Chris Czekaj (born 14 December 1985) is a retired Wales international
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
player, who played fullback or wing. He most recently played for
Merthyr RFC
Merthyr RFC is a Wales, Welsh rugby union club based in Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales. Merthyr RFC are members of the Welsh Rugby Union, playing in the Principality Premiership, and are a feeder club for Cardiff Rugby.
Early history
Merthyr's fir ...
, and spent most of his career with
Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Rugby () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams.
Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arms Park. Originally formed in 1876, from 2003 to 2021 the first team was known as the Cardiff Blues before rebranding back ...
. He represented
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
and Wales U21.
Club career
Czakaj made his debut for the
Cardiff Blues
Cardiff Rugby () are one of the four professional Welsh rugby union teams.
Based in Cardiff, the team play at Cardiff Arms Park. Originally formed in 1876, from 2003 to 2021 the first team was known as the Cardiff Blues before rebranding back ...
in April 2005, starting on the wing against Ulster.
On 11 April 2014, the Cardiff Blues announced that Czekaj would be joining
Rugby Pro D2
The Pro D2 is the second tier of rugby union club competition division in France. It is operated by Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) which also runs the division directly above, the first division Top 14. Rugby Pro D2 was introduced in 2000. It ...
side
US Colomiers
Union Sportive Colomiers Rugby or Rugby Colomiers is a French rugby union club currently competing in Pro D2, the second level of the French rugby pyramid. They had been relegated from Pro D2 after finishing last in the 2006–07 season, but ...
at the end of the 2013/14 season.
After two seasons the Colomiers, he moved to
Fédérale 1
The championnat de France de rugby à XV de 1re division fédérale (), a.k.a. Fédérale 1 (), is a French rugby union club competition, it is the elite of amateur rugby in France. The competition has been organised by the Fédération Français ...
side Avenir Valencien
Following three years in the South of France, Czekaj moved to English Championship club
Bedford Blues
Bedford Blues are a semi-professional rugby union club in the town of Bedford, England, currently playing in the RFU Championship.
History
Foundation and 19th century
Bedford RUFC was founded in 1886 after an amalgamation between Bedford Rove ...
. Czekaj spent two seasons with the Championship side, coached by former Cardiff back and Welsh international
Mike Rayer
Michael Anthony Rayer (born 21 July 1965) Scrum.com is a former
Merthyr RFC
Merthyr RFC is a Wales, Welsh rugby union club based in Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales. Merthyr RFC are members of the Welsh Rugby Union, playing in the Principality Premiership, and are a feeder club for Cardiff Rugby.
Early history
Merthyr's fir ...
before retiring from professional rugby in May 2020.
International career
Czekaj made his Wales debut against Canada in June 2005, scoring a try in the win.
On 2 June 2007 he suffered a broken leg in the second test match against Australia, thus ruling him out of the 2007 Rugby World Cup. Following a full year of recovery and rehabilitation, Czekaj resumed playing for the Blues early in the 2008–09 season.
He returned to the national squad in 2009 for the tour of North America. Against Canada, he scored his second try for Wales four years after scoring his first, coming against the same opposition.
Czekaj was named in the Welsh squad for the 2010 Autumn Internationals, coming off the bench in the 25–29 loss against South Africa. This was to be his final appearance for Wales.
International tries
Personal life
The name Czekaj (meaning 'Wait' in English) comes from his Polish grandfather, who settled in Wales during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
His nickname amongst Welsh rugby supporters is '28', referring to the score his name would earn if played in a game of Scrabble.
Czekaj married his long-term girlfriend Kat Roberts, a former Miss Wales finalist, in 2011.
Following a series of concussive head injuries, Czekaj's wife Kat took to Twitter to recall the impact Chris' injuries had on them both including disorientation, memory loss and temporary alterations in personality.