View source for Shane Howarth

{{Short description|NZ & Wales international rugby union & league player}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name               = Shane Howarth
| image              =
| caption            = 
| birth_name         = Shane Paul Howarth
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1968|07|08|df=yes}} 
| birth_place        = [[Auckland]], New Zealand
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = 
| relatives          = [[Calvin Howarth]], brother
| height             = {{height|m=1.72}}
| weight             = {{convert|82|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
| ru_position        = [[Fullback (rugby union)|Fullback]]
| repyears1          = 1994      | repteam1        = {{nrut|New Zealand}}
| repcaps1           = 4         | reppoints1      = 54
| repyears2          = 1998–2000 | repteam2        = {{nrut|Wales}}
| repcaps2           = 19        | reppoints2      = 23
| ru_ntupdate        = 2008-05-26
| years1             = 1997-1999 | clubs1          = [[Sale Sharks|Sale]]
| years2             = 1999–2003 | clubs2          = [[Newport RFC|Newport]]
| apps2              = 108       | points2         = 1035
| ru_clubupdate      = 
| provinceyears1     = 1990–1995 | province1       = [[Auckland Rugby Football Union|Auckland]]
| provinceapps1      = 62        | provincepoints1 = 
| ru_provinceupdate  = 2008-05-26
| coachyears1        = 2006      | coachteams1     = [[Pacific Islanders rugby union team|Pacific Islanders]] (assistant)
| coachyears2        = 2004–2010 | coachteams2     = [[Auckland Rugby Football Union|Auckland]] (assistant)
| coachyears3        = 2013      | coachteams3     = [[Worcester Warriors]] (backs coach)
| ru_coachupdate     = 2008-05-26
| module       = {{infobox rugby league biography | embed = yes
| position     = {{rlp|FB}}
| year1start   = 1996
| club1        = {{nowrap|[[North Queensland Cowboys]]}}
| appearances1 = 12
| points1      = 49
| yearAstart   = 
| teamA        = [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]]
| appearancesA = 
| pointsA      = 
}}
}}

'''Shane Paul Howarth''' (born 8 July 1968) is a former international [[rugby union]] player who gained four caps and scored 54 points for the [[All Blacks]] before later switching allegiance to [[Wales national rugby union team|Wales]], attaining 19 Welsh caps.

An outside-half or full-back, he was a prolific [[Goal (sports)#Rugby football|goal-kicker]] and a fast elusive runner. He scored 23 points for Wales including a try in the 32–31 victory over England in 1999 played at [[Wembley Stadium (1924)|Wembley]] as the [[Millennium Stadium]] was under construction in [[Cardiff]].

==Background==
Howarth was born in [[Auckland]], New Zealand. He was educated at [[St Peter's College, Auckland]].

==Rugby career==
He played for the [[Marist Brothers Old Boys RFC|Auckland Marist]] club and [[Auckland Rugby Football Union|Auckland]]. He made his All Black debut against [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]] in 1994 and played in three tests in the series.

In 1996 he switched to [[rugby league]], signing with the [[North Queensland Cowboys]] in the [[Australian Rugby League]] competition. He played 12 games for the club and scored 49 points, including three field goals.<ref>[http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-17283857.html Howarth likely to stay with Cowboys]{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} '''Sunday Star-Times''', 13 October 1996</ref> However he was not re-signed by the club and instead returned to rugby union, playing three games for the [[Blues (Super Rugby)|Auckland Blues]] during the 1997 Super 12 season.

He moved to England to play for [[Sale Sharks|Sale]] at outside-half. There was then a tug-of-war between various nations for him to play for them, but he chose Wales, after being offered the chance to play for Newport. Howarth moved to [[Newport RFC]] in 1999 and played for the club until 2003, scoring 1,035 points and helping the Black & Ambers win the WRU Principality Cup.

== Grannygate scandal==
{{see also|Grannygate}}
During the [[2000 Six Nations Championship]], ''[[The Sunday Telegraph]]'' revealed that Howarth (along with fellow player [[Brett Sinkinson]]) was ineligible to represent Wales.<ref>{{cite news |title= Web of deceit |work=The Sunday Telegraph |date=19 March 2020 |issue=2023 |page=S1 (Sport) |first=Owen |last=Slot}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Rees |first1=Paul |title=Henry the scapegoat for pushing an open door |url=https://www.theguardian.com/6nations/article/0,,184746,00.html |access-date=4 April 2023 |agency=The Guardian |date=20 March 2000}}</ref> Howarth had claimed Welsh eligibility through a Welsh-born grandfather. However, following the revelations in March 2000, Howarth was unable to provide the documents to prove his eligibility and was subsequently not considered for selection in that season's remaining matches.

Howarth continued to play rugby for [[Newport RFC]] and in 2001 announced he intended to qualify for Wales under residency laws (which would have made him eligible again on 14 May 2002). However, by this time the IRB had changed the rules so that players could only represent one country and Howarth was considered a New Zealand player only.<ref>{{cite news |title=Howarth sets his sights on Wales return |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/howarth-sets-sights-wales-return-1968627 |access-date=4 April 2023 |agency=Wales Online |date=21 December 2001}}</ref> During a 2022 interview with [[Sky Sport (New Zealand)|Sky Sport New Zealand]], Howarth reiterated his belief that he was Welsh qualified, noting that he chose to represent Wales over my lucrative offers: "I can tell you now if I went to England, financially I'd have been better off. I believed I was Welsh, I still believe I'm Welsh and I was proud to put the jersey on."<ref>{{cite web |author1=Sky Sports New Zealand |title=Jersey Tales Shane Howarth |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U19bhqd18lc&list=TLPQMDMwNDIwMjPYHcl3216MjQ&index=2 |website=Youtube |access-date=4 April 2023 |date=9 April 2022}}</ref>

== Coaching==
Howarth commenced a coaching in Auckland. He was assistant coach of the Pacific Islanders, New Zealand in 2004 and 2005. Howarth was assistant coach for the Auckland NPC team from 2006 until 2010 under Pat Lam. Auckland claimed four championships in 10 years. Howarth's tenure was ended after Auckland slumped to seventh in 2010.

In June 2012 he was appointed as backs coach to [[Wasps RFC|London Wasps]]. From September 2013 until late 2014, Howarth was backs coach for the [[Worcester Warriors]].<ref name="Worcester">{{cite web |date=27 January 2015 |title=Former All Black Howarth leaves Worcester |url=http://www.allblacks.com/News/26594/former-all-black-howarth-leaves-worcester |access-date=23 February 2015 }}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{sports links}}
* {{All Blacks|new_id=Shane-Howarth-AB-939|old_id=404}}
* [http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/Shane_Howarth.html Shane Howarth at the Rugby League Project]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=995 Sporting heroes – New Zealand]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=559 Sporting Heroes – Wales]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110617030640/http://www.blackandambers.co.uk/Personnel.aspx?pr=106712 Newport RFC profile]

{{Wales Squad 1999 World Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howarth, Shane}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1999 Rugby World Cup players]]
[[Category:20th-century New Zealand sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century New Zealand sportsmen]]
[[Category:Auckland rugby union players]]
[[Category:Blues (Super Rugby) players]]
[[Category:New Zealand expatriate sportspeople in Wales]]
[[Category:New Zealand international rugby union players]]
[[Category:New Zealand national rugby league team players]]
[[Category:New Zealand people of Welsh descent]]
[[Category:New Zealand rugby league players]]
[[Category:New Zealand rugby union coaches]]
[[Category:New Zealand rugby union players]]
[[Category:Newport RFC players]]
[[Category:North Queensland Cowboys players]]
[[Category:People educated at St Peter's College, Auckland]]
[[Category:Rugby league fullbacks]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Auckland]]
[[Category:Rugby union controversies]]
[[Category:Rugby union fullbacks]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Auckland]]
[[Category:Sale Sharks players]]
[[Category:Sports scandals in Wales]]
[[Category:Wales international rugby union players]]
[[Category:Welsh rugby union players]]