Shaun Edwards 1815115 224235258 2008-07-07T22:45:21Z Londo06 2700576 [[Image:Wigan v Bath 1996 match programme.jpg|200px|Shaun Edwards]] {{Infobox Rugby Union biography | playername = Shaun Edwards | image = [[Image:Wigan v Bath 1996 match programme.jpg|200px|Shaun Edwards]] | fullname = Shaun Edwards OBE | dateofbirth = [[18 October]] [[1966]] (Age 41) | cityofbirth = [[Wigan]] | countryofbirth = [[England]] | dateofdeath = | cityofdeath = | countryofdeath = | height = | weight = | nickname = gizmo | school = | university = | spouse = | children = | relatives = Jack Edwards<br />Billy-Joe Edwards | position = Head Coach | currentclub = [[London Wasps|Wasps]] | clubnumber = | youthyears = | youthclubs = | years = 1983&ndash;1996<br />1989<br />1997<br />1998<br />1998&ndash;2000 | clubs = [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]]<br />[[Balmain Tigers]]<br />[[Harlequins Rugby League|London Broncos]]<br />[[Bradford Bulls]]<br />[[Harlequins Rugby League|London Broncos]]<br />'''Total''' | caps(points) = 467 (1140)<br />12 (4)<br /><br />22<br />22 (26)<br />'''584''' | repyears = <br />1985&ndash;19xx | repteam = [[England national rugby league team|England]]<br />[[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]] | repcaps(points) = <br />36 (64) | coachyears = 2001&ndash; | coachclubs = [[London Wasps|Wasps]] | repcoachyears = 2008&ndash; | repcoachteams = [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales Asst]] }} '''Shaun Edwards [[Order of the British Empire|OBE]]''' (born [[18 October]] [[1966]] in [[Wigan]], [[England]]) is a former international [[rugby league]] player who is now head coach of [[London Wasps]] [[rugby union]] team and defence coach, on a part-time basis, of the [[Wales national rugby union team]]. Edwards played at either [[Rugby_league_positions#Scrum-half|scrum half]] or at [[Rugby_league_positions#Stand-off|stand off]]. He represented [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]] in the [[Rugby League Championship]] and the [[Super League (Europe)|Super League]] between 1983 and 1996. He also played for the [[Harlequins Rugby League|London Broncos]] twice and for the [[Bradford Bulls]]. Playing for Wigan, Edwards won a record eight [[Rugby League Championship]]s and a record nine [[Rugby League Challenge Cup|Challenge Cups]]. Edwards represented [[England national rugby league team|England]] at the [[1989 - 1992 Rugby League World Cup|1992 Rugby League World Cup]] and the [[1995 Rugby League World Cup]]. He was also capped 36 times for [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]]. ==Biography== Edwards's father, Jack, played half-back for [[Warrington Wolves|Warrington]] in the late 1950s/early 1960s, until a severe spinal injury ended his career prematurely at age 24.<ref name="WestMail1">{{citeweb|url=http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/06/13/wales-coach-tells-how-religion-gives-him-strength-91466-21067172/|title=Wales coach tells how religion gives him strength|author=Lewis, Tim|publisher=Western Mail|date=2008-06-13|accessdate=2008-06-13}}</ref> His younger brother, Billy-Joe, played rugby league for Wigan Warriors until his death, in a car crash, in 2003.<ref name="Rugby league players killed in crash">{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2741899.stm|title=Rugby league players killed in crash|publisher=BBC|date=2003-02-14|accessdate=2008-02-20}}</ref> Edwards was England schoolboy captain at both [[rugby league]] and [[rugby union]], and had been hunted by several clubs. ===Playing Career=== Edwards signed for Wigan in a blaze of media coverage on his seventeenth birthday; a fee of £35,000 was reportedly paid to Shaun which caused a few raised eyebrows in the game on both sides of the world. He made his debut for the club at [[Rugby league positions#Stand-off|stand-off]] in the 30&ndash;13 home win against [[York Wasps|York]] on [[6 November]] [[1983]], 20 days after signing for Wigan. He is the joint holder of the Wigan record for tries (10) in a game in the 78&ndash;0 rout of Swinton in the [[Lancashire Cup]] 2nd round in September [[1992]]. It was a [[Rugby league county cups|County Cup]] record and record for a non-winger in any game. In addition he scored four tries in a game on four occasions and hat-tricks seven times. He was the leading try scorer in the 1991&ndash;92 season with a total of 40. He played for [[Great Britain national rugby league team|Great Britain]] on 32 occasions with a further four from the substitute's bench, scoring 16 tries for his country. Edwards went onto become the capatin of the most revolutionary team in [[Rugby League]] history as his Wigan side went 43 cup ties unbeaten, with Edwards playing in every round in the 8 successive [[Wembley]] victories. Edwards was infamously very critical of Aussie Test Star [[Brett Kenny]]. He accused him of throwing a game against St Helens in 1985 after the Cup victory over [[Hull F.C.]]. His political dimension meant that on a Great Britain Lions tour, Edwards taped over the British Coal logo on the shirt - in support of [[The 1984 Miners Strike]] In 1990, Edwards played through the 1990 [[Rugby League Challenge Cup|Challenge Cup]] final with a broken cheekbone, ensuring he would enter [[Wigan]] folklore forever more. His partnership with fellow Wiganer [[Andy Gregory]] went down as the greatest in the clubs long and illustrious history. He played in every one of Wigan's eight consecutive Challenge cup wins and won every honour in the game, making 452 appearances for Wigan. Edwards played his last game for Wigan against [[St Helens RFC|St Helens]] in the [[Rugby League Challenge Cup|Challenge Cup]] defeat at Knowsley Road in [[1997]]. Edwards still stays strong to his Wigan roots. In a 2007 interview Edwards claimed that 'I almost had an heart attack' after Wigan famously come back to defeat Bradford Bulls in the epic 30-31 play off victory. He also claimed that one day he would come back to coach Wigan. [http://www.wigantoday.net/warriors/Edwards39-Wigan-dream.3231776.jp] He left to join the [[London Broncos]] after a fall-out with coach Eric Hughes. Edwards had wanted to spend some time with his expectant girlfriend [[Heather Small]], but was refused permission by Hughes. When he returned to Wigan with the Broncos in May 1997, he got on the score sheet and was warmly applauded by the Wigan crowd to which he gave his customary nod of approval. After just a season in London, Edwards moved to [[Bradford Bulls]] but was soon on his way back to London where he represented the Broncos in the [[1999]] Challenge Cup final at [[Wembley Stadium|Wembley]]. ===Coaching Career=== In 2001, Edwards joined [[London Wasps]] [[rugby union]] team as backs coach, taking over as head coach in 2005 after [[Warren Gatland]] returned to New Zealand. He was instrumental in helping Wasps win the [[Guinness Premiership|English Rugby Union Championship]] three times in succession, in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and the [[Heineken Cup]] in 2004 and 2007. He is also in charge of the [[London Wasps]] academy side, who play in the [[Guinness Premiership]] A League. Edwards recently teamed up with [[Warren Gatland]] again, after the latter was appointed head coach of {{nrut|Wales}}: he had been offered the job of coaching England's second-tier side, [[England Saxons]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/02/16/srmott116.xml|title=Fear of failure spurs Shaun Edwards|first=Sue|last=Mott|date=2008-02-16|publisher=Telegraph}}</ref>, but preferred the position with Wales. Former {{nrut|England}} {{scrum-half}} [[Matt Dawson]] stated that it was "a crime" that England lost him to Wales and described him as "the best coach in the world".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/welsh/7218043.stm|date=2008-01-31|title=Edwards is world's best - Dawson|publisher=BBC Sport}}</ref> ===Personal life=== Edwards had a long-term relationship with [[M People]] singer [[Heather Small]] - with whom he has a son, James. Although no longer together, a key factor in moving to, and staying in, the south was that he could be close to his son. He turned down the job of coaching the [[Great Britain national rugby league team]] as it would mean being up north a lot of the time. A devout [[Roman Catholic]], Edwards [[prayer|prayed]] before each game, and his coaching technic is based on: “One of the greatest sayings that I have heard was that you have to be prepared to suffer. I think it’s the same with any walk of life. Nothing comes easily. No pain, no gain, and that is certainly the case in rugby. If you’re not prepared to put in the hard work, to go through the pain and suffering, both mental and physical, you probably won’t make it. [[Jesus]] suffered on the cross in his life and that’s a reality that inspired and helped me in the good times and the bad.”<ref name="WestMail1"/> Edwards writes a regular column each Friday for the [[Guardian newspaper]]. ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.wasps.co.uk/PlayerDisplay.ink?skip=2&season=07/08&squadno=6681&seasonl=2007/2008&Playertype=C Wasps profile] *[http://www.wru.co.uk/2634_16474.php Wales profile] *[http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Shaun_Edwards.html rugby league project] *[http://www.wasps.co.uk/newspage.ink?nid=28851 Edwards takes Wales job] <br /> {{London Wasps squad|title=Shaun Edwards|coach=yes}} {{Wigan RLFC - 1985 Challenge Cup winners}} {{Wigan RLFC - 1988 Challenge Cup Final winners}} {{Wigan RLFC - 1989 Challenge Cup Final winners}} {{Wigan RLFC - 1990 Challenge Cup Final winners}} {{Man of Steel Award}} {{Wigan RLFC - 1991 Challenge Cup Final winners}} {{Wigan RLFC - 1992 Challenge Cup Final winners}} {{Wigan RLFC - 1993 Challenge Cup Final winners}} {{Wigan RLFC - 1994 Challenge Cup Final winners}} {{Wigan RLFC - 1995 Challenge Cup Final winners}} {{England 1995 Rugby League World Cup squad}} {{1999 Challenge Cup Finalists}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Shaun}} [[Category:1966 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:English Roman Catholics]] [[Category:People from Wigan]] [[Category:English rugby league players]] [[Category:Wigan Warriors players]] [[Category:London Broncos players]] [[Category:Bradford Bulls players]] [[Category:English rugby league coaches]] [[Category:English rugby union coaches]] [[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:Balmain Tigers rugby league players]]