Ken Owens

Ken Owens

Full name	Kenneth James Owens
Date of birth	(1987-01-03) 3 January 1987
Place of birth	Carmarthen, Wales
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	109 kg (240 lb; 17 st 2 lb)
School	Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Hooker
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2006–2008 2010	Llanelli RFC Carmarthen Quins	11 1	(15) (5)
Provincial/State sides
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2006–	Scarlets	163	(60)
correct as of 23 January 2016.
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2006 2011–	Wales U19 Wales	2 39	(5) (10)
correct as of 19 March 2016.

Kenneth James "Ken" Owens (born 3 January 1987 in Carmarthen, Wales) is a Wales international rugby union footballer who currently plays as a hooker for the Scarlets regional side in the Pro12 league.

Owens attended Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin, and is a fluent Welsh speaker. He began his career at Carmarthen Athletic RFC before moving to UWIC RFC when he began studying at the university in 2005. He has been contracted to the Scarlets throughout, and made his Scarlets debut towards the end of the 2005–06 Magners League season in a match against the Glasgow Warriors. He left UWIC and began playing his club rugby for Llanelli RFC. In 2006–07, Owens made 47 appearances for the Scarlets, and scored his first and only try in a Magners League match against Border Reivers. However, in 2007–08, Owens suffered a knee injury, forcing the region to bring in Samoan hooker Mahonri Schwalger on a short-term contract.

In May 2010, before he had received his first international cap for Wales, Owens was called up to the Barbarians squad, with his first match being against England. This experience helped him score the Magners League 2009–10 try of the season for the Scarlets and improving his line-out throwing statistics.

On 15 February 2010, Owens was called into Wales 2010 Six Nations squad due to injury to hookers Matthew Rees and Gareth Williams. In June 2011 he was called up to the Wales national rugby union team 45 man training squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup following injury to Richard Hibbard. He made his debut for Wales on 26 September 2011 against Namibia in the Rugby World Cup as a second half replacement.

Since then he has been a part of the Grand Slam winning side in 2012 and was involved in all five games. He has since moved on to win 15 caps for Wales by the end of the 2013 Six Nations Competition.

On 11 March 2013 Owens signed his 3rd professional contract and committed himself to the Scarlets for a further 2 years, making him the second most played individual for the region at this present time with 135 appearances.