Niall Williams-Guthrie (née Williams; born 21 April 1988) is a New Zealand rugby league player. She has represented New Zealand in rugby sevens and touch rugby at an international level.[1] She has won silver medals as part of New Zealand's touch football team in 2011, and in the 2016 Rio Olympics as a member of New Zealand's sevens team. She also won gold medals in sevens in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens.

Niall Williams-Guthrie
Williams in 2017
Birth nameNiall Williams
Date of birth (1988-04-21) 21 April 1988 (age 36)
Height1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight74 kg (11 st 9 lb)
Notable relative(s)Sonny Bill Williams (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre or Forward
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2024- Blues Women ()
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
2015–23 New Zealand 164
Rugby league career
Playing information
PositionCentre, Second-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2023 Gold Coast Titans 11 4
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2023 Samoa
Medal record
Women's rugby sevens
Representing  New Zealand
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team competition
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Gold Coast Team competition
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Birmingham Team competition
Rugby World Cup Sevens
Gold medal – first place 2018 San Francisco Team competition
Silver medal – second place 2022 Cape Town Team competition

Rugby career

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Touch

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In touch football she won gold at the 2005 Youth World Cup and silver at the 2011 Touch Football World Cup.[2][3][4]

Rugby Sevens

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Guthrie made her international debut for New Zealand in 2015.[5][6] She was selected for their squad to the 2016 Summer Olympics, where New Zealand claimed the silver medal behind Australia.[7][8]

Guthrie missed the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 due to a neck injury.[9][10] She was named in the Black Ferns Sevens squad for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.[11][12] She won a bronze medal at the event.[13][14] She also won a silver medal at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town.[15][16][17]

Guthrie played in her final tournament for the Black Ferns Sevens at the 2023 France Women's Sevens in May 2023.[18][5]

Super Rugby Aupiki

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Guthrie signed with the Blues Women for the 2024 Super Rugby Aupiki season.[19][20]

Rugby League

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In 2023, Guthrie signed a two-year deal with the Gold Coast Titans in the NRLW.[18][5] She is also part of the Samoa squad taking part in the 2023 Pacific Rugby League Championships.

Personal life

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Of Samoan and European descent,[21] Niall, also known as "Nizzle",[22] is the younger sister of All Black Sonny Bill Williams.[23] She has a twin sister[24][1] and two daughters.[22] She married her long-term partner, Tama Guthrie, in December 2022.[25]

References

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  1. ^ a b Sonny Bill Williams, the contender Archived 17 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine, by Greg Bearup, The Australian, dated 2 March 2013.
  2. ^ Summerfield, Shaun (16 June 2011). "SBW's sister looks to extend her bragging rights". 3 News. Media Works. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  3. ^ "Niall Williams". Touch New Zealand. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  4. ^ "Touch World Cup 2011: Women's Touch Blacks Strong in Brave Loss". Touch New Zealand. Archived from the original on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
  5. ^ a b c Morton, Finn (12 May 2023). "Niall Guthrie opens up on 'bittersweet emotions' at last sevens event". www.rugbypass.com. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  6. ^ "Black Ferns Sevens out to send off NRLW-bound sister on a high". 1 News. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  7. ^ "WILLIAMS Niall". Rio 2016. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  8. ^ "Sonny Bill and Niall Williams make Rio Olympics squads". Sky Sports.com. 3 July 2016. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  9. ^ Dayal, Zion (20 April 2023). "Niall Williams Guthrie 'couldn't say no' to NRLW opportunity". 1 News. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  10. ^ "Niall Guthrie returns for final tournament with Black Ferns sevens ahead of code switch". Stuff. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  11. ^ "Rugby Sevens teams named for Commonwealth Games". allblacks.com. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Experienced New Zealand sevens squads revealed for Commonwealth Games". Stuff. 29 June 2022. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  13. ^ McConnell, Lynn (1 August 2022). "Double bronze for New Zealand Sevens sides in Birmingham". allblacks.com. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  14. ^ "NZ Sevens sides bounce back to win bronze medals". 1 News. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  15. ^ Julian, Adam (12 September 2022). "New Zealand sides scoop silver in Cape Town". allblacks.com. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  16. ^ "NZ Sevens come up short, losing World Cup finals in Cape Town". 1 News. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  17. ^ Wilson, Sam (11 September 2022). "Recap: New Zealand's men and women beaten in Rugby World Cup Sevens finals in Cape Town". Stuff. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  18. ^ a b "Niall Guthrie eyes up last tournament for Black Fern Sevens". RNZ. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  19. ^ "WILLIAMS-GUTHRIE JOINS nib BLUES FOR 2024". Blues Rugby. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Former Black Ferns sevens star Williams-Guthrie to join Blues". 1 News. 20 November 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  21. ^ "Player Profile Niall Williams". sportstg.com. Archived from the original on 20 April 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  22. ^ a b "Niall Williams | allblacks.com". All Blacks. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 17 February 2017.
  23. ^ Strang, Ben (26 November 2015). "SBW's sister Niall Williams is New Zealand's newest rugby sevens player". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  24. ^ Early hints of Sonny Bill's charisma Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine, by Steve Deane, nzherald.co.nz, dated 16 March 2013.
  25. ^ "Mr & Mrs Guthrie". Facebook. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
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