| Born | Gareth James Cooper (1979-05-07)May 7, 1979 (age 46) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 13 st 3 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Pencoed Comprehensive School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | UWIC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Gareth Cooper (born 7 May 1979 inBridgend) is a formerWales internationalrugby union player who played in thescrum-half position.
Cooper started playing rugby withPencoed before moving to Bath in the West Country.
Cooper made his international debut in 2001 against Italy, when many were claiming him to be the successor toRob Howley. He toured to Japan in later that year. After Howley's retirement in 2002 he was given his first run in the side in 2003, becoming first choice for the2003 Rugby World Cup.
He returned to play in Wales after that tournament with theCeltic Warriors, but he found himself scrapping with theScarletsDwayne Peel for the scrum-half jersey during the 2004 Six Nations.
He joined theNewport Gwent Dragons in 2004 when theCeltic Warriors were disbanded, but his form went downhill and Peel secured the scrum-half shirt with some stunning performances during Wales' Grand Slam in the2005 Six Nations. Despite playing mostly on the bench for Wales he was selected for theBritish & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand, but with three other scrum halves on the tour he struggled to get game time as he was last in the pecking order behind Peel,Matt Dawson andChris Cusiter.
With the emergence ofMike Phillips he struggled to fight for his way into the Wales team as he became a distant third choice. He moved toGloucester in 2007.
He made the Wales squad for the2007 Rugby World Cup but still as third-choice scrum-half and he played just one match as substitute against Japan.
He got another chance for Wales on a tour to South Africa in 2008 when Phillips and Peel both were injured. He impressed in two matches against South Africa and kept his place ahead of Peel and the still injured Phillips for the Autumn internationals that year, including a 21–18 win over Australia.
He was injured during the2009 Six Nations but returned to the Wales side for the summer tour to North America. The tour did not go well and he was replaced at half-time by Peel against Canada.
He left Gloucester in 2009 after losing his place toRory Lawson and moved to theCardiff Blues to replaceJason Spice. He played again for Wales in the2010 Six Nations againstEngland andScotland but was replaced byRichie Rees for the remainder of the tournament.
Cardiff Blues announced on 3 November 2010 that he would be leaving the club, due to a long-standing groin injury.[1]