Adam James Beard (born 7 January 1996) is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Ospreys and the Wales national team.

Adam Beard
Beard representing Wales during the Six Nations Championship
Full nameAdam James Beard
Date of birth (1996-01-07) 7 January 1996 (age 28)
Place of birthSwansea, Wales
Height2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)
Weight116 kg (256 lb; 18 st 4 lb)
SchoolNeath Port Talbot College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock
Current team Ospreys
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014– Ospreys 129 (5)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2015–2016 Wales U20 15 (10)
2017– Wales 58 (0)
2021 British & Irish Lions 1 (0)

Club career

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Beard made his debut for the Ospreys in 2012 having previously played for their academy team, Aberavon RFC and Birchgrove RFC.

International career

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Wales

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In May 2017 Beard was named in the Wales senior squad for the tests against Tonga and Samoa in June 2017[1] He made his debut for Wales against Samoa in Apia on the 2017 summer tour, coming on as a replacement, and then made his first start in the home victory over Georgia five months later. His 6 Nations debut came in the win over France in Paris in 2019 – his ninth straight win in a Wales shirt. He went on to start in four of the Grand Slam matches in the 2019 championships, and come on as a replacement in the other, as he extended his unbeaten run in a Welsh shirt to 11 matches up to 1 August 2019.[citation needed]

British and Irish Lions

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Beard was called into the British & Irish Lions squad for the 2021 tour to South Africa. This followed the temporary withdrawal of tour captain Alun Wyn Jones following a shoulder injury.[2] On 7 July Beard made his Lions debut in the Provincial game against the Sharks.[3] Beard would go on to make his Lions test debut in the third test against the Springboks.[citation needed]

Personal life

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Beard is in a relationship with Chelsea Lewis, the Wales netball international.[4][5]

References

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  1. ^ Wales squad June 2017
  2. ^ "Beard & Navidi called into Lions squad and Murray replaces Jones as Tour captain".
  3. ^ "Beard makes Lions debut | Ospreys".
  4. ^ "Wales lock Adam Beard's World Cup: A lucky escape, surgery and overeating". www.bbc.co.uk. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  5. ^ "Welsh netball international Chelsea Lewis has announced her pregnancy with rugby player boyfriend Adam Beard". www.newschain.uk. 9 January 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
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