Lee Byrne

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Lee Byrne

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Lee Martin Byrne

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1980|6|1|df=y}}

| birth_place = Bridgend, Wales

| height = {{convert|191|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|98|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}

| relatives = Andrea Byrne (wife)

| ru_position = Fullback, Wing

| amatteam1 = Tondu RFC

| amatteam2 = Bridgend Athletic

| years1 = 2003–2005 | clubs1 = Llanelli RFC

| years2 = 2003–2006 | clubs2 = Scarlets

| years3 = 2006–2011 | clubs3 = Ospreys

| years4 = 2011–2014 | clubs4 = Clermont

| years5 = 2014–2015 | clubs5 = Dragons

| apps1 = 41 | points1 = 72

| apps2 = 29 | points2 = 50

| apps3 = 92 | points3 = 145

| apps4 = 62 | points4 = 45

| apps5 = 6 | points5 = 0

| repyears1 = 2005–2011 | repteam1 = Wales

| repyears2 = 2009

| repteam2 = British & Irish Lions

| repcaps1 = 46 | reppoints1 = 55

| repcaps2 = 1 | reppoints2 = 0

| ru_ntupdate = 24 November 2011

| module = {{infobox rugby league biography | embed = yes

| club1 = Bridgend Blue Bulls

}}

Lee Byrne (born 1 June 1980) is a Welsh former professional rugby union and rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s.

Club career

Byrne started his career playing rugby union for Bridgend Athletic RFC;{{cite web |url=http://www.bridgendathleticrfc.com/clubnews.htm |title=Club news |access-date=2009-02-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080702195252/http://www.bridgendathleticrfc.com/clubnews.htm |archive-date=2 July 2008}} and Tondu RFC, as a full-back or wing, and after being spotted playing rugby league for Bridgend Blue Bulls, he signed for the Llanelli Scarlets.

While playing against Connacht in 2007, Byrne as a stand-in kicker kicked two penalties and two conversions after fly-half Shaun Connor went off injured.

Given permission to seek a new club for the 2011–12 season, Byrne signed a three-year deal to play for French club ASM Clermont Auvergne, to play his club rugby post the 2011 Rugby World Cup.{{cite web |url=http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,9818_6718429,00.html |title=Planet Rugby | Rugby Union Tournaments | Top 14 |access-date=2011-11-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905120603/http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,9818_6718429,00.html |archive-date=5 September 2012}}

On 8 January 2014, it was reported that Byrne had agreed to join Newport Gwent Dragons from the end of the 2013–14 season.{{cite news |title=Newport Gwent Dragons sign Wales' Lee Byrne and Aled Brew |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/25642113 |website=BBC Sport |date=8 January 2014 |access-date=10 January 2014 }}

On 23 April 2015, it was announced Byrne was to retire from all rugby with immediate effect, after failing to recover from a shoulder injury.{{cite news |title=Lee Byrne: Injury forces Dragons' ex-Wales star to retire |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/32427471 |work=BBC Sport |date=23 April 2015 }}

International career

Following his performances for the Llanelli Scarlets in both the Celtic League, and the Heineken Cup during the 2005–06 season, he was called up to the national squad for the November Test series. He made his début as a replacement against New Zealand on 5 November at the Millennium Stadium; Wales lost 41–3. He also played in the win over Fiji, and the defeat by South Africa. He has since played during the 2006 Six Nations Championship, and earned a further two caps in a mid-year series against Argentina. His sole appearance in the 2006 Autumn internationals was on the wing against the Pacific Islands. Byrne played in the 2008 Six Nations Championship tournament at full back and was a component of Wales' Grand Slam team.

He scored tries against England and Italy in the 2008 Six Nations Championship. Following his performances for Wales in the 2008 Autumn Internationals against South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia (which included a try against the latter), Byrne had been tipped not only for a place in the British & Irish Lions squad, but also a place in the starting 15.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7758730.stm Jeremy Guscott column on the BBC] This was confirmed on 21 April 2009, when Byrne, along with Ireland's Rob Kearney, were selected as one of the British & Irish Lions' fullbacks for the tour. After the fourth tour match he was one of five players to be picked for three of them.{{cite news|url=http://msnsport.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12040_5369197,00.html|title=No let up for O'Connell|work=Sky Sports|date=8 June 2009|access-date=9 June 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807095146/http://www.skysports.com//story/0,,12040_5369197,00+en-USS_01DBC.html|archive-date=7 August 2011|url-status=dead}}

He caused controversy in February 2010 during the Scotland match when Scotland's coach Andy Robinson accused Byrne of diving to get substitute fly-half Phil Godman sent off and give Wales a penalty, from which they scored and went on to win the match.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8514443.stm|work=BBC News|title=Robinson accuses Byrne over sin-binning|date=13 February 2010|access-date=7 May 2010}}

Byrne was a member of the Wales squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He earned his final cap in the pool match against Fiji.

=International tries=

==Wales==

Try	Opponent	Location	Venue	Competition	Date	Result
class="wikitable sortable"
1	{{ru\|ARG}}	Buenos Aires, Argentina	Estadio Jose Amalfitani	2006 June rugby union tests	{{dts\|format=dmy\|2006\|June\|17}}	Loss
2	Pacific Islanders	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2006 Autumn Internationals	{{dts\|format=dmy\|2006\|November\|11}}	Win
3	{{ru\|ENG}}	London, England	Twickenham Stadium	2008 Six Nations	{{dts\|format=dmy\|2008\|February\|2}}	Win
4	rowspan="2"\| {{ru\|ITA}}	rowspan="2"\| Cardiff, Wales	rowspan="2"\| Millennium Stadium	rowspan="2"\| 2008 Six Nations	rowspan="2"\| {{dts\|format=dmy\|2008\|February\|3}}	rowspan="2"\| Win
5
6	{{ru\|AUS}}	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2008 Autumn Internationals	{{dts\|format=dmy\|2008\|November\|29}}	Win
7	{{ru\|FRA}}	Paris, France	Stade de France	2009 Six Nations	{{dts\|format=dmy\|2009\|February\|27}}	Loss
8	{{ru\|SCO}}	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2010 Six Nations	{{dts\|format=dmy\|2010\|February\|13}}	Win
9	{{ru\|NZ}}	Cardiff, Wales	Millennium Stadium	2010 Autumn Internationals	{{dts\|format=dmy\|2010\|November\|27}}	Loss
10	{{ru\|NAM}}	New Plymouth, New Zealand	Yarrow Stadium	2011 Rugby World Cup	{{dts\|format=dmy\|2011\|September\|26}}	Win

Personal life

It was announced in March 2011 that Byrne had become engaged to ITV Wales Tonight presenter Andrea Benfield; they married on New Year's Day 2012.{{Cite web |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/03/27/welsh-rugby-star-lee-byrne-proposes-to-tv-presenter-andrea-benfield-before-move-to-france-91466-28409942/ |title=Rugby star proposes to TV presenter before French move |date=27 March 2011 }}

The couple's first child, a daughter, was born in 2019, after being conceived naturally; Byrne had previously been told by doctors that she would likely "never be able to carry her own pregnancy" and spent seven years undergoing IVF treatment.{{cite web |last1=Mercer |first1=Rosie |title=Infertility made me feel guilty, says TV newsreader |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwylz8d1q2qo |website=BBC News |access-date=3 November 2024 |date=21 October 2024}}

Byrne has spoken publicly about his dyslexia. It has caused him some setbacks - "There were a couple of times where I would go out and the French players would say I wasn’t picking up French very easily. I remember one of the players saying I was lazy and I wasn't learning. Obviously there was a reason because of my dyslexia, so that upset me a little bit" - but it has not been exclusively a negative for him - "I could see space before it happened - quicker than anybody else - so in a way I suppose it was a gift for me."{{Cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/news/wales/2016-03-14/dyslexia-and-me-rugby-star-byrne-on-life-with-the-condition/|title=Ex-Wales international Byrne talks life with dyslexia|date=14 March 2016}}

In November 2017, Lee Byrne published his autobiography, The Byrne Identity.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ylolfa.com/products/9781784614614/the-byrne-identity/ |title=The Byrne Identity, Y Lolfa 2017 |access-date=23 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829152144/http://www.ylolfa.com/products/9781784614614/the-byrne-identity/ |archive-date=29 August 2018 |url-status=dead }} Sections from it were serialised over four editions of the Western Mail newspaper.{{cite web |last1=Abbandonato |first1=Paul |title=WRU chiefs to meet Lee Byrne following claims about Rob Howley in explosive new book |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/wru-chiefs-meet-lee-byrne-13791869 |website=Wales Online |access-date=3 November 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241101224856/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/wru-chiefs-meet-lee-byrne-13791869 |archive-date=1 November 2024 |date=20 October 2017}}{{cite web |last1=Abbandonato |first1=Paul |title=Lee Byrne autobiography: Rob Howley left me humiliated in front of team-mates and my Wales career was over |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/lee-byrne-autobiography-rob-howley-13789271 |website=Wales Online |access-date=3 November 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241101231805/https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/lee-byrne-autobiography-rob-howley-13789271 |archive-date=1 November 2024 |date=20 October 2017}}

References

External links

(archived by web.archive.org) [https://web.archive.org/web/20080113004130/http://ospreys.sportstatdata.com/ST_OSP_1005.aspx?pr=173517 Ospreys profile]
(archived by web.archive.org) [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303214210/http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/matchcentre/wales_seniors.php?player=4872&includeref=dynamic Wales profile]
[http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=2160 Lee Byrne] on sporting-heroes.net
(archived by web.archive.org) [https://web.archive.org/web/20061111100254/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/36_4571.php?player=8819 Lee Byrne at ercrugby.com]

Category:1980 births

Category:Living people

Category:2011 Rugby World Cup players

Category:21st-century British autobiographers

Category:21st-century Welsh sportsmen

Category:ASM Clermont Auvergne players

Category:Bridgend Blue Bulls players

Category:British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Wales

Category:Dragons RFC players

Category:Ospreys (rugby union) players

Category:Rugby league players from Bridgend

Category:Rugby union fullbacks