020 8914 8966
020 8914 8966
Iestyn Harris is a rugby internationalist, known as a duel-code player having excelled in both rugby league and rugby union.
In a professional career which spanned over 20 years and 25 international caps for Wales in Rugby Union and 18 in Rugby League, Iestyn Harris established himself as the the complete rugby player in both codes.
A leader for Leeds, Warrington and Bradford, Iestyn played in over 371 league matches, amassing over 2360 points.
Where it all started:
At his first club, Warrington Wolves, he won Young Player of the Year and a full Welsh cap in 1995, followed by a Great Britain cap in 1996. He also won the coverted honour of being named World Cup Player of the tournament in 1995 for Wales.
When he transferred to Leeds Rhinos in 1997, Iestyn was appointed Club Captain for four consecutive years, 1998-2001. He also won player of the year for the same years 1998-2001. At Leeds Iestyn thrived, winning in ’98 Rugby League’s most prestigious prize, the Man of Steel Award in ’98. This was along with Superleague’s Players’ Player of the Season and Writers’ Player of the Year. He was a grand finalist in 1998 and Challenge Cup Winner in 1999, scoring the most points in a challenge cup final (20 vs London). Internationally he toured with the Great Britain Rugby League Team to Australia and New Zealand in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.
Switching codes in 2001, Iestyn broke the world record fee to cross codes with a £1 million transfer fee which took him to Cardiff Blues. His first Welsh Rugby Union Cap came in 2001. In over 4 years he gained 28 caps, winning Wales’ Player of the World Cup in 2003. He also played in 4 Six Nations tournaments for Wales, winning the Six Nations player of tournament in 2003.
The Switch:
Switching back to Rugby League and joining Bradford Bulls in 2004, Iestyn was appointed Captain and became the first ever player to switch from rugby league to rugby union and back again. In 2005, he lead Bradford to win the Grand Final and in 2006 won the World Club Championship with them.
While still playing for Bradford, Iestyn was appointed Wales Assistant Coach in June 2009. Wales were 17th in the world, and Iestyn took them to 5th in the world by 2013. Iestyn also coached Wales in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup. In 2011, he took on the Assistant Coach role at Wigan Warriors. This was before being appointed Head Coach in 2014 for Super League Club, Salford Red Devils.
Iestyn’s amazing achievements and knowledge of leading teams makes him an ideal speaker to motivate leading teams. He is also making a name for himself on the after dinner and sportsman’s dinner circuit. Iestyn has some very funny tales of the world rugby scene.
Motivating teams and being a leader on and off the pitch has given Iestyn a wealth of knowledge about how to get the best out of people.
A great personality and unique story-telling add to the individuality of Iestyn’s speaking events.
