Championships. He has also won other important trophies, such as three Grand Slams, four Triple Crowns, three Doddie Weir Cups, and four Prince William Cups.

Colin Jackson is a Welsh former athlete who represented Wales and Great Britain during his career. Jackson, who specialized in hurdles, won the silver medal in the 110m hurdles at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. His world record for the 110m hurdles stood for more than ten years, while his world record for the 60m hurdles stood for almost 27 years.

Former Welsh rugby player Sam Warburton became the youngest to captain Wales in the 2011 World Cup. He also created a record for holding the most caps as a Wales captain. He has also won the European Challenge Cup for the Cardiff Blues and the Six Nations Championship for Wales.

Gethin Jenkins is a Welsh former rugby union player. He is the sixth most-capped player in rugby union history with 129 international caps for Wales and five for the British & Irish Lions. He retired from his highly successful playing career in 2018 and became a coach. He has held numerous coaching positions at Cardiff Blues and Cardiff RFC. 

Former rugby player James Hook remains Wales’s fourth-highest point-scorer. Post-retirement, he expressed his wish to serve as a coach. He has also become a children’s author with the series Chasing A Rugby Dream, the first book of which, Kick-off, is soon to be released, after a delay due to COVID-19.

Dan Lydiate grew up on his family farm before finding his calling in rugby. A terrible neck injury at the beginning of his career almost halted his rugby dreams, though he bounced back with his tackling and rucking skills. He has played for both Wales and the British & Irish Lions.