Sam Costelow
{{short description|Welsh rugby union player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Sam Costelow
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|01|10|df=y}}
| birth_place = Llantrisant, Wales
| height = {{convert|1.73|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|88|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}}
| school = Oakham School
| university =
| relatives =
| position = Fly-half
| currentclub = Scarlets
| years1 = 2018–2020
| clubs1 = Leicester Tigers
| apps1 = 3
| points1 = 0
| years2 = 2019
| clubs2 = → Ampthill (loan)
| apps2 = 4
| points2 = 41
| years3 = 2020–
| clubs3 = Scarlets
| apps3 = 58
| points3 = 366
| repyears1 = 2019–2021
| repteam1 = Wales U20
| repcaps1 = 18
| reppoints1 = 83
| repyears2 = 2022–
| repteam2 = Wales
| repcaps2 = 17
| reppoints2 = 50
}}
Sam Costelow (born 10 January 2001) is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for United Rugby Championship club Scarlets and the Wales national team.{{cite web|url=https://www.wru.wales/u20/sam-costelow/|title=Sam Costelow|accessdate=26 January 2020|work=Welsh Rugby Union}}{{cite web|url=http://www.itsrugby.fr/joueur-35513.html|title=Sam Costelow|work=It's Rugby|accessdate=26 January 2020}}
Early life
Born in Llantrisant and raised in Pencoed,{{Cite web |date=2022-10-20 |title=Costelow hoping to be next Pencoed international star |url=https://www.wru.wales/2022/10/costelow-hoping-to-be-next-pencoed-international-star/ |access-date=2023-05-01 |website=Welsh Rugby Union}} Costelow spent time with the Ospreys youth teams before moving on to Leicester Tigers in 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/sam-costelow-wales-u20s-scarlets-17881215|title = Sam Costelow, the young Wales rugby player everyone's talking about|date = 7 March 2020}} Costelow attended Pencoed Comprehensive and Oakham School.{{Cite web |date=2021-06-20 |title=Oakham Schools scores again with rugby selections |url=https://oakham.nub.news/news/local-news/oakham-schools-scores-again-with-rugby-selections |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=Oakham Nub News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Orders |first=Mark |date=2018-11-07 |title=The talented young Welsh rugby players being lured to England |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/welsh-rugbys-best-young-players-15384823 |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=Wales Online |language=en}}
Club career
= Leicester Tigers =
Having twice won the Academies League,{{Cite web|url=https://www.leicestertigers.com/player/sam-costelow|title=Sam Costelow (Fly-half)}} Costelow earned a place with the Tigers' development squad and went on to make a loan move to Championship side Ampthill.{{Cite web |date=8 November 2019 |title=Loan players add to senior experience |url=https://www.leicestertigers.com/news/loan-players-add-to-senior-experience |access-date=1 May 2023 |website=Leicester Tigers}} Costelow made his debut for Leicester on 21 September 2019, starting in the Premiership Rugby Cup against Worcester Warriors.{{Cite web |title=Worcester Warriors v Leicester Tigers (Premiership Rugby Cup) - Saturday September 21, kick-off 3.00pm |url=https://www.leicestertigers.com/match/premiership-rugby-cup/wor-vs-lei/2019-09-21 |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=Leicester Tigers |language=en}}
= Scarlets =
In March 2020, Costelow signed with Scarlets.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rugbypass.com/news/dazzling-wales-prospect-sam-costelow-signs-for-scarlets/|title=Dazzling Wales prospect Sam Costelow signs for Scarlets}} He made his first appearance on 16 October 2020, in a friendly against the Dragons, scoring a try.{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Simon |date=2020-10-16 |title=Scarlets thump Dragons in Welsh derby encounter |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/dragons-v-scarlets-live-latest-19113871 |access-date=2023-05-01 |website=WalesOnline |language=en}} His competitive debut came on 8 November 2020, off the bench in an 18–17 win over Zebre.{{Cite news |date=8 November 2020 |title=Scarlets scrape past battling Zebre |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/54853249 |access-date=1 May 2023}} Costelow extended his contract on 5 April 2022.{{Cite news |date=2022-04-05 |title=Sam Costelow: Fly-half signs new Scarlets contract |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/60970599 |access-date=2025-05-10 |work=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}
During the 2022–23 United Rugby Championship season, Costelow became first choice outside half for the Scarlets. He was named as Player of the Match in their 39–7 win over Bayonne in the Challenge Cup.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-13 |title=Costelow shines in Bayonne win |url=https://www.scarlets.wales/article/costelow-shines-in-bayonne-win/ |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=Scarlets Rugby |language=en-US}} He earned another Player of the match award in the quarter-final against Clermont, scoring a try and kicking the match-winning conversion three minutes from full-time.{{Cite web |date=7 April 2023 |title=Super Scarlets reach Euro semi-final |url=https://www.wru.wales/report/super-scarlets-reach-euro-semi-final/ |access-date=8 April 2023 |website=Welsh Rugby Union |language=}}
Costelow was named Breakthrough Player of the Year by the Scarlets Supporters Trust.{{Cite tweet |user=Crys16_Trust |number= 1641450977407672331 |title= Llongyfarchiadau to Sam Costelow who was presented with our Baz Lewis Breakthrough Player Award for 22/23 after the Sharks game.}}
On 9 May 2025, Costelow signed an extension with the Scarlets.{{Cite web |date=2025-05-09 |title=Wales fly-half Sam Costelow signs new Scarlets deal |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/cwyvxzvqn9go |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}
International career
= Wales U20 =
A Wales youth international at under-16 and under-18 level, Costelow stood out during the 2020 Six Nations Under 20s Championship putting in a Man of the Match performance against England.{{Cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/england-wales-u20s-final-score-17880086|title = Wales U20s beat England by a single point with last-gasp drop goal|date = 7 March 2020}}
= Wales =
Costelow was named in the Wales squad for the 2022 Autumn series.{{cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/wales-squad-announcement-live-updates-25287670|title=Wales autumn rugby squad announcement as Wayne Pivac names five uncapped players|work=Wales Online|date=18 October 2022|access-date=20 October 2022}}
Following a late team change, Costelow was named on the bench against New Zealand on 5 November 2022, coming on in the second half to make his test debut.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/63525364|title=Wales 23-55 New Zealand: Rampant All Blacks outclass hosts with eight-try show|publisher=BBC Sport|date=5 November 2022|access-date=5 November 2022}}
On 1 May 2023, Costelow was called up to the Wales 54-man training squad ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.{{Cite news |date=1 May 2023 |title=Hawkins left out of Wales World Cup squad |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/65441832 |access-date=1 May 2023}} He made his first international start on 5 August 2023 in a friendly against England, where he’d face his former Oakham halfback partner Jack van Poortvliet.{{Cite web |title=Welsh Rugby Union - Memorable first start for Costelow |url=https://www.wru.wales/2023/08/memorable-first-start-for-costelow/ |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=www.wru.wales}}
In November 2024, Costelow replaced the injured Mason Grady on the wing for Wales 24-19 2024 Autumn Nations Series loss against Fiji. After the game, Wales head coach Warren Gatland claimed this was a mistake with Costelow replacing Grady despite the team having trained for Ellis Bevan to replace the winger should the injury arise. Prior to the fixture, Costelow had never played a professional game of rugby on the wing before.{{cite web |last1=James |first1=Ben |title=Mason Grady ruled out of autumn as Wales wing to undergo surgery |url=https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/mason-grady-ruled-two-months-100433792.html |publisher=Yahoo Sport |access-date=12 November 2024}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{sports links}}
- [https://www.wru.wales/player/sam-costelow/ Sam Costelow] at Welsh Rugby Union
- [https://www.leicestertigers.com/player/sam-costelow Leicester Tigers profile]
- [https://www.scarlets.wales/person/sam-costelow/ Scarlets profile]
{{Scarlets squad}}
{{Wales 2023 Rugby World Cup squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Costelow}}
Category:People educated at Oakham School
Category:Leicester Tigers players
Category:Rugby union fly-halves
Category:Rugby union players from Llantrisant
Category:Welsh rugby union players
Category:Ampthill RUFC players
Category:21st-century Welsh sportsmen