*** Welcome to piglix ***

Ali Williams

Ali Williams
USO - RCT - 28-09-2013 - Stade Mathon - Alexander Williams.jpg
Full name Alexander James Williams
Date of birth (1981-04-30) 30 April 1981 (age 35)
Place of birth Auckland, New Zealand
Height 2.02 m (6 ft 7 12 in)
Weight 118 kg (260 lb; 18 st 8 lb)
School King's College, Auckland
University Auckland University of Technology
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Lock
New Zealand No. 1022
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Apps (points)
2013–15 Toulon 35 (15)
Correct as of 5 April 2015
Provincial/State sides
Years Club / team Apps (points)
2001–07, 2009–13
2008
Auckland

Tasman
35

0
(0)

(0)
Correct as of 15 July 2013
Super Rugby
Years Club / team Apps (points)
2002–07
2009–13
2008
Blues

Crusaders
102

15
(10)

(15)
Correct as of 15 July 2013
National team(s)
Years Club / team Apps (points)
2002–12 New Zealand 77 (35)
Correct as of 18 November 2012
Official website
http://www.aliwilliams.com/
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Apps (points)
2013–15 Toulon 35 (15)
Correct as of 5 April 2015
Provincial/State sides
Years Club / team Apps (points)
2001–07, 2009–13
2008
Auckland

Tasman
35

0
(0)

(0)
Correct as of 15 July 2013
Super Rugby
Years Club / team Apps (points)
2002–07
2009–13
2008
Blues

Crusaders
102

15
(10)

(15)
Correct as of 15 July 2013
National team(s)
Years Club / team Apps (points)
2002–12 New Zealand 77 (35)
Correct as of 18 November 2012

Alexander James "Ali" Williams (born 30 April 1981) is a New Zealand rugby union player who played at lock, spending almost all of his playing career in his homeland. At provincial level, he played mainly with Auckland, though he spent one season with Tasman and was also loaned out to Nottingham in England's second-level RFU Championship in 2010. At Super Rugby level, he played for both the Blues and Crusaders. Williams played for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks, between 2002 and 2012. He was in the All Blacks squad for the 2003, 2007 and 2011 World Cups. In 2005, NZ Rugby Almanack chose him as one of its five players of the year. Williams spent what were to have been the final two seasons of his career in France with Toulon, playing there from 2013 to 2015. He came out of retirement to play in the 2016/17 season for top French club Racing 92. On 25 February 2017 Williams was arrested in Paris for allegedly buying cocaine.

Williams did not begin playing rugby until 1998 when, aged 17 during his time in Greenbank house. He played for the King's College Second XV. He had already represented Auckland at junior level in soccer, tennis and cricket. In 1999, he was a member of the King's College First XV and at this stage he decided to concentrate on rugby. He began a business studies course at Auckland University of Technology, but after playing club rugby and spending time at the Auckland Rugby Academy, he was selected to make his first class debut for Auckland in an National Provincial Championship (NPC) match against Taranaki on 24 August 2001. The following year he was named in the Blues squad for the Super 12 and made his debut against the Hurricanes in the opening game of the season, on 22 February 2002. Later that year, he was selected for the All Blacks' year-end tour to England, France and Wales; he played in all three Test matches, making his international debut against England at Twickenham on 9 November 2002.


...
Wikipedia

...