- Iestyn Harris
Infobox Rugby biography
name = Iestyn Harris
birthname = Iestyn Harris
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1976|6|25
placeofbirth =Oldham ,flagicon|ENGEngland
height = convert|6|ft|0|in|m|2|abbr=on
weight = convert|92|kg|stlb|abbr=on
nickname = The Welsh Wizard
occupation =
school =
university =
spouse =
children =
relatives =
ru_currentposition =
ru_currentteam =Featherstone Rovers
ru_position = Fly-half|capital=yes, inside centre
ru_amateuryears =
ru_amateurclubs =
ru_clubyears = 2001–2004
ru_proclubs = leagueicon|Cronulla|size=16Cardiff Blues
ru_clubcaps = 70
ru_clubpoints = (?)
ru_nationalyears = 2001–2004
ru_nationalteam = flagicon|WAL Wales
ru_nationalcaps = 25
ru_nationalpoints = (108)
ru_sevensnationalyears =
ru_sevensnationalteam =
ru_sevensnationalcomp =
rl_position = Stand-off
rl_amateuryears =
rl_amateurclubs = Oldham St Annes
rl_clubyears = 1995–1997
1997–2001
2004–2008
rl_proclubs = leagueicon|Warrington Wolves|16 Warrington
leagueicon|Leeds Rhinos|16Leeds Rhinos
rl_clubcaps = 40
139
98
rl_clubpoints = (516)
(1455)
(550)
rl_nationalyears = 1996–2005
1996–
rl_nationalteam = Lancashire
rl_nationalcaps = 15
19
rl_nationalpoints = (26)
(161)
url =Iestyn Harris (born
25 June 1976 inOldham ,Greater Manchester ) is an English professionalrugby league footballer forFeatherstone Rovers inNational League One . He is a former Man of Steel winner and has also representedWales on numerous occasions at both codes of rugby.Career
His
Abercarn -born grandfather Norman played forEbbw Vale ,Pontypool and Newbridge before heading north to win eight Welsh caps under league rules. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/1643056.stm Iestyn: Angel of the north] ]Personal life
Harris lives in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. He has a sister, Rhian (her children are Dewi and Emrys), and he is married to Becky Harris, by whom he had his first and, to date, only daughter, Catrin.
He is the sole director of RLPredictor.com a website based around super league score predictions
Warrington
His career in rugby began with league club Warrington, before a record breaking £350,000 transfer to
Leeds Rhinos in 1997.Leeds Rhinos
Harris was made captain of Leeds in his first full season at the club at the age of twenty one, and became the first Leeds skipper in a decade to lift silverware when Leeds claimed the 1999 Challenge Cup.
Harris initially played at full back before being switched to stand-off. In 1998, he collected the annual Man of Steel trophy as the best player in Super League. A superb goal-kicker, he broke the club record for goals in a season in 1999 with 168, and broke the 2,000 career points total two years later.
Cardiff and Wales RU
In 2001, Harris made a £1.5 million switch to
Cardiff RFC and Wales, hailed as the "saviour of Welsh rugby" who would help Wales return to the glory years of the 1970s. It is rumoured that England coach Sir Clive Woodward repeatedly offered Harris a place in the England side, in preparation for the2003 Rugby World Cup .fact|date=February 2008Harris was expected to be the next Welsh fly-half, a position which Wales had been blessed with good players in the past.
Debut for Wales Rugby Union Side
Harris made his debut for the Welsh side on
10 November 2001 , playing against Argentina inCardiff ; Wales lost 16–30. Having played only 200 minutes of rugby union before his international debut, Harris struggled, particularly with his tactical kicking. This led to a move to inside centre, where he could be creative with less pressure.World Cup 2003
Harris played in the
2003 Rugby World Cup inAustralia , where Wales lost in the quarter-finals to eventual winners, England, despite taking the lead for 60 minutes. Harris proved to be a good union player, winning 25 Wales caps, but nowhere near the mercurial heights expected of him and his price tag. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/3781589.stm A dream unfulfilled] ]Bradford Bulls
after a contractual fight with former club Leeds.His salary was reputed to be £1millin over 4 seasons. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/super_league/3895371.stm Harris defends Bulls choice] ]
Harris wrote a book, published in October 2005, detailing his moves between codes called "Iestyn Harris: There and Back - My Journey from League to Union and Back Again." [ [http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1845960017 Iestyn Harris: There and Back - My Journey from League to Union and Back Again] ] Harris was part of the 2005 Bradford Bulls squad that became the first side in the history of Super League to win the Grand Final when finishing third in the final league ladder.
Captain
Iestyn was Bradford Bulls captain for one year in 2006 taking over from Leeds-bound
Jamie Peacock . In his time as captain Bradford Bulls won the 2006 CarnegieWorld Club Challenge after defeating 2005's Australian Champions, theWests Tigers .2006
On
10 May 2006, Harris announced he would be retiring from playing international rugby league with Great Britain, just a week after being named in a 36-strong training squad for June 2006 Test against New Zealand [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/4757641.stm Harris retires from Britain duty] ] Harris, who won the last of his 15 caps against Australia in November 2005, says he wants to concentrate on his club career. OnSeptember 26 2006, he confirmed that he would continue to play for Wales, and was scheduled to return to the side against Scotland at theBrewery Field ,Bridgend in the2008 Rugby League World Cup qualifying match on Sunday October 29th 2006, but was forced to pull out through injury hours before kick-off.2008
Harris kicked a club record 15 goals against Toulose in record 98 - 6 win on. 19 April 2008. Harris was appointed Wales Assistant coach on the 18 June 2008. Iestyn Harris had been linked to a player-coach role with Celtic, but he decided to sign for National League One club Featherstone Rovers instead.
Featherstone Rovers
2009
tatistics
Club career
Representative career
References
External links
* [http://www.wru.co.uk/12828_344.php Wales Rugby Union profile]
* [http://www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/bb_squad_full.asp?SquadID=57 Iestyn Harris Official Player Profile]
* [http://wales.rleague.com/dragons/records.php Welsh Records]
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