Toulon
Toulon
Location within Provence-A.-C.d'A. region  Toulon
Administration
Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department	Var
Arrondissement	Toulon
Intercommunality	Toulon Provence Méditerranée
Mayor	Hubert Falco (2008–2014)
Statistics
Elevation	0–589 m (0–1,932 ft) (avg. 1 m or 3.3 ft)
Land area1	42.84 km2 (16.54 sq mi)
Population2	170,041  (2006)
- Density	3,969 /km2 (10,280 /sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	83137/ 83000
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Coordinates: 43°08′N 5°55′E / 43.13°N 5.92°E / 43.13; 5.92

Toulon (French pronunciation: [tu.lɔ̃]; Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm), italian language: Tolone, is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence.

Toulon is an important centre for naval construction, fishing, wine making, and the manufacture of aeronautical equipment, armaments, maps, paper, tobacco, printing, shoes, and electronic equipment.

The military port of Toulon is the major naval centre on France's Mediterranean coast, home of the French Navy aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle and her battle group. The French Mediterranean Fleet is based in Toulon.

History[link]

Prehistory to the Roman Era[link]

Toulon Cathedral (11th to 18th centuries)

Archaeological excavations, such as those at the Cosquer Cave near Marseilles, show that the coast of Provence was inhabited since at least the Paleolithic era. Greek colonists came from Asia Minor in about the 7th century BC and established trading depots along the coast, including one, called Olbia, at Saint-Pierre de l'Almanarre south of Hyères, to the east of Toulon. The Ligurians settled in the area beginning in the 4th century BC.^[1]

In the 2nd century BC, the residents of Massalia (present-day Marseilles) called upon the Romans to help them pacify the region. The Romans defeated the Ligurians and began to start their own colonies along the coast. A Roman settlement was founded at the present location of Toulon, with the name Telo Martius – Telo, either for the goddess of springs or from the Latin tol, the base of the hill – and Martius, for the god of war. Telo Martius became one of the two principal Roman dye manufacturing centres, producing the purple colour used in imperial robes, made from the local sea snail called murex, and from the acorns of the oak trees. Toulon harbour became a shelter for trading ships, and the name of the town gradually changed from Telo to Tholon, Tolon, and Toulon.

Arrival of Christianity and the Counts of Provence[link]

Toulon was Christianized in the 5th century, and the first cathedral built. Honoratus and Gratianus of Toulon (Gratien), according to the Gallia Christiana, were the first bishops of Toulon, but Louis Duchesne gives Augustalis as the first historical bishop. He assisted at councils in 441 and 442 and signed in 449 and 450 the letters addressed to Pope Leo I from the province of Arles.

A Saint Cyprian, disciple and biographer of St. Cæsarius of Arles, is also mentioned as a Bishop of Toulon. His episcopate, begun in 524, had not come to an end in 541; he converted to Catholicism two Visigothic chiefs, Mandrier and Flavian, who became anchorites and martyrs on the peninsula of Mandrier.^[2] In 1095, a new cathedral was built in the city by Gilbert, Count of Provence. As barbarians invaded the region and Roman power crumbled, the town was frequently attacked by pirates and the Saracens.

Royal Port (15th–18th centuries)[link]

The Tour Royale (16th century)

Barbarossa's Ottoman fleet, of the Regency of Algiers, wintering in the harbour of Toulon in 1543, with the Tour Royale (bottom right).

The Toulon Opera House (1862)

In 1486 Provence became part of France. Soon afterwards, in 1494, Charles VIII of France, with the intention of making France a sea power on the Mediterranean, and to support his military campaign in Italy, began constructing a military port on the rade of Toulon. His Italian campaign failed, and 1497, the rulers of Genoa, who controlled commerce on that part of the Mediterranean, blockaded the new port.

In 1524, as part of his longtime battle against Emperor Charles V and the Holy Roman Empire, King Francis I of France completed a powerful new fort, the Tour Royale, Toulon, at the entrance of the harbour. However, a few months later the commander of the new fort sold it to the commander of an Army of the Holy Roman Empire, and Toulon surrendered.

In 1543, Francis I found a surprising new ally in his battle against the Holy Roman Empire. He invited the fleet of Ottoman Admiral Barbarossa to Toulon as part of the Franco-Ottoman alliance. The residents were forced to leave, and the Ottoman sailors occupied the town for the winter. See Ottoman occupation of Toulon.

King Louis XIV was determined to make France a major sea power. In 1660, his Minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert ordered Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban to build a new arsenal and to fortify the town. In 1707, during the War of the Spanish Succession, Toulon successfully resisted a siege by the Imperial Army led by the Duke of Savoy and Prince Eugene. However in 1720, the city was ravaged by the black plague, coming from Marseilles. Thirteen thousand people, or half the population, died.

In 1790, following the French Revolution, Toulon became the administrative centre of the département of the Var. The leaders of the city, however, were largely royalists, and they welcomed the arrival of a British fleet. At the siege of Toulon, the British were expelled by a French force whose artillery was led by a young captain, Napoleon Bonaparte. To punish Toulon for its rebellion, the town lost its status as department capital and was briefly renamed Port-la-Montagne.

19th century[link]

During the Napoleonic Wars, from 1803 until 1805 a British fleet led by Admiral Horatio Nelson blockaded Toulon.

In 1820, the statue which became known as the Venus de Milo was discovered on the Greek island of Milo and seen by a French naval officer, Emile Voutier. He persuaded the French Ambassador to Turkey to buy it, and brought it to Toulon on his ship, the Estafette. From Toulon it was taken to the Louvre.^[3]

In 1820 Toulon became the base for the conquest of France's colonies in North Africa. In 1820 a French fleet with an army departed from Toulon for the conquest of Algeria.

1849, during the brief Second French Republic, Baron Haussmann was named Prefect of the Var. During his year as prefect, he began a major reconstruction of the city, similar to what he would later do in Paris. He tore down large parts of the old fortifications and built new boulevards and squares. The new Toulon Opera House, the second-largest in France, opened in 1862.

In 1867, on the orders of Napoleon III General François Achille Bazaine arrived in Toulon without an official welcome after abandoning the Mexican military campaign and Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico.

20th century[link]

During World War II, after the Allied landings in North Africa (Operation Torch) the German Army occupied southern France (Case Anton), leading to the scuttling of the French Fleet at Toulon (27 November 1942). The city was bombed by the Allies in November of the following year, with much of the port destroyed and five hundred residents killed. Toulon was captured by the Free French Forces of General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny on 28 August 1944.

In 1974 Toulon became again the préfecture, or administrative centre, of the Var. Five years later the University of Toulon (University of the South, Toulon-Var) opened. Toulon was one of four French cities where the extreme-right Front National won the local elections in 1995. The Front National was voted out of power in 2001.

Main sights[link]

The Old Town[link]

The old town of Toulon, the historic centre located between the port, the Boulevard de Strasbourg and the Cours Lafayette, is a pedestrian area with narrow streets, small squares and many fountains. Toulon Cathedral is located here. The area is also home of the celebrated Provençal market which takes place every morning on the Cours Lafayette, which features local products. The old town had decayed in the 1980s and 1990s, but recently many of the fountains and squares have been restored, and many new shops have opened.^[4]

The Fountains of Old Toulon[link]

• 

  Fontaine du Dauphin, Place Paul Comte. The fountain, on the wall of the Bishop's residence, appears in the drawings of Toulon made for Louis XIV in 1668.

• 

  Fontaine des Trois Dauphins, Place Puget (1782)

• 

  Fontaine de l'Intendance, Place Amiral Sénès, (1821)

• 

  The Fontaine-Lavoir de Saint-Vincent, Place Saint-Vincent (1832), replaced the original fountain built in 1615. It had a fountain for drinking water and two basins, for washing clothes, one for washing and one for rinsing.

The Old Town of Toulon is known for its fountains, found in many of the small squares, each with a different character. The original system of fountains was built in the late 17th century; most were rebuilt in the eighteenth or early 19th century, and have recently been restored.^[5]

The Upper Town of Baron Haussmann[link]

Place de la liberté.

The upper town, between the Boulevard de Strasbourg and the railway station, was built in the mid 19th century under Louis Napoleon. The project was begun by Baron Haussmann, who was prefect of the Var in 1849. Improvements to the neighbourhood included the Toulon Opera, the place de la Liberté, the Grand Hôtel, the Gardens of Alexander I, the Chalucet Hospital, the palais de Justice, the train station, and the building now occupied by Galeries Lafayette, among others. Haussmann went on to use the same style on a much grander scale in the rebuilding of central Paris.^[6]

The Harbour and Arsenal[link]

View of Toulon, the Arsenal and Mount Faron from the Harbour.

Toulon harbour is one of the best natural anchorages on the Mediterranean, and one of the largest harbours in Europe. A naval arsenal and shipyard was built in 1599, and small sheltered harbour, the Veille Darse, was built in 1604–1610 to protect ships from the wind and sea. The shipyard was greatly enlarged by Cardinal Richelieu, who wished to make France into a Mediterranean naval power. Further additions were made by Jean-Baptiste Colbert and Vauban.

Le Mourillon[link]

Le Mourillon is a small seaside neighbourhood to the east of Toulon, near the entrance of the harbour. It was once a fishing village, and then became the home of many of the officers of the French fleet. Mourillon has a small fishing port, next to a 16th-century fort, Fort Saint Louis, which was reconstructed by Vauban.^[7] In the 1970s the city of Toulon built a series of sheltered sandy beaches in Mourillon, which today are very popular with the Toulonais and with naval families. The Museum of Asian Art is located in a house on the waterfront near Fort St. Louis.

Mount Faron[link]

Mount Faron (584 metres) dominates the city of Toulon. The top can be reached either by a cable car from Toulon, or by a narrow and terrifying road which ascends from the west side and descends on the east side. The road is one of the most challenging stages of the annual Paris–Nice and Tour Méditerranéen bicycle races.

At the top of Mount Faron is a memorial dedicated to the 1944 Allied landings in Provence (Operation Dragoon), and to the liberation of Toulon.

Vauban's fortifications[link]

The Porte d'Italie, built by Vauban. Napoleon departed from this gate in 1796 on his Italian campaign.

Beginning in 1678, Vauban constructed an elaborate system of fortifications around Toulon. Some parts, such as the section that once ran along the present-day Boulevard de Strasbourg, were removed in the mid-19th century, so the city could be enlarged, but other parts remain.^[8] One part that can be visited is the Port d'Italie, one of the old city gates. Napoleon Bonaparte departed on his triumphant Italian campaign from this gate in 1796.

Climate[link]

The Harbour at Sunset

Toulon has a Mediterranean climate, characterized by abundant and strong sunshine, dry summers, and rain which is rare but sometimes torrential; and by hot summers and mild winters. Because of its proximity to the sea, the temperature is relatively moderate.

The average temperature in January, the coldest month, is 9.3 °C (49 °F)., the warmest of any other city in metropolitan France. In January the maximum average temperature is 12.7 °C (55 °F). and the average minimum temperature is 5.8 °C (42 °F).

The average temperature in July, the warmest month, is 23.9 °C (75 °F)., with an average maximum of 29.1 °C (84 °F). and an average minimal temperature of 18.8 °C (66 °F).

Toulon is the city with the most annual sunshine in France; an average of 2,899 hours per year.^[9]

Average rainfall is 665 millimetres per year. The driest month is July with 6.6 mm., and the wettest is October, with 93.9 mm. It rains on less than 60 days per year (an average of 59.7 days) and the amount of precipitation is very unequal in the different seasons. In February, the month with the most rain, it rains 7.1 days, but with only 88.3 millimetres of rain, while in October there are 5.9 days of rain. July, with 1.3 days of rain, is usually the driest month, but the driest month can fall anywhere between May and September. Autumn is characterized by torrential but brief rains; in winter there is more precipitation, spread out over longer periods.

Because of the proximity to the sea, freezing temperatures are rare; an average of 2.9 days a year, and lasting frosts (when the maximum temperature remains less or equal to zero) are non-existent. Snow is also very rare (barely 1.5 days per year on average) and it is even more rare for the snow to last during the day (0.3 days a year on average).

One distinctive feature of the Toulon climate is the wind, with 115 days a year of strong winds; usually either the cold and dry Mistral or the Tramontane from the north, the wet Marin; or the Sirocco sometimes bearing reddish sand from Africa; or the wet and stormy Levant from the east. (See Winds of Provence.) The windiest month is January, with an average of 12.5 days of strong winds. The least windy month is September, with 7 days of strong winds. In winter, the Mistral can make the air feel extremely cold, even though the temperature is mild.

The climate is dry and the humidity in Toulon is usually low. The average humidity is 56 percent, with little variation throughout the year; the driest months are July and August with 50 percent, and the most humid months are November and December with 60 percent.

Source: Wikipedia article in French

Museums[link]

Toulon has a number of museums.

The Museum of the French Navy (Musée national de la marine) is located on Place Monsenergue, next on the west side of the old port, a short distance from the Hotel de Ville. The Museum was founded in 1814, during the reign of the Emperor Napoleon. It is located today behind what was formerly the monumental gate to the Arsenal of Toulon, built in 1738. The building of the museum, along with the clock tower next to it, is one of the few buildings of the port and arsenal which survived Allied bombardments during World War II. It contains displays tracing the history of Toulon as a port of the French Navy. Highlights include large 18th century ship models used to teach seamanship, models of the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle.

The Museum of Old Toulon and its Region (Musée du vieux Toulon et de sa région). The Museum was founded in 1912, and contains a collection of maps, paintings, drawings, models and other artifacts showing the history of the city.

The Museum of Asian Arts (Musée des arts asiatiques), in Mourillon. Located in a house with garden which once belonged to the son and later the grandson of author Jules Verne, the museum contains a small but interesting collection of art objects, many donated by naval officers from the time of the French colonization of Southeast Asia. It includes objects and paintings from India, China, Southeast Asia, Tibet and Japan.

The Museum of Art (Musée d'art) was created in 1888, the museum contains collections of modern and contemporary art, as well as paintings of provence from the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th century. It owns works by landscape artists of Provence from the late 19th century (Guigou, Aiguier, Courdouan, Ziem), and the Fauves of Provence (Camoin, Chabaud, Verdilhan). The contemporary collections contain works from 1960 to today representing the New Realism Movement (Arman, César, Christo, Klein, Raysse); Minimalist Art (Sol LeWitt, Donald Judd); Support Surface (Cane, Viallat côtoient Arnal, Buren, Chacallis) and an important collection of photographs by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dieuzaide, Edouard Boubat, Willy Ronis and André Kertész).^[11]

The Memorial Museum to the Landings in Provence (Mémorial du débarquement de Provence) is located on the summit of Mount Faron, this small museum, opened in 1964 by President Charles De Gaulle, commemorates the Allied landing in Provence in August 1944 with photos, weapons and models.

The Museum of Natural History of Toulon and the Var (Musée d'histoire naturelle de Toulon et du Var) was founded in 1888, has a large collection of displays about dinosaurs, birds, mammals, and minerals, mostly from the region.

The Hôtel des arts was opened in 1998, presents five exhibits a year of works by well-known contemporary artists. Featured artists have included Sean Scully, Jannis Kounellis, Claude Viallat, Per Kirkeby, and Vik Muniz.^[12]

Literary[link]

Toulon figures prominently in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. It is the location of the infamous prison, the bagne of Toulon, in which the protagonist Jean Valjean spends nineteen years in hard labour. Toulon is also the birthplace of the novel's antagonist, Javert.

One portion of the wall of the old bagne, or prison, where Jean Valjean was supposedly held still stands to the right of the entrance of the Old Harbour.^{[citation needed]}

In Anthony Powell's novel What's Become of Waring the central characters spend a long summer holiday in Toulon's old town. Powell himself stayed at the Hotel du Port et des Negociants on two occasions in the early 1930s and writes in the second volume of his memoirs The naval port, with its small inner harbour, row of cafes along the rade, was quite separate from the business quarter of the town. A paddle steamer plied several times a day between this roadstead and the agreeably unsophisticated plage of Les Sablettes.

Joseph Conrad's last novel, 'The Rover', is also set around Toulon.

The last half of Dewey Lambdin's historical fiction novel, H.M.S. Cockerel, (the sixth novel in his Alan Lewrie naval adventure series) details the Siege of Toulon from Lewrie's perspective, as he commands a commandeered French barge carrying sea mortars against Lieutenant-Colonel Bonaparte's forces.

Transport[link]

Toulon is served by the Gare de Toulon railway station, offering services to Marseille, Nice, Paris and regional destinations. The port of Toulon is the main port of departure for ferries to Corsica. The nearest airport is the regional Toulon-Hyères Airport. The A50 autoroute connects Toulon to Marseille, the A57 autoroute runs from Toulon to Le Luc, where it connects to the A8 autoroute

Points of interest[link]

• Jardin d'acclimatation du Mourillon

Gastronomy[link]

Local food highlights include:

• cuisine from the Mediterranean and from Provence
• the cade toulonnaise, a local speciality composed of chickpea flour and which is equivalent to the Socca of Nice
• the Chichi Frégi, a type of donut from Provence.
• Smash Sandwiches, a common sandwich available from street vendors throughout Toulon.

Sport[link]

The best of the city's clubs are the rugby union team RC Toulon (gained promotion to the Top 14 in 2008), the basketball team Hyères-Toulon Var Basket and the women's handball team Toulon St-Cyr Var Handball, all playing in the top division of their respective sports.

The city hosts the final four of the annual Toulon Tournament – an international under 21 football tournament.

The top soccer club is the Sporting Toulon Var, currently playing at the fourth level of French Football (Championnat de France Amateurs). Famous players such as Delio Onnis, Jean Tigana, Christian Dalger, David Ginola or Sébastien Squillaci have played for Sporting.

Notable residents[link]

Toulon was the birthplace of:

• Jean Joseph Marie Amiot, Jesuit
• Laurent Emmanuelli, rugby union prop, returning to play for RC Toulon in 2009–10
• Capucine, actress
• Bastien Salabanzi, professional skateboarder
• Félix Mayol, singer and entertainer, and namesake of RC Toulon's stadium
• Raimu, actor
• Gilbert Bécaud, singer
• Mireille Darc, actress
• Kaba Diawara, footballer
• Sébastien Squillaci, French International footballer
• Jean Blondel, political scientist
• LiLi Roquelin, singer-songwriter
• Emmanuel Bertin, inventor of kite surfing
• Lucio Costa, architect and urban planner
• Robert Busnel, basketball player
• Matar Fall, footballer
• Anne Golon, author, has written a series of novels about a heroine Angelique
• Josua Guilavogui, footballer
• Guy du Merle, aeronautical engineer, test pilot and writer
• Loïc Jean-Albert, expert parachuter
• Maryse Joissains-Masini, mayor of Aix-en-Provence
• Jacques Le Goff, historian
• Sabine Paturel, singer and actress
• Gabriel Péri, journalist and politician
• Brigitte Roüan, film director and actress
• Cyril Saulnier, tennis player
• Didier Tarquin, cartoonist and scenarist
• Joëlle Wintrebert, writer

International relations[link]

Twin towns – sister cities[link]

Toulon is twinned with:

• Herzliya, Israel
• La Spezia, Italy, since 1958
• Mannheim, Germany, since 1958
• Norfolk, US, since 1988
• Kronstadt, Russia, since 1996
• Khemisset, Morocco, since 2005
• Marikina, Philippines, since 2008

See also[link]

• Communes of the Var department

References[link]

• INSEE

Bibliography[link]

• Michel Vergé-Franceschi, Toulon – Port Royal (1481–1789). Tallandier: Paris, 2002.
• Aldo Bastié, Histoire de la Provence, Editions Ouest-France, 2001.
• Cyrille Roumagnac, L'Arsenal de Toulon et la Royale, Editions Alan Sutton, 2001
• Jean-Pierre Thiollet, Le Chevallier à découvert, Paris, Laurens, 1998
• Maurice Arreckx, Vivre sa ville, Paris, La Table ronde, 1982 ; Toulon, ma passion, 1985

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Toulon (category)

• Official website
• The Tourism Office of Toulon web site

v t e Communes of the Var department Les Adrets-de-l'Estérel Aiguines Ampus Les Arcs Artignosc-sur-Verdon Artigues Aups Bagnols-en-Forêt Bandol Bargème Bargemon Barjols La Bastide Baudinard-sur-Verdon Bauduen Le Beausset Belgentier Besse-sur-Issole Bormes-les-Mimosas Le Bourguet Bras Brenon Brignoles Brue-Auriac Cabasse La Cadière-d'Azur Callas Callian Camps-la-Source Le Cannet-des-Maures Carcès Carnoules Carqueiranne Le Castellet Cavalaire-sur-Mer La Celle Châteaudouble Châteauvert Châteauvieux Claviers Cogolin Collobrières Comps-sur-Artuby Correns Cotignac La Crau La Croix-Valmer Cuers Draguignan Entrecasteaux Esparron Évenos La Farlède Fayence Figanières Flassans-sur-Issole Flayosc Forcalqueiret Fox-Amphoux Fréjus La Garde La Garde-Freinet Garéoult Gassin Ginasservis Gonfaron Grimaud Hyères Le Lavandou La Londe-les-Maures Lorgues Le Luc La Martre Les Mayons Mazaugues Méounes-lès-Montrieux Moissac-Bellevue La Môle Mons Montauroux Montferrat Montfort-sur-Argens Montmeyan La Motte Le Muy Nans-les-Pins Néoules Ollières Ollioules Pierrefeu-du-Var Pignans Plan-d'Aups-Sainte-Baume Le Plan-de-la-Tour Pontevès Pourcieux Pourrières Le Pradet Puget-sur-Argens Puget-Ville Ramatuelle Rayol-Canadel-sur-Mer Régusse Le Revest-les-Eaux Rians Riboux Rocbaron Roquebrune-sur-Argens La Roquebrussanne La Roque-Esclapon Rougiers Saint-Antonin-du-Var Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer Sainte-Anastasie-sur-Issole Sainte-Maxime Saint-Julien Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer Saint-Martin Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume Saint-Paul-en-Forêt Saint-Raphaël Saint-Tropez Saint-Zacharie Salernes Les Salles-sur-Verdon Sanary-sur-Mer Seillans Seillons-Source-d'Argens La Seyne-sur-Mer Signes Sillans-la-Cascade Six-Fours-les-Plages Solliès-Pont Solliès-Toucas Solliès-Ville Tanneron Taradeau Tavernes Le Thoronet Toulon Tourrettes Tourtour Tourves Trans-en-Provence Trigance Le Val La Valette-du-Var Varages La Verdière Vérignon Vidauban Villecroze Vinon-sur-Verdon Vins-sur-Caramy

Sonny Bill Williams

Williams training for the All Blacks in 2010
Full name	Sonny William Williams[1]
Date of birth	(1985-08-03) 3 August 1985 (age 26)
Place of birth	Auckland, New Zealand
Height	1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)[2][3]
Weight	108 kg (238 lb; 17 st 0 lb)[4]
School	Mount Albert Grammar School
Occupation(s)	Rugby union player, heavyweight boxer, former rugby league player
Rugby league career
Position	Second-row, Lock, Centre
Professional clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2004-2008	Bulldogs	73	124
National teams
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2004-2008	New Zealand	7	8
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Centre, Wing
New Zealand No.	1108
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2008-2010	Toulon	33	30
Provincial/State sides
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2010	Canterbury	6	20
Super Rugby
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2011 2012-	Crusaders Chiefs	15 12	25 10
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2010-	New Zealand	14	20
correct as of 11 April 2012.

Sonny William 'Sonny Bill' Williams (born 3 August 1985) is a New Zealand rugby union player, heavyweight boxer and former rugby league player. He is only the second person to represent New Zealand in rugby union after first playing for the country in rugby league. In rugby union he usually plays as a centre. He is particularly known in rugby league and rugby union for his ability to offload the ball in the tackle and, in rugby league, for his shoulder charges.^[5][6][7]

He started his professional rugby league career with the Canterbury Bulldogs in the Australian NRL. In 2008 he controversially left the Bulldogs mid-season to play rugby union with French club Toulon. In 2010 Williams signed with the New Zealand Rugby Union in an ultimately successful bid to play for the All Blacks at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He played for Canterbury in the 2010 ITM Cup before being selected for the All Blacks' end of year tour in 2010, making his debut against England at Twickenham. He played for the Crusaders in the 2011 season of Super Rugby and plays for the Chiefs in the 2012 Super Rugby season. He was a member of the All Blacks squad that won the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Since 2009 he has boxed five times, winning all five of his heavyweight bouts. He is the current New Zealand Professional Boxing Association (NZPBA) Heavyweight Champion.

Early life[link]

Williams was born on 3 August 1985, in Auckland, New Zealand, the son of John and Lee.^[8] He is of Samoan descent on his father's side.^[9] He grew up in the Auckland suburb of Mount Albert and attended Owairaka Primary School,^[10] Wesley Intermediate and Mount Albert Grammar School. Though his father was an accomplished rugby league player, Williams has said it was his mother who introduced him to the game.^[8]

Career[link]

Rugby league[link]

Williams was a Marist Saints junior^[11] when he was spotted playing in Auckland by Bulldogs talent scout John Ackland. In 2002 he was offered a contract and moved to Sydney (as the youngest player to ever sign with the Bulldogs)^[12] to play in the Bulldogs junior grades.^[13] He advanced up the ranks quickly, becoming a starting player in the forward pack for the Bulldogs Jersey Flegg Cup side in his first year. The following year Williams cemented a starting spot in the Premier League side. In 2004, when only 18 years old, he made his National Rugby League debut against the Parramatta Eels at Telstra Stadium. In 2004, he was selected by New Zealand after only a handful of NRL matches and on 23 April made his debut for the Kiwis as their youngest-ever Test player in the 2004 ANZAC Test against Australia.^[12] Williams played 15 NRL premiership matches during the season, firmly establishing himself in the Bulldogs squad. He also experienced Premiership success in his rookie year and became the youngest person to play for the Bulldogs in a Grand Final^[12] when playing off the bench in the Bulldogs' 16–13 victory over the Sydney Roosters in the 2004 NRL grand final. Williams capped off a successful début season by receiving the International Newcomer of the Year Award and being named in Rugby League World magazine's 2004 World XIII.^[14]

Williams' contract was due to expire in 2005 and he reportedly received several lucrative offers to attempt to lure him away from the Bulldogs, with the largest rumoured to be about $3 million from Super League club St Helens in the UK.^[15] Williams decided to stay with the Bulldogs and signed on for a further two years. St Helens chairman Eamonn McManus later said the club had not made an offer to him.^[16]

Williams playing for the Canterbury Bulldogs.

Williams had a shortened 2005 season after sustaining a severe knee injury plus several other minor injuries. Williams only played five games through the year and he subsequently missed several internationals for New Zealand. Williams publicly expressed his frustration, stating "You've got to be pretty strong mentally when you have injuries, and I've had a few."^[17] Williams would later dismiss claims he was injury prone as "bullshit".^[18]

Williams stayed relatively injury-free throughout the 2006 season, playing in 21 matches. He scored 8 tries and just missed out on a Grand Final berth, losing to eventual winners the Brisbane Broncos in the Preliminary Final. Despite having been mostly injury free throughout the year, off-season surgery forced him to miss the Tri-Nations for the Kiwis for the second year running. At the start of the 2007 NRL season, Williams' contract status was a frequent news item in the Australian print media. The speculation ended when Williams re-signed with the Bulldogs on 9 March 2007, with a 5 year contract believed to be worth over $2.5 million, that would have seen him stay with the club through to the 2012 season.^[19]

In the first game of the 2007 season, Williams was sent off and subsequently suspended for two weeks for a high tackle on Andrew Johns. In doing so, he became the first player of the 21st century to be sent off in a first-round game.^[20] He went on to play in 21 matches and score 14 tries during the season, although it did not end well as Williams broke his forearm in a tackle on Nathan Hindmarsh during the Semi Final against the Parramatta Eels. His team lost the match and Williams was again ruled out from representing his country in the post-season 2007 Great Britain Tour. He was nominated for 'Second-Rower of the Year' at the 2007 Dally M Awards but lost the award to Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles second-rower Anthony Watmough.

Rugby union[link]

In July 2008 Williams left Australia to join French rugby union club Toulon,^[21][22] citing salary cap concerns in a controversial exit.^[21] In 2005 it had been suggested that the NRL's salary cap restrictions could prove problematic for trying to keep top-grade players in rugby league.^[23] Canterbury Bulldogs club officials and players were not notified of his departure until after Williams had already left for Europe. Williams was 18 months into a five year contract with the Bulldogs, which was resolved when Toulon paid a transfer fee of around £300,000.^[24][25] According to Bulldogs CEO Todd Greenberg, Williams was "our best player" before he "walked out".^[26]

Williams' highest honour with Toulon was finishing runners-up in the 2009-10 European Challenge Cup. On 6 June 2009 he played for the Barbarians in a tour match against Australia.^[27] His contract with Toulon ended in June 2010, and in 2010 Toulon reportedly tabled a three-year offer to Williams worth $6 million, while the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) could only come up with $550,000 per year. Williams rejected what was reportedly the largest ever offer in rugby union and opted to sign with the NZRU in a bid to play for the All Blacks.^[28] He chose to play with Canterbury in the ITM Cup, and the Crusaders in the Super Rugby competition.^[29]

Williams' Canterbury debut was against Bay of Plenty on 3 September 2010. He was named in the reserves, and 18 minutes into the game replaced second five-eight Ryan Crotty. Williams scored his first try in the ITM Cup against Taranaki, and followed up with tries against Wellington, Otago, and Counties Manukau. On 5 November, Canterbury were crowned ITM Cup Champions after defeating Waikato 33-13. On 17 October 2010 he was named in the All Black squad to tour Hong Kong and the Northern Hemisphere.^[30]

He made his highly anticipated New Zealand debut at Twickenham against England on 6 November. He started at outside centre and combined with Ma'a Nonu to form the heaviest ever All Black midfield partnership at 212 kg.^[31][32] In doing so, he became the first person since Karl Ifwersen in the 1920s to represent New Zealand in rugby union after first playing for New Zealand in rugby league.^[33] On 13 November 2010, in his second game for the All Blacks, Williams was awarded the man of the match for his performance against Scotland.^[34][35]

2011[link]

On 4 March 2011 Williams made his Super Rugby debut for the Crusaders against the Waratahs, scoring a try and setting up another.^[36] A week later he scored his second try in as many matches, against the ACT Brumbies.^[37] On 27 March he returned to Twickenham to play in his fourth match for the Crusaders against the Sharks, in the first Super Rugby match played outside of New Zealand, Australia or South Africa.^[38] On 9 April, in his fifth game for the Crusaders, Williams scored his 3rd try.^[39] On 23 April Williams, playing off the reserves bench against the Highlanders, experienced his first rugby defeat since his All Black debut more than five months earlier.^[40] A week later he scored his fourth try while playing against the Western Force.^[41] On 7 May Williams played his first rugby match in South Africa in the Crusaders victory over the Stormers at Newlands Stadium.^[42] On 29 May he played against the Queensland Reds in a match which set a new attendance record for an Australian Super Rugby game with 48,301 fans at Suncorp Stadium.^[43] On 25 June he scored his fifth try whilst playing against the Sharks in the first finals week of the Super Rugby competition.^[44] A week later against the Stormers in Cape Town he was part of the Crusaders team that became the first side to win a Super Rugby semifinal outside their home country since 1999.^[45] On 9 July Williams was part of the Crusaders team that lost to the Queensland Reds in the Grand Final held at Suncorp Stadium before a crowd of 52,113 – an Australian provincial attendance record.^[46] He ended the Super Rugby season with the most off-loads, was second to Quade Cooper for linebreak assists, was in the top ten for try assists, and was 13th overall for run metres; while no other centre came close to Williams's off-load and linebreak assist figures.^[47][48]

On 30 July Williams played his first home test match during the second game of the 2011 Tri Nations Series.^[49] On 9 September he played in his first Rugby World Cup in the opening match of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.^[50] A week later he scored his first test rugby tries during New Zealand’s second game, in which he played on the right wing. The match was also the first time he had played outside the centres since playing for Toulon, where he had a handful of games on the wing and in the back row.^[51][52] He scored his third try of the tournament against France in his second consecutive game playing on the wing.^[53] On 2 October Williams scored in a third consecutive match, whilst playing against Canada.^[54] New Zealand went on to win the 2011 Rugby World Cup, with Williams amassing a record of any Rugby World Cup of three tries as a substitute player.^[55]

On 31 October it was announced that Williams will join the Chiefs for the 2012 Super Rugby season- with his new contract allowing a "limited number" of professional boxing bouts.^[56]

2012[link]

On 25 February Williams made his Super Rugby debut for the Chiefs against the Highlanders and in early March was named as the NZRU's Teen Rugby Ambassador.^[57] On 14 April Williams scored his first try for the Chiefs while playing against the Cheetahs.^[58] On 13 May Williams scored his second try, in the Chiefs first loss after their club record of nine consecutive wins.^[59][60]

Boxing[link]

Statistics
Rated at	Heavyweight
Nationality	New Zealand
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	5
Wins	5
Wins by KO	3

On 27 May 2009, Williams made his debut as a professional boxer and defeated Garry Gurr with a Technical knockout (TKO) in the second round in Sydney.^[61] On 30 June 2010, he defeated Ryan Hogan in a bout that ended by way of TKO after only two minutes and 35 seconds. Williams described the preparation for the fight as "good off-season training" for his imminent debut for the Canterbury rugby team.^[62]

Williams fought in his third professional match against Australian Scott Lewis (on 29 January 2011 at the Gold Coast Convention Centre) in his first fight as the main event.^[63] Lewis' trainer Terry Devlin named his youngest son after Sonny Bill Williams, whom he calls a "superb athlete".^[64] Williams was initially scheduled to fight Lewis on 29 January at Newcastle Entertainment Centre. However, the bout was moved to the Gold Coast to cross-promote Williams's Super rugby team, the Crusaders, and their pre-season game against the Queensland Reds.^[65] Due to the 2010–2011 Queensland floods occurring at the same time as Williams's preparation for his bout against Scott Lewis, as well as his chief sparring partner Alex Leapai being stranded by the flooding in Gatton, Williams donated 200 tickets to his 29 January fight to flood victims.^[66] Williams won the six-round bout against Lewis by unanimous points decision. He was scored favourably 60-55, 60-55 and 60-54 by the three judges. A fan paid $3,890 for his autographed gloves from the bout, with the money going towards the Queensland flood relief fund.^[67]

Williams fought again on 5 June, when the Crusaders had a bye week. The fight, the second of three allowed under his agreement with the NZRU, took place at Trusts Stadium, Waitakere City against Tongan Alipate Liava'a.^[68] Williams won the bout by unanimous points decision, the fight scored 60-54 in his favour by all three judges.^[69] It was promoted as a Christchurch earthquake charity fight dubbed "The Clash For Canterbury".^[70] The fight became one of the single largest fundraisers for the 2011 Christchurch earthquake appeal when Sky donated its profits from the pay-per-view sales of the fight and Williams made a $NZ100,000 donation from his share of TV sales- described as "one of the biggest individual donations by an athlete to a disaster appeal".^[71][72][73]

On 8 February 2012 Williams was supposed to fight Richard Tutaki for the vacant New Zealand Professional Boxing Association (NZPBA) Heavyweight Championship title at Claudelands Arena in Hamilton, after Shane Cameron vacated it to move down to the cruiserweight division.^[74][75] However, it was revealed that Tutaki was facing serious criminal charges and so was subsequently dropped from the fight card.^[76] Williams's replacement opponent was then announced to be Auckland-based American Clarence Tillman III.^[77][78] The fight was dubbed the "Battle For The Belt".^[79] Williams went on to claim the title belt by Technical Knockout after a left hook and a series of further blows on Tillman forced referee Lance Revill to stop the fight in the first-round.^[80] Following the bout, Williams rejected an offer to join the boxing stable of fight promoter Don King.^[81]

Personal life[link]

Williams converted to Islam in 2008, and is the first Muslim to play for the All Blacks.^[82]

His younger sister Niall Williams is a New Zealand international touch football player, and won gold at the 2005 Youth World Cup and silver at the 2011 Touch Football World Cup.^[83][84][85] He is the cousin of brothers Henry and Marcus Perenara, who are former professional rugby league players,^[86] and is also the cousin of rugby union player and Chiefs teammate Tim Nanai-Williams.^[87]

Williams was in Christchurch when both the 2010 and 2011 Canterbury earthquakes struck.^[88]

Controversies[link]

Williams has been involved in a number of controversial off-field incidents. The circumstances in which he left the Bulldogs created a great media debate in Australia and New Zealand and Williams was the subject of considerable criticism.

On 17 August 2005 he was charged with drink driving; the Bulldogs fined him $5,000 over the incident and he appeared in Waverley Local Court on 7 September. He was convicted of drink driving, with a blood alcohol level of .075.^[89]

In 2007, Williams was caught in a compromising position with Australian model and ironwoman Candice Falzon. A photo taken on a mobile phone of the incident was published on the Daily Telegraph website.^[90] He later apologised to his then girlfriend Genna Shaw over the incident^[91] and said he was "ashamed and embarrassed".^[92]

On 17 June 2007, Williams was caught by police urinating on a wall in an alleyway near a nightclub in Cronulla in Sydney and was given an infringement notice and fined $650.^[93] He subsequently admitted he had an alcohol problem and said he would seek professional help.^[94][95]

On 25 August 2010, Williams was reprimanded by his Canterbury provincial rugby team for skiing while on injury leave. A Canterbury Rugby Union spokesman confirmed he had not been given clearance to go on a skiing trip on the day of Canterbury’s NPC match against Tasman, and said he had been "reminded of his responsibilities."^[96]

Statistics[link]

NRL[link]