Date of birth | 2 March 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Place of birth | Batlow, New South Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 75 kg (165 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Position(s) | Centre, Forward | ||
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Senior career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
National team(s) | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Points) |
2008 – present | Australia | () | |
National team(s) | |||
Years | Team | Comps |
Medal record | ||
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Olympic Games | ||
2016 Rio de Janeiro | Team |
Sharni Williams OAM (born 2 March 1988) is a female Australian rugby union player. She has played in the centre position for Australia, Brumbies and 2008-2012 Canberra Royals. She won a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
She made her international debut when winning her first Australia cap, against New Zealand on 14 October 2008 at Viking Park in Canberra. Some days before, she collected three tries in an unofficial test match won 95-0 by the Wallaroos against with the Australian President’s XV.
During the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup in England, Williams scored one try against Wales and two in Australia's 62-0 victory over South Africa.
She was awarded ACT Rugby Rookie of the Year 2008 and Australian Women's Player of the Year 2010.
Williams made the transition to rugby seven’s in 2011, earning a spot in the Australian Women’s Rugby Sevens team where she played every leg of the Women's Sevens World Series from its inception in November 2012. Injury ruled her out of the Sao Paulo Sevens in February 2016, however she returned in time to be named in the final round of the 2015-16 season in Clermont that saw her side win the country's first-ever World Series.
Williams was co-captain of Australia's team at the 2016 Olympics, defeating New Zealand in the final to win the inaugural Olympic gold medal in the sport.