Rachel Taylor (rugby union)

Rachel Taylor (born 13 June 1983) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays in either Lock or back row for the Bristol Ladies/Newport Gwent Dragons and the Wales women's national rugby union team. She won her first international cap against Canada in 2007, and has since captained the team.

Rachel Taylor
Date of birth (1983-06-13) 13 June 1983
Place of birthBangor, Gwynedd, Wales
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight75 kg (11 st 11 lb)
SchoolAberaeron
UniversityCardiff Metropolitan University
Occupation(s)Paraveterinary worker
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock/back row
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
20xx–
20xx–		 Bristol Ladies
Newport Gwent Dragons		 ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2007–present Wales 43
Correct as of 25 May 2017

Early life

Rachel Taylor was born in Bangor on 13 June 1983.[1] She began playing rugby at the age of five, later describing her family as "rugby-orientated" since her father was a rugby coach and her older brother already played for a local team. Although she tried a variety of sports in her youth, she returned to rugby. Once her brother switched to playing association football, she focused on rugby, seeking to play for her national team.[2] She is trained as a Paraveterinary worker,[2] and gave the keynote speech at the British Veterinary Association in 2017.[3]

Playing career

As of 2017, her official Wales Rugby Union biography states that she is 1.75 metres (5.7 ft) tall and weighs 75 kilograms (11.8 st). She has been given the nickname "Tails" by her teammates. She made her debut for the Wales women's national rugby union team against Canada in 2007.[1] She was first named as captain of the team in 2012 for the Women's Six Nations Championship.[4]

Taylor won her 50th cap for Wales when she played against Ireland in the 2015 Women's Six Nations Championship.[5] She has continued to captain her national team, including at the 2016 Women's Six Nations Championship.[6] She is also involved in encouraging women's rugby at a grassroots level, being the Wales Rugby Union coordinator for the RGC West area in North Wales.[7] This is in preparation for a transition from her playing career into retirement.[3]

References
  1. "Rachel Taylor". Wales Rugby Union. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  2. Corbet, Thomas (6 February 2015). "Taylor Carrying the Family Name at Women's Six Nations". RBS 6 Nations. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  3. "Welsh rugby star to speak at BVNA Congress". MRCVS Online. 25 April 2017. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  4. Williams, Mike (23 January 2013). "Bay rugby star Rachel will captain women". North Wales Pioneer. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  5. "Wales Women's captain Rachel Taylor joins 50-cap club against Ireland as they chase Triple Crown". Wales Online. 11 March 2015. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  6. "Six Nations: Rachel Taylor to captain Wales Women's team". BBC Sport. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2017.
  7. Jones, Liz (8 March 2016). "Rachel Taylor Issues Rallying Call on International Women's Day". Wales Rugby Union. Retrieved 25 May 2017.


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