Ken Owens

Ken Owens is considered to be one of the world's best hookers at both club and international level. Nicknamed 'The Sheriff' he's known for his quality playing abilities and his remarkable talent for scoring impressive tries.

Born in Carmarthen, Wales in January 1987, Ken Owens began his career as a youth with hometown club Carmarthen Athletic RFC and UWIC where he played in 2005 during his studies at university. It was his fine form with these clubs that got him noticed by Welsh provincial side Scarlets and he eventually made his debut for the Turks toward the end of the 2005-06 season.

Ken Owens has remained with the Scarlets to this day and as well as being named club captain, he has made over 200 appearances for the side. He has also had brief spells of club rugby with Llanelli RFC and Carmarthen Quins. Some of the honours he has gained during this time include titles in the Pro14 in the 2016-17 season.

It's on the international stage where Ken Owens has truly excelled. He received his first call up in 2010 for the Wales' Six Nations squad in that year, but didn't make his debut for the side until 2011, where he came off the bench to play against Namibia in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Since then he has been a regular starter for Wales and has gone on to achieve a wealth of honours and recognition. This includes playing in all five games in the 2012 Six Nations, which was the same year Wales claimed a Grand Slam. He was also a part of the Welsh squad for the 2015 World Cup and was selected for the 2017 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.

Ken Owens now has over 80 caps for Wales and with plenty of years left in his career, it's likely he will soon be amongst the most-capped players for the national side. After recently recovering from an injury, he has also been named in Warren Gatland's squad for the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa.