Will Skelton

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Will Skelton
170px
Will Skelton in Sydney Stars kit.
Full name William Skelton
Date of birth (1992-05-03) 3 May 1992 (age 32)
Place of birth Auckland, New Zealand
Height Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value).[1]
Weight 140 kg (22 st 1 lb)[1]
School The Hills Sports High School
University Australian Catholic University
Notable relative(s) Cameron Skelton (brother)
Brad Mika (cousin)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Lock
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2014 Sydney Stars 5 (10)
correct as of 24 October 2014.
Super Rugby
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2013– Waratahs 39 (5)
Current local club Sydney University
correct as of 22 August 2015.
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2014– Australia 14 (10)
correct as of 27 September 2015.

Will Skelton (born 3 May 1992) is an Australian rugby union footballer of Samoan descent.He currently plays for the Waratahs in the Super Rugby competition, and his regular playing position is lock.[2]

Family and early life

Skelton was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and moved with his family to Sydney at the age of 10.[2] He is the cousin of former All Black lock Brad Mika.[2][3] and is the older brother of Cameron Skelton. Though smaller than his younger brother, Skelton weighed 150 kg while still a teenager (his playing weight is now 140 kg or under),[1] and he wears a size 18 to 19 (UK) boot.[4][5][6][7]

He played junior rugby league for the Wentworthville Magpies before taking up rugby union at age 15 at The Hills Sports High School in Seven Hills.[3]

Skelton joined the Sydney University rugby club in 2010.[8] In 2011, he was invited into the Waratahs Academy and the ARU's National Academy in Sydney. After a promising first year, a fractured foot sustained in February 2012 prevented him from playing for the remainder of the year.[8]

Rugby career

In March 2013, Skelton was signed to the Waratahs' Extended Player Squad by coach Michael Cheika.[2][8] He made his Super Rugby debut against the Stormers,[4] and was selected to play for the Waratahs against the British and Irish Lions in June of that year.[3]

File:Will Skelton playing for Sydney Stars NRC Round 5 (2).jpg
Skelton playing for Sydney Stars in the NRC.

In 2014, Skelton was approached by Graham Henry to join the Blues in Auckland, but turned him down.[9] He was named in the Wallabies squad for the June tests in 2014.[10]

Skelton made his test debut for Australia against France on 21 June 2014, starting as the right lock and scoring the first try for the Wallabies in their 39–13 win.[11] His offload game has been compared to Auckland-born rugby footballer Sonny Bill Williams.[12]

The Waratahs made the Super Rugby semi-finals in 2015. Skelton was included in the Wallabies squad for The Rugby Championship and he started against the Springboks in the 24-20 win at Suncorp Stadium.

Skelton's inclusion in the Wallabies squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup was cut short after he sustained a shoulder injury during the tournament.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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