Will Genia

Sanchez William Genia (born 17 January 1988), commonly referred to as Will Genia, is an Australian rugby union player, currently playing scrum-half for the Kintetsu Liners in Japan. He had previously played Super Rugby for the Queensland Reds (2007-2015) and Melbourne Rebels (2018-2019) and for Australia (2009-2019). He also had previously played for Stade Français in France's Top 14 Comp during 2015-2017.

Will Genia
Birth nameSanchez William Genia[1][2]
Date of birth (1988-01-17) 17 January 1988
Place of birthPort Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Height174 cm (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Weight81 kg (12 st 11 lb; 179 lb)[3]
SchoolBrisbane Boys' College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Scrum-half
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2007
2014–2015
2015–2017
2019–		 Ballymore Tornadoes
Brisbane City
Stade Français
Kintetsu Liners		 6
3
21
0		 (5)
(5)
(10)
(0)
Super Rugby
Years Team Apps (Points)
2007–2015
2018–2019		 Reds
Rebels		 114
23		 (90)
(30)
Correct as of 16 June 2019
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2005
2006
2008
2009–2019		 Australia Schoolboys
Australia U19
Australia U20
Australia


110


(90)
Correct as of 1 November 2019
Genia before World Cup match against USA.

Genia made his test debut for Australia in 2009 against New Zealand, having since won 110 international caps and former New Zealand halfback Justin Marshall said he was “best in the world for his position”.[4]

Family and early life

Genia was born in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. He was introduced to rugby union (after playing rugby league growing up in PNG) when he moved to Brisbane, Australia at the age of 12 for his secondary education at Brisbane Boys' College, boarding at the school from 2000 to 2005.[2][5] Genia played rugby for the Australia 'A' Schoolboys team in 2005,[6] and was part of the Australian Under 19 rugby team that won the IRB World Championship in 2006.[7]

Genia's Papua New Guinean father, Kilroy Genia, is a former Cabinet Minister in the Papua New Guinean government. His Australian mother, Elizabeth Genia, was appointed assistant governor at the Bank of Papua New Guinea in 2011.[2] His older brother, Frankie Genia, plays international rugby union for Papua New Guinea (Pukpuks).[1][5]

Rugby union career

Genia was recruited to the Queensland Reds from the GPS club at the end of 2006 before their tour to Japan and obtained his first state cap for the Reds playing against Japan.[8][9]

2007–2010

Genia made his Super 14 debut for the Reds as a 19-year-old against the Hurricanes at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on 3 February 2007. He shared the scrum half position with starting halfback Nic Berry for most of the season, appearing in 11 of 13 matches for the Reds during the season.[10] Later in 2007, Genia played for the Ballymore Tornadoes in the Australian Rugby Championship, appearing in all 8 games played by the team for the year.[10]

In 2008, Genia added a further seven Super Rugby Caps (although only one starting) for the Reds. He was selected as the first choice scrumhalf for the Australian Under 20 team for the 2008 IRB Junior World Cup in Wales.[8]

He played in eight Super Rugby matches in 2009, half of which were starting appearances, and scored four tries during the tournament but missed Queensland's final two matches of the season due to an injured finger tendon.[8]

Genia was selected in the Wallabies squad for the 2009 Tri Nations and made his test debut against the All Blacks at Eden Park in Auckland on 18 July 2009. He came off the bench in the first four matches before getting starting berths against the Springboks in Brisbane, and against the All Blacks in Wellington.[1][8] Genia then started in all five Tests of Australia's Spring Tour of Japan and Europe, before staying on at the tour's end to help the Barbarians beat the All Blacks at Twickenham.[8]

In 2010, Genia captained the Reds, after regular captain James Horwill suffered an injury in the second match of the season. At the end of the season Genia was voted by his teammates as the 2010 players' player of the year and he won the Pilecki Medal. He was also voted the fans' player of the year, winning the People's Choice award.[3]

2011–present

Genia won the Pilecki Medal again in 2011, and was voted the Australian Super Rugby Player of the Year by Australian rugby writers.[11] He became the 78th Test captain of the Wallabies when he led the side against the United States at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He was one of two Australian nominees, alongside David Pocock, for the 2011 IRB Player of the Year award.[8]

In April 2012, he signed a new three-year deal with the Reds after turning down a lucrative offer from the Force.[12] In early September Genia suffered a knee injury in Australia's win over South Africa. Genia missed eight Tests in a row and didn't expect to return to domestic action until the Reds play the Bulls in Brisbane on 23 March 2013.[13]

It was rumoured that Genia was leaving Australia after the 2015 Rugby World Cup, possibly going to the English Club Bath,[14][15] but he left Australia at the start of the 2015-16 season to play for Stade Français.

On 15 August 2017, Genia signed with the Melbourne Rebels for the 2018 and 2019 Super Rugby seasons.[16][17]

On 24 November 2018, Genia became just the 10th Wallaby and the second Wallabies halfback after George Gregan to play 100-Tests for Australia; playing against England at London's Twickenham Stadium.

On 12 July 2019, Genia announced his test rugby retirement stating that he will not play for the Wallabies after the 2019 Rugby World Cup having signed to play for Kintetsu Liners in Japan.

Super Rugby statistics
As of 16 June 2019[18]
SeasonTeamGamesStartsSubMinsTriesConsPensDropsPointsYelRed
2007 Reds10282411000500
2008 Reds7162460000000
2009 Reds84439640002000
2010 Reds13130103020101300
2011 Reds18180143340002000
2012 Reds17170136041002200
2013 Reds121209061000500
2014 Reds131309811100700
2015 Reds1616012691000500
2018 Rebels9905681000500
2019 Rebels14140101450002500
Total1371191894442421013700

Life outside rugby

Genia is an ambassador for The Kokoda Track Foundation.[19]

Honours

Reference list
  1. "Will Genia ARU profile". ARU. Archived from the original on 22 June 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  2. Robinson, Georgina (14 April 2012). "Genesis of the Genia greatness". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. Archived from the original on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  3. "Will Genia Reds profile". QRU. Archived from the original on 25 January 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  4. https://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/will-genia-would-be-only-wallabies-player-to-make-anzac-xv-at-the-moment-justin-marshall-says/news-story/dfd4f2f6458b2a9d67f9dd4349e2ef8c
  5. Mairs, Gavin (6 November 2009). "Australia scrum-half Will Genia burns with desire to beat arch-enemy England". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  6. Brave and Game (2010). "Nurseries of Australian Schoolboys' Rugby" (pdf). Australian Schools Rugby Union. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  7. Rakic, Josh (18 July 2010). "'We're not part of the old losing culture'". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  8. "Will Genia 2010 Career Timeline". ARU. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  9. "Queensland Rugby Annual Report 2006". p. 24. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  10. "Queensland Rugby Annual Report 2007". pp. 20–22. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  11. "Reds clean up at Australia's Super Rugby annual awards". ARU. 23 June 2011. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  12. "Reds, not Force for Genia". TVNZ. AAP. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
  13. Heywood, Marc (19 December 2012). "Genia ready for 'amazing' Lions" (Press release). Lions. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
  14. Bath: Post-Rugby World Cup signings already made, says owner BBC. 10 July 2014.
  15. Bath make post-World Cup signings ESPN. 10 July 2014.
  16. "REBELS SIGN WALLABIES VICE-CAPTAIN WILL GENIA". Melbourne Rebels. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  17. "Rebels move a 'simple decision' for Genia". rugby.com.au. Australian Rugby Union. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  18. "Player Statistics". It's Rugby.
  19. Ambassador: Will Genia Kokoda Track Foundation. 2012.
Preceded by
James Horwill		 Australian national rugby union captain
2011-2013		 Succeeded by
David Pocock
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