Rhian Nokes

Rhian Nokes (born 13 February 1989) is a Welsh former footballer and rugby player. She began playing football with Cardiff City as a goalkeeper and represented the Wales women's national side. She later switched to playing rugby union.

Rhian Nokes
Personal information
Date of birth (1989-02-13) 13 February 1989
Place of birth Port Talbot, Wales
Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Cardiff City
International career
2010–2014 Wales 8 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

In 2018, she was convicted of sex offences against a minor after entering into a relationship with a child while working as a sports coach.

Early life

Nokes was born in Port Talbot, growing up in the Taibach area.[2]

Football career

Nokes played for Cardiff City as a goalkeeper.[3] She captained the side to the FAW Women's Cup in 2012 after defeating UWIC in the final.[4]

Nokes made 17 appearances for Wales at under-19 level. In August 2006 Nokes won her first cap for the senior Wales women's national football team, in a 3–0 friendly match defeat by Bulgaria at the National Sports Academy "Vasil Levski" in Sofia.[5][6] She remained part of the Wales squad at the 2013 Algarve Cup,[7] where she won her 34th cap.[8]

Rugby career

Nokes played club rugby for Maesteg Celtic and Pencoed Phoenix.[9][10]

Nokes represented the Wales women's national rugby union team, being one of six uncapped players named in the squad for the 2016 Women's Six Nations Championship.[11][9] Following her conviction in 2018, Nokes was given a lifetime ban by the Welsh Rugby Union.[12]

Personal life

In June 2018, Nokes was sentenced to seven years in prison at Swansea Crown Court after pleading guilty to counts of sexual activity with a child, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and sexual activity with a child while in a position of trust. She had been pretending to suffer from a brain tumour and was accused of using the illness and her position as a sports coach to engage in a relationship with a 15-year old girl. Nokes had been employed at a school in Neath when she met the pupil who was 13 at the time. Nokes claimed that she was suffering from a terminal brain tumour, shaved her head and faked seizures to trick people. The pupil later informed police that Nokes had "manipulated" her into a relationship.[2][12][13]

A spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service later commented "Nokes hid behind her reputation as an accomplished sportswoman and abused the position of trust ... to manipulate the victim and fulfil her own sexual gratification."[12] Nokes was placed on the sex offenders registry for life and was also issued a restraining order against contacting the victim.[2][13]

References
  1. "Rhian Nokes". ultimaterugby.com. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  2. "Ex Wales rugby player Rhian Nokes jailed over pupil sex charges". BBC News. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  3. Woolford, Anthony (4 March 2009). "Rhian Nokes is the star for Cardiff City Ladies". WalesOnline. Media Wales. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  4. "Cardiff reclaim Welsh Cup". womenssoccerscene.co.uk. 25 April 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  5. "International Teams - Rhian Nokes". Football Association of Wales. Archived from the original on 21 March 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  6. "Results - Women - A Squad". Football Association of Wales. Archived from the original on 16 March 2009. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  7. "Wales name Algarve Cup squad". Women's Soccer Scene. 26 February 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  8. "Wales to Play Scotland". Women's Soccer Scene. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
  9. "World Cup Qualification Provides Added Incentive for Wales Women". World Rugby. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  10. "Phoenix in Rampant Form". The Cowbridge Gem. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  11. "13 Ospreys Women in Wales Squad". Ospreys Rugby. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  12. Woolcock, Nicola (9 June 2018). "Rugby player Rhian Nokes tricked pupil into sex by faking tumour". The Times. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
  13. Evans, Jason (8 June 2018). "Football coach groomed and abused teenage girl who 'hero-worshipped' her in three-year relationship". WalesOnline. Media Wales. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
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