Niall Williams-Guthrie
Williams in 2017
Birth nameNiall Williams
Date of birth (1988-04-21) 21 April 1988 (age 35)
Height1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight74 kg (11 st 9 lb)
Notable relative(s)Sonny Bill Williams (brother)
Rugby league career
Position(s) Centre, Second-row
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2023- Gold Coast Titans 11 (4)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2023- Samoa ()
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre or Forward
National sevens team(s)
Years Team Comps
2015–23 New Zealand 164 (215 pts)
Medal record
Women's rugby sevens
Representing  New Zealand
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team competition
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Gold Coast Team competition
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham Team competition
Rugby World Cup Sevens
Gold medal – first place 2018 San Francisco Team competition
Silver medal – second place 2022 Cape Town Team competition

Niall Williams-Guthrie (née Williams; born 21 April 1988) is a New Zealand rugby league player. She has represented New Zealand in rugby sevens and touch rugby at an international level.[1] She has won silver medals as part of New Zealand's touch football team in 2011, and in the 2016 Rio Olympics as a member of New Zealand's sevens team. She also won gold medals in sevens in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens.

Rugby career

Touch

In touch football she won gold at the 2005 Youth World Cup and silver at the 2011 Touch Football World Cup.[2][3][4]

Rugby Sevens

Guthrie made her international debut for New Zealand in 2015.[5][6] She was selected for their squad to the 2016 Summer Olympics, where New Zealand claimed the silver medal behind Australia.[7][8]

Guthrie missed the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 due to a neck injury.[9][10] She was named in the Black Ferns Sevens squad for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.[11][12] She won a bronze medal at the event.[13][14] She also won a silver medal at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.[15][16][17]

Guthrie played in her final tournament for the Black Ferns Sevens at the 2023 France Women's Sevens in May 2023.[18][5]

Super Rugby Aupiki

Guthrie signed with the Blues Women for the 2024 Super Rugby Aupiki season.[19][20]

Rugby League

In 2023, Guthrie signed a two-year deal with the Gold Coast Titans in the NRLW.[18][5] She is also part of the Samoa squad taking part in the 2023 Pacific Rugby League Championships.

Personal life

Of Samoan and European descent,[21] Niall, also known as "Nizzle",[22] is the younger sister of All Black Sonny Bill Williams.[23] She has a twin sister[24][1] and two daughters.[22] She married her long-term partner, Tama Guthrie, in December 2022.[25]

References

  1. ^ a b Sonny Bill Williams, the contender Archived 17 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine, by Greg Bearup, The Australian, dated 2 March 2013.
  2. ^ Summerfield, Shaun (16 June 2011). "SBW's sister looks to extend her bragging rights". 3 News. Media Works. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  3. ^ "Niall Williams". Touch New Zealand. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  4. ^ "Touch World Cup 2011: Women's Touch Blacks Strong in Brave Loss". Touch New Zealand. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  5. ^ a b c Morton, Finn (12 May 2023). "Niall Guthrie opens up on 'bittersweet emotions' at last sevens event". www.rugbypass.com. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Black Ferns Sevens out to send off NRLW-bound sister on a high". 1 News. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  7. ^ "WILLIAMS Niall". Rio 2016. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  8. ^ "Sonny Bill and Niall Williams make Rio Olympics squads". Sky Sports.com. 3 July 2016. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  9. ^ Dayal, Zion (20 April 2023). "Niall Williams Guthrie 'couldn't say no' to NRLW opportunity". 1 News. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  10. ^ "Niall Guthrie returns for final tournament with Black Ferns sevens ahead of code switch". Stuff. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  11. ^ "Rugby Sevens teams named for Commonwealth Games". allblacks.com. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Experienced New Zealand sevens squads revealed for Commonwealth Games". Stuff. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  13. ^ McConnell, Lynn (1 August 2022). "Double bronze for New Zealand Sevens sides in Birmingham". allblacks.com. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  14. ^ "NZ Sevens sides bounce back to win bronze medals". 1 News. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  15. ^ Julian, Adam (12 September 2022). "New Zealand sides scoop silver in Cape Town". allblacks.com. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  16. ^ "NZ Sevens come up short, losing World Cup finals in Cape Town". 1 News. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  17. ^ Wilson, Sam (11 September 2022). "Recap: New Zealand's men and women beaten in Rugby World Cup Sevens finals in Cape Town". Stuff. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  18. ^ a b "Niall Guthrie eyes up last tournament for Black Fern Sevens". RNZ. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  19. ^ "WILLIAMS-GUTHRIE JOINS nib BLUES FOR 2024". Blues Rugby. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Former Black Ferns sevens star Williams-Guthrie to join Blues". 1 News. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  21. ^ "Player Profile Niall Williams". sportstg.com. Archived from the original on 20 April 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  22. ^ a b "Niall Williams | allblacks.com". All Blacks. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  23. ^ Strang, Ben (26 November 2015). "SBW's sister Niall Williams is New Zealand's newest rugby sevens player". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  24. ^ Early hints of Sonny Bill's charisma Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, by Steve Deane, nzherald.co.nz, dated 16 March 2013.
  25. ^ "Mr & Mrs Guthrie". Facebook. Retrieved 5 February 2023.

External links

Blues Women – current squad
Gold Coast Titans (NRL Women's Premiership) – current squad
New Zealand squad – 2016 Summer Olympics – Silver Medal
2016 New Zealand Olympic team
2018 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team
New Zealand women's Squad – 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens – Gold Medal
2022 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team
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