Rhys Patchell (born 17 May 1993) is a Wales international

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

player. A

fly-half In the game of rugby union, there are 15 players on each team, comprising eight forwards (wearing jerseys numbered 1–8) and seven backs (numbered 9–15). In addition, there may be up to eight replacement players "on the bench", numbered 16– ...

, he plays for

Scarlets The Scarlets () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams and are based in Llanelli, Wales. Their home ground is the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup (which ...

having previously played for

Cardiff Blues Cardiff Rugby ( cy, Rygbi Caerdydd) are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and in European Professional Club Rugby competitions. Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arm ...

Early life

Educated at Ysgol Gymraeg Melin Gruffydd and at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf. Patchell speaks

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

, and is an ambassador for the government-supported "

Tafwyl The Tafwyl festival is an annual Welsh-language festival which takes place in Cardiff, Wales. It culminates with a two day open air festival, normally held in Cardiff Castle. Background The event was set up in 2006 and initially took place on a ...

" Welsh-language festival.

Club career

Patchell graduated from the Blues Academy into the full regional side at an early age in 2012 and went on to score more than 600 points in a five-year stint at the Arms Park that saw him make 83 appearances. He scored 174 points in the 2015/16 season to top the Guinness Pro12 charts. Patchell joined

in 2016 and it proved to be a shrewd move as he ended his first season as the leading points scorer in the Guinness Pro12 once again with 145. Patchell picked up a winners' medal, helping the west Walians beat Munster in the

2017 Pro12 Grand Final The 2017 Pro12 Grand Final was the final match of the 2016–17 Pro12 season. The 2016–17 season was the third with Guinness as the title sponsor and the eighth ever League Grand Final. The final was played at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. The ...

at the Aviva Stadium. Patchell suffered a series of injuries between 2019 and 2021, limiting his involvement with both the Scarlets and Wales. He returned to full fitness in early 2022, featuring frequently for the Scarlets during the latter half of their season, and continuing his involvement into the

2022–23 United Rugby Championship The 2022–23 United Rugby Championship is the 22nd season of the professional rugby union competition United Rugby Championship. It began on 16 September 2022. For sponsorship reasons it is known in South Africa as Vodacom United Rugby Champions ...

International career

In January 2013 Patchell was selected in the Wales U20 squad for the 2013 U20

Six Nations Championship The Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) is an annual international men's rugby union competition between the teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. The current champions ar ...

. In May 2013 he was selected for the

Wales national rugby union team The Wales national rugby union team ( cy, Tîm rygbi'r undeb cenedlaethol Cymru) represents Wales in men's international rugby union. Its governing body, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), was established in 1881, the same year that Wales played the ...

for the summer 2013 tour to Japan. He made his international debut against Japan on 8 June 2013, and played again in the reverse fixture the following week. Patchell had to wait three years before he won his next cap, and made his first start, after being called out to New Zealand as a replacement for the 2016 summer tour. He came on as a replacement in the midweek game against the Chiefs and started at full-back in the last two Tests with the All Blacks. Patchell moved into his favoured No 10 shirt for the first two games of the 2018 Six Nations campaign, a home win over Scotland on his tournament debut and an away defeat to England, before dropping to the bench for the win over Italy. He was back at No 10 for the two wins over Argentina on the 2018 summer tour, scoring 30 points in the two games, and then notched his first international try in the home win over Tonga in November, 2018. Patchell was selected in the Welsh squad for the

2019 Rugby World Cup The 2019 Rugby World Cup was the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It was hosted in Japan from 20 September to 2 November in 12 venues all across the country. The opening match ...

. He replaced

Dan Biggar Daniel Biggar (born 16 October 1989) is a Welsh rugby union player currently playing for French Top 14 side Toulon as a fly-half. A Wales international, Biggar has also twice been selected to tour with the British and Irish Lions. Early life an ...

early in the pool stage match against Australia, kicking a conversion, three penalties, and a drop goal as Wales won 29–25. Patchell played in the rearranged Six Nations fixture against

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

in October 2020.

International tries

References

External links

Cardiff Blues profile

Scarlets profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Patchell, Rhys 1993 births Living people Cardiff Rugby players Rugby union players from Penarth Wales international rugby union players Welsh rugby union players Welsh-language broadcasters Scarlets players Rugby union fly-halves