![]() Peel playing for the Barbarians in May 2013 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Birth name | Dwayne John Peel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 31 August 1981 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Carmarthen, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 87 kg (13 st 10 lb; 192 lb) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
School | Ysgol Gyfun Maes-yr-Yrfa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
University | Swansea University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dwayne John Peel (born 31 August 1981) is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player. He was the most capped scrum-half for the Wales national rugby union team with 76 caps, [2] until his record was surpassed by Mike Phillips on 16 March 2013.
Peel was born in Carmarthen, Wales. [3] He started his rugby career playing for Tumble RFC at Under-8s level. He attended Ysgol Gyfun Maes-yr-Yrfa in Cefneithin, and is a fluent Welsh speaker. [4] He made his professional club debut for Llanelli RFC before joining the Llanelli Scarlets region at its creation in 2003.
Peel made his international debut for Wales in 2001 against Japan. He was still on his geography degree course at the Swansea University at the time. During his time at Swansea University, he became friends with Edward Lewsey – a Welsh Under-21 international, and brother of England international Josh Lewsey. Peel has since scored five tries (25 points) scoring his debut Test try against Italy in 2003 for Wales.
In 2005, Peel was selected for the British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand, and was the youngest Lion on the tour. [5] In February 2007, Peel became the youngest player to reach 50 caps for Wales when he played in the second match of their Six Nations campaign against Scotland. [6] On 9 September 2007, Peel was captain for Wales when they beat Canada 42–17 in their opening match in the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
On 15 January 2008, it was announced by the Scarlets that Peel would be joining Sale Sharks at the end of the 2007–08 season. [7] Peel joined at the start of the 2008–09 season on a three-year contract. [8] [9]
New Wales coach Warren Gatland stated that Peel would be an exception to his desired policy to select players from those playing for Welsh clubs, [10] but injuries to his shoulder and ankle kept him out of Wales' 2008 Six Nations opener against England. [11] He returned to the squad for the game against Scotland the following week, [12] coming on for Mike Phillips in the second half, before being named in the starting line-up for the third match against Italy alongside Scarlets half-back partner Stephen Jones. [13] Phillips returned to the starting XV for the final two matches, with Peel deputising from the bench as Wales went on to complete a second Grand Slam in four seasons.
on 19 January 2009, it was announced that Peel would not be part of the Wales squad for the 2009 Six Nations Championship. [14] Peel was subsequently called into the squad, however, as cover for injured Gareth Cooper and on 8 February 2009, he played in the second half of Wales' opening match against Scotland. [15]
In the 2012-2013 Premiership season, Peel was involved in the 32-9 win on 12 April against Gloucester, scoring two tries. [16] He was also named in the Barbarians squad for the 2013 summer internationals, to play against England and the British & Irish Lions.
Peel then signed for Bristol Rugby for the 2014–15 season, being appointed club captain in a team that also included fellow Wales internationals Ryan Jones and Ian Evans.
Try | Opponent | Location | Venue | Competition | Date | Result |
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1 | ![]() | Rome, Italy | Stadio Olimpico | 2003 Six Nations | 15 February 2003 | Loss |
2 | ![]() | Tucumán, Argentina | Cancha del Atletico | 2004 Summer internationals | 12 June 2004 | Loss |
3 | ![]() | Pretoria, South Africa | Loftus Versfeld Stadium | 2004 Summer internationals | 26 June 2004 | Loss |
4 | ![]() | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2004 Autumn internationals | 6 November 2004 | Loss |
5 | ![]() | Cardiff, Wales | Millennium Stadium | 2006 Autumn internationals | 17 November 2006 | Win |
On 15 February 2017, Ulster announced Peel would join them as assistant coach from the start of the 2017–18 season on a two-year contract. [18]
Peel was due to join the Cardiff Blues for the 2021–22 season as senior assistant coach responsible for attack. [19] However, Peel joined the Scarlets as head coach for the 2021–22 season instead. [20]
The Scarlets are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby competitions. The club was originally named the Llanelli Scarlets but was renamed at the start of the 2008–09 rugby season.
Dragons RFC are one of the four professional rugby union regional teams in Wales. They are owned by the Welsh Rugby Union and play their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup/European Rugby Challenge Cup. The region they represent covers an area of southeast Wales including Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen with a total population approaching 600,000 and they are affiliated with a number of semi-professional and amateur clubs throughout the area, including Pontypool RFC, Caerphilly RFC, Cross Keys RFC, Ebbw Vale RFC and Newport RFC.
Stephen Michael Jones is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player who played primarily at fly-half. He played more than 100 times for Wales and six times for the British & Irish Lions.
William Michael Phillips is a rugby union player who plays at scrum-half. On 16 March 2013, Phillips surpassed the record of 76 caps set by Dwayne Peel as the most capped scrum-half for Wales.
Mark Anthony Jones is a Welsh professional rugby union coach and former player who played as a wing for the Scarlets and Wales. Since making his international debut for Wales in 2001, he won 47 caps and scored 13 tries. Since going into coaching, Jones has held head-coaching jobs with Rotherham, RGC 1404 and the Namibia national team.
Gavin Michael Thomas is a Welsh former international rugby union player who played as a flanker. He played his club rugby for Tondu, Bridgend, Bath, the Ospreys, the Scarlets and the Newport Gwent Dragons, and was capped 24 times for Wales.
Alix Jon Popham is a Welsh former rugby union player who played as a number eight or flanker. Born in Newport, he began his career with Newport RFC in 1998, before moving to Leeds Tykes in 2002. He spent three years in England before returning to Wales with the Llanelli Scarlets in 2005. In 2008, he moved to France to play for Brive and was made captain ahead of the 2009–10 season. He retired due to injury at the end of the 2010–11 season, having made over 320 appearances in 13 years as a professional. He also played internationally for the Wales national team, earning 33 caps.
Lyn Jones is a former Wales international rugby union player. Originally playing as a flanker, Jones subsequently became a coach. He played most of his playing career for Neath RFC and started his coaching career at the same club. Jones has coached professional clubs in Wales and England and, in 2018, became head coach of the Russian national rugby union team. He subsequently beame a coach with national rugby team of the Netherlands.
Kenneth James Owens is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a hooker for the Scarlets and Wales. He made his debut for the Scarlets in 2006, taking over from Matthew Rees as their first-choice hooker upon Rees' departure for the Cardiff Blues in 2013. He also served as backup to Rees, among others, for Wales following his debut against Namibia at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In 2016, he took over as Wales' first-choice hooker, and in January 2023, following almost a year out with a back injury, he was named as captain for the 2023 Six Nations Championship.
Liam Davies is a Welsh rugby union footballer.
Nick Macleod is a former professional rugby union player who played for Cardiff Blues, Sale Sharks and Newport Gwent Dragons. Primarily a fly-half, Macleod also played at Fullback.
Martin Roberts is a Wales international rugby union footballer who plays as a scrum-half.
Rhys Webb is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Ospreys. Born in Bridgend, he is a product of the Ospreys academy and played club rugby for Bridgend RFC and Aberavon RFC before breaking into the regional side in 2008. He played for the Ospreys for 10 years before moving to French club Toulon in 2018, but terminated his contract with them in 2020 and agreed a return to the Ospreys; however, he was unable to join the Ospreys immediately and signed for Bath for the remainder of the 2019–20 season before returning to the Ospreys.
Stephen Leigh Halfpenny is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a fullback or wing for the Crusaders in Super Rugby. Halfpenny is the third highest points scorer for Wales after Neil Jenkins and Stephen Jones.
Tavis Knoyle is a Wales international rugby union footballer who plays at scrum-half.
The Wales national rugby union team toured South Africa in June 2008, playing two matches against the South Africa national team. South Africa won both tests, winning 43–17 in Bloemfontein on 7 June and 37–21 in Pretoria a week later.
The 2018–19 season was the 15th season in the history of the Scarlets, a Welsh regional rugby union side based in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. In this season, they competed in the Pro14 and the European Rugby Champions Cup. This season, Welsh internationals Scott Williams and Aled Davies, Scottish international John Barclay and Irishman Tadhg Beirne were high-profile departures, while new recruits included internationals Kieron Fonotia, Uzair Cassiem and Sam Hidalgo-Clyne.
The 2021–22 season was the 18th in the history of the Scarlets, a Welsh regional rugby union side based in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire. In this season, they competed in the inaugural United Rugby Championship and the Champions Cup. It was Dwayne Peel's first season as head coach of the region, following the departure of his predecessor Glenn Delaney.
Gwenllian Pyrs is a Welsh rugby union player who plays loosehead prop for the Wales women's national rugby union team and Sale Sharks Women of Premier 15s. She made her debut for the Wales rugby union team in 2017 and has played in 15 matches for the national side. Pyrs has played for Scarlets, RGC Women, Caernarfon RFC and Firwood Waterloo at the club level. She works as a farmer, sheepdog breeder and trainer as well as a rugby hub officer for the Welsh Rugby Union while continuing her rugby career.
Archie Hughes is a Welsh rugby union player, currently playing for United Rugby Championship side Scarlets as a scrum-half. Hughes made his Scarlets debut during the 2021–22 season, and has represented Wales U20 at multiple tournaments.