Sonny William Williams was born on the 3rd August 1985 in Auckland, New Zealand of Australian, British and Samoan descent, and best recognized for being an international professional rugby player in both league and union codes, in the National Rugby League (NRL) and Super Rugby respectively; he currently plays for the (Auckland) Blues rugby union team. He is also known as a professional boxer, who competes in the heavyweight division. His professional rugby career has been active since 2004.
So, have you ever wondered how rich Sonny Bill Williams is, as of mid-2017? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that the total size of Sonny’s net worth is over $15 million, accumulated through his successful involvement in the sports industry not only as a professional rugby player but also as a professional heavyweight boxer. Another source is coming from his career as a global ambassador for Adidas, BMW, and other brands.
Sonny Bill Williams Net Worth $15 Million
Sonny Bill Williams was raised in a middle-class family with three siblings by his mother, Lee Woolsey, and his father, John Williams, who was a rugby league player. He went to Owairaka School, Wesley Intermediate and Mount Albert Grammar School. As a child, he was very active as a cross country runner, sprinter and champion high jumper; however, at the age of 12, he quit all of these activities in order to pursue his career as a rugby player.
Sonny’s career began when he was spotted by scout John Ackland while he was a member of the Marist Saints junior team in Auckland. In 2002, he signed a contract with an NRL’s club, to play as a junior for the Bulldogs in Sydney in the Jersey Flegg Cup. Subsequently, at the age of 19, Sonny’s professional career really began, when he made his NRL debut for the Bulldogs against the Parramatta Eels at Telstra Stadium, and this marked the beginning of an increase of his net worth. Later that year, he was chosen by New Zealand Kiwis and became their youngest player in the 2004 ANZAC Test, when he debuted against Australia. In his debut season, Sonny appeared in 15 games with the Bulldogs, and during that time he also played in the match against the Sydney Roosters, when his team won the 2004 NRL Grand Final. As he distinguished himself as a player, he won the 2004 RLIF Awards’ International Newcomer of the Year Award, and was named in the 2004 World XIII. He played for the Bulldogs until 2008, but his playing time was marred by various injuries, and suspensions due to his number of high tackles.
Sonny left the NRL and joined Frenchrugby union club Toulon, for which he played until 2010, and had the best result in the 2009-2010 season, when they finished in second place in the European Challenge Cup. When his contract expired, he was offered a new one, worth $6 million over two years; however, he rejected the offer and joined the New Zealand Rugby Union as he wanted to play for the All Blacks, playing for Canterbury in the ITM Cup, while he also played for the Crusaders in the Super Rugby competition for the next two years, and then spent a season in the Japanese Top League playing for the Panasonic Wild Knights, before he made a return to rugby league, signing a one-year deal with the Sydney Roosters. Since 2015 he has been playing again in rugby union with several teams, including the Chiefs and Blues, where he has been a member since 2017 season and has signed a three-year deal, which has only increased his net worth to a large degree.
Internationally, Sonny Bill has played 12 times for the New Zealand Rugby League team, and 33 time for the Union team – known worldwide as the All Blacks.
Apart from his career as a rugby player, Sonny is also known as a boxer, making his professional debut in a bout against Garry Gurr, defeating him by technical knockout. During his career, he had seven fights in total, all of which were victories, including over Scott Lewis at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in 2011, Francois Botha at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in 2012, and Chauncy Welliver at Allphones Arena in 2015. These also contributed to his wealth.
Regarding his personal life, Sonny Bill Williams has been married to Alana Raffie since 2013; the couple has two children. In 2008, he converted from Orthodox to Islam.
