Gareth Delve
Encyclopedia
Gareth Leon Delve is a Wales
international rugby union
player. In 2010 he captained Gloucester in the English Guinness Premiership
, before moving to Australia where he became vice captain of the Melbourne Rebels
. His usual position is number 8. When Stirling Mortlock became injured Delve became the first Non Australian to captain an Australian Super Rugby Team.
in Bristol before signing a professional contract with Bath in 2001.
After a few frustrating seasons at Bath, his first team opportunities greatly increased in the 2005–06 season. He was then named in the Welsh squad for the 2006 Six Nations Championship
, and earned two caps during the tournament, making his debut against Scotland
. He was also called up for the summer tour to Argentina in June 2006, and earned another two caps, as well as scoring a try in the second Test.
In the summer of 2007 he moved from Bath to Gloucester Rugby. He was appointed joint captain of Gloucester in 2009, a position he held in 2010, before he moved to Australia.
In March 2010 he was recalled to the Wales squad and selected in the starting line-up for the match versus Ireland.
, and joined the team in October, to prepare for the 2011 Super Rugby season. The move to Melbourne saw Delve reconnect with former Bath Forwards Coach Mark Bakewell. Although there had been speculation Delve might play blindside flanker
, he became the Rebels' regular run on No.8. In February 2011 Delve was appointed Rebels' vice captain, deputy to former Wallaby
captain Stirling Mortlock
.
In 2011 Gareth earned a call up to the initial 45man Welsh World cup Squad, who are training in Spala Poland. He missed the first training session due Rebels duties but will joined the squad after the final games for the Rebels against the Western Force.
hinted Delve behaved like a superhero, but to Delve "The good thing was that he started being aggressive towards me instead of towards the woman ... the way I was brought up you don't like seeing things like that happen. In the situation it felt like the right thing to step in."
Delve's parents are Steve Delve, a former prop and competitive bodybuilder, and Dolan Delve : née Taylor;, who are from Wales. When asked to describe some of his proudest moments, he replied that one was when "I [gave] my match jersey to my grandfather before he passed away so that was absolutely massive for me and something I'll always remember."
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player. In 2010 he captained Gloucester in the English Guinness Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
, before moving to Australia where he became vice captain of the Melbourne Rebels
Melbourne Rebels
The Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia...
. His usual position is number 8. When Stirling Mortlock became injured Delve became the first Non Australian to captain an Australian Super Rugby Team.
UK
Delve was a pupil at Rumney High School in Cardiff and accepted a Rugby scholarship from Colston's Collegiate SchoolColston's Collegiate School
Colston's School is an independent school in Bristol, England and is a member of the The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
in Bristol before signing a professional contract with Bath in 2001.
After a few frustrating seasons at Bath, his first team opportunities greatly increased in the 2005–06 season. He was then named in the Welsh squad for the 2006 Six Nations Championship
2006 Six Nations Championship
The 2006 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
, and earned two caps during the tournament, making his debut against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
. He was also called up for the summer tour to Argentina in June 2006, and earned another two caps, as well as scoring a try in the second Test.
In the summer of 2007 he moved from Bath to Gloucester Rugby. He was appointed joint captain of Gloucester in 2009, a position he held in 2010, before he moved to Australia.
In March 2010 he was recalled to the Wales squad and selected in the starting line-up for the match versus Ireland.
Australia
Also in March, 2010, Delve signed with the Melbourne RebelsMelbourne Rebels
The Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia...
, and joined the team in October, to prepare for the 2011 Super Rugby season. The move to Melbourne saw Delve reconnect with former Bath Forwards Coach Mark Bakewell. Although there had been speculation Delve might play blindside flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
, he became the Rebels' regular run on No.8. In February 2011 Delve was appointed Rebels' vice captain, deputy to former Wallaby
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
captain Stirling Mortlock
Stirling Mortlock
Stirling Austin Mortlock is an Australian professional rugby union player. He has scored over 1,000 points in Super Rugby, and nearly 500 test points for the Wallabies. Mortlock is a former Wallaby and Brumbies captain, and the current captain of the Melbourne Rebels.-Early life:Mortlock began...
.
In 2011 Gareth earned a call up to the initial 45man Welsh World cup Squad, who are training in Spala Poland. He missed the first training session due Rebels duties but will joined the squad after the final games for the Rebels against the Western Force.
Personal life
Late in 2010, while house hunting in Melbourne with his partner, Delve chanced upon a man allegedly assaulting a woman and attempting to push her into a car. It's alleged the man attacked Delve, and was knocked to the ground. Delve called the police. The Melbourne AgeThe Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
hinted Delve behaved like a superhero, but to Delve "The good thing was that he started being aggressive towards me instead of towards the woman ... the way I was brought up you don't like seeing things like that happen. In the situation it felt like the right thing to step in."
Delve's parents are Steve Delve, a former prop and competitive bodybuilder, and Dolan Delve : née Taylor;, who are from Wales. When asked to describe some of his proudest moments, he replied that one was when "I [gave] my match jersey to my grandfather before he passed away so that was absolutely massive for me and something I'll always remember."