Dan Biggar

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Dan Biggar
ST vs Ospreys 08-12-120090.JPG
Birth nameDaniel James Biggar
Date of birth (1989-10-16) 16 October 1989 (age 32)
Place of birthMorriston, Swansea
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Weight90 kg (14 st; 200 lb)
SchoolGowerton Comprehensive School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2007–2008
2018–		 Swansea
Northampton Saints		 13
47		 (129)
(399)
Correct as of 6 May 2008
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
2007–2018 Ospreys 210 (2,116)
Correct as of 28 October 2017
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)

2008
2008–
2017 2021		 Wales U16
Wales U20
Wales
British & Irish Lions
9
94
3
(37)
(516)
(23)
Correct as of 14 November 2021

Daniel Biggar (born 16 October 1989) is a Welsh rugby union player currently playing for Premiership side Northampton Saints. A Wales international, Biggar has also twice been selected to tour with the British and Irish Lions. Biggar plays fly-half.

Early life and youth rugby[]

Born in Morriston, Swansea,[1] Biggar came through the Ospreys development pathway, having attended Gowerton Comprehensive School in Swansea. Biggar played his club rugby at Gorseinon RFC.

Club career[]

Biggar featured in the Premiership in the white of Swansea RFC.[2] He made his Ospreys debut as an 18-year old at the Millennium Stadium, coming off the bench late on in an EDF Energy Cup semi-final win over Saracens. On 12 September 2008, Biggar made his first Ospreys start in a Magners League game against Glasgow Warriors. Biggar kicked 9 points including a long range drop-goal as the Ospreys ran out 18-21 winners at Firhill.[3]

Biggar finished the 2010–11 Celtic League as top points scorer, ending the season with 248 points.[4] He would follow this up the following season, again finishing top scorer on 257 points as Ospreys ran out PRO12 Champions. This season concluded with Biggar sinking the title-winning touchline conversion in the Grand Final win over Leinster.

In September 2017 it was announced Biggar would join English Premiership side Northampton ahead of the 2018/19 season.[5] Following his exit from the Ospreys, Biggar held multiple records at the region. In 2012 he became the youngest player to reach 100 Ospreys appearances at just 22 and became the youngest to make 200 aged just 27 in 2007. He also became Ospreys and the Pro 14's record points scorer with 2203 points to his name.[citation needed]

Biggar made his Northampton debut against the Ospreys in a pre-season friendly ahead of the 2018/2019 season. That season saw Saints lift the Premiership Rugby Cup and reach the knock-out stages of the Premiership for the first time in four years.[6]

International[]

A Wales age grades international, Biggar was selected for the Wales national rugby union team squad for the 2008 Autumn Internationals series, making his debut at the age of 19 against Canada on 18 November.

On 18 January 2010, he was named in the 35-man Wales national squad for the 2010 Six Nations tournament.[7]

After 18 months in the wilderness, including missing the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Biggar was recalled for the 2012 Welsh squad after a run of good form with the Ospreys. This form was topped off by the match-winning conversion from the touchline in the 2012 Pro12 Grand Final, as well as a number of man-of-the-match performances in the run-in at the end of the season. Biggar finally got his chance in the Welsh number 10 shirt in the victorious 2013 Six Nations Championship campaign, starting all five games at fly half, thanks to a Rhys Priestland injury. Biggar capped off the tournament with a drop goal, conversion and penalty in the Championship decider against England.

Biggar continued his good run of form into the 2013–14 season, his performances for the Ospreys earning him a call-up for the 2013 Autumn Internationals, in which he started against Australia and Argentina, scoring a try against the former. He played three games during the 2014 Six Nations, coming on as a substitute for Rhys Priestland against France and England and starting against Scotland. In June 2014 Biggar started two tests against South Africa, including in the narrow 31–30-second test defeat,[citation needed] despite being yellow-carded. Biggar cemented his place as the Wales starting fly-half during the 2014 Autumn Internationals, starting three out of the four tests. He received many plaudits for his world-class performances, as well as receiving the man-of-the-match award against South Africa in a 12–6 victory.[8]

Biggar starred in all of Wales' 2015 Six Nations Championship matches, and scored his first Welsh try vs France.

In the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Biggar took over the kicking duties after Halfpenny was ruled out of the whole tournament. Biggar kicked 56 points during the tournament including 23 points in Wales' 28–25 win over England, and claimed the Man of the Match accolade. In the quarter-final, he converted Gareth Davies' try against South Africa. Despite this, Wales would go on to lose 23–19.

On 12 November 2016, Biggar won his 50th Wales cap in an Autumn International against Argentina as Wales ran out 24-20 winners.[9]

Biggar was selected as part of the Wales squad for 2019 Rugby World Cup. Biggar entered the tournament as first choice fly-half and played a pivotal role as Wales reached the semi-finals. In the second pool game against Australia, Biggar kicked the fastest drop-goal in Rugby World Cup history with the referee signalling the score after 36 seconds.[10] Biggar missed the final Pool game against Uruguay due to a second head injury of the tournament but returned for the quarter final against France. In this game, Biggar kicked a 75th minute conversion and the final score of the game to help Wales progress with a tight 20-19 win.[11] Biggar would play the final two games of the tournament; the semi-final defeat to South Africa and Bronze Final defeat against New Zealand.

Biggar was selected for his second British and Irish Lions tour in May 2021 against South Africa. He started all 3 tests.[12]

International tries[]

Try Opponent Location Venue Competition Date Result
1  France Paris, France Stade de France 2015 Six Nations 28 February 2015 Win
2  England London, England Twickenham 2016 Six Nations 12 March 2016 Loss
3  Italy Cardiff, Wales Millennium Stadium 2016 Six Nations 19 March 2016 Win
4  Tonga Cardiff, Wales Millennium Stadium 2018 Autumn Internationals 17 November 2018 Win
5  France Cardiff, Wales Millennium Stadium 2020 Six Nations 22 February 2020 Loss
6  England London, England Twickenham Stadium 2020 Six Nations 7 March 2020 Loss
7  France Paris, France Stade de France 2021 Six Nations 20 March 2021 Loss

Personal life[]

On 7 December 2015, Biggar won the BBC Cymru Sports Personality of the Year Award.[13] Biggar has his own routine before kicking goals, which fans now call "The Biggarena" after Los Del Rio's 1995 hit, Macarena.[14]

References[]

  1. ^ "Dan Biggar Profile". Ospreys Rugby. Archived from the original on 1 November 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Ospreys Ultimate XV - 10 | Ospreys". www.ospreysrugby.com.
  3. ^ "Glasgow Warriors 18-21 Ospreys". 12 September 2008 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
  4. ^ "Rabodirect PRO12 : 2010/2011 - Players stats and team of the year - It's rugby". www.itsrugby.co.uk.
  5. ^ "Wales' Biggar to join Northampton in 2018" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  6. ^ "Dan Biggar (Fly-half)". Northampton Saints.
  7. ^ "Wales 2010 Six Nations Squad". BBC Sport.
  8. ^ "Wales 12–6 South Africa: Howley hails 'outstanding' Dan Biggar". BBC Sport.
  9. ^ "Wales 24-20 Argentina". BBC Sport. 10 November 2016.
  10. ^ World, Rugby (30 September 2019). "All Hail the Return Of The Rugby World Cup Drop-goal!". Rugby World.
  11. ^ "Wales into last four with thrilling win" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  12. ^ Sands, Katie (6 May 2021). "Lions 2021 squad announcement: Gatland names 10 Welshmen". WalesOnline.
  13. ^ "BBC Wales Sports Personality 2015: Dan Biggar wins top award". 7 December 2015 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  14. ^ Edwards, Tom (29 September 2015). "'The Biggarena!' Wales fly-half's pre-kick dance becomes minor internet sensation". Telegraph UK. Retrieved 11 October 2015.

External links[]

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