Gareth Cooper
| Full name | Gareth James Cooper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | May 7, 1979 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Bridgend, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 13 st 3 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Pencoed Comprehensive School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | UWIC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position(s) | Scrum-half | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Amateur team(s) | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
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Correct as of 11 July 2014
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| Senior career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
| 1998–2002 2007–2009 |
Bath Rugby Gloucester Rugby |
93 15 |
(95) (0) |
|
Correct as of 11 July 2014
|
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| Provincial / State sides | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
| 2003–2004 2004–2007 2009–10 |
Celtic Warriors Newport GD Cardiff Blues |
9 45 0 |
(15) (35) (0) |
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Correct as of 11 July 2014
|
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| Current local club | retired | ||
| National team(s) | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
| 1999 2000 2001–10 2005 |
Wales U21 Wales A Wales Lions |
2 2 46 (0) |
0 (0) (45) (0) |
|
Correct as of 11 July 2014
|
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Gareth Cooper (born 7 May 1979 in Bridgend) is a former Wales international rugby union player who played in the scrum-half position.
Cooper started playing rugby with Pencoed before moving to Bath in the West Country.
Cooper made his international debut in 2001 against Italy, when many were claiming him to be the successor to Rob Howley. He toured to Japan in later that year. After Howley's retirement in 2002 he was given his first run in the side in 2003, becoming first choice for the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
He returned to play in Wales after that tournament with the Celtic Warriors, but he found himself scrapping with the ScarletsDwayne Peel for the scrum half jersey during the 2004 Six Nations.
He joined the Newport Gwent Dragons in 2004 when the Celtic Warriors were disbanded, but his form went downhill and Dwayne Peel secured the scrum half shirt with some stunning performances during Wales' Grand Slam in the 2005 Six Nations. Despite playing mostly on the bench for Wales he was selected for the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand, but with three other scrum halves on the tour he struggled to get game time as he was last in the pecking order behind Peel, Matt Dawson and Chris Cusiter.
With the emergence of Mike Phillips he struggled to fight for his way into the Wales team as he became a distant third choice. He moved to Gloucester in 2007.
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