Career
His usual position is at hooker. Rees is the most capped Hooker for the Wales national team Rees previously played for Pontypridd, the now defunct Celtic Warriors, and the Scarlets.
Pontypridd
Matthew Rees was a product of the Pontypridd Under-21 Academy from the 2000-2001 season.
His nickname at Sardis Road was "Smiler". Celtic Warriors
With the regionalisation of Welsh professional club rugby, Rees joined Celtic Warriors in 2003.
The Celtic Warriors team was disbanded after its first season due to financial issues however, and Rees moved to Llanelli Scarlets, another one of the recently founded Welsh regional sides. Scarlets
Rees spent nine seasons with Scarlets, playing with the team from the 2004-2005 season until the end of the 2012-2013 campaign.
Rees made over 170 appearances for the team and captained the side on a number of occasions.
Cardiff Blues
Rees moved from Scarlets to Cardiff Blues for the 2013-2014 season and on 16 August 2013 was named as captain for the season. Rees was diagnosed with testicular cancer in October 2013 however, and was forced to take a leave of absence from the game to receive treatment. Rees made his debut for Wales against the United States of America in 2005.
In June 2009 Rees, Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones were selected as the British and Irish Lions front row for the 2nd Test against South Africa.
This was the first time an all-Welsh front row was selected for a Lions test match since Billy Williams, Bryn Meredith and Courtney Meredith on the 1955 Lions tour. On 18 January 2010 he was named in the 35 man Wales national Squad for the 2010 Six Nations tournament.
Rees was appointed captain of the Welsh side in place of the injured Ryan Jones for the test against Australia at the Millennium Stadium on 6 November 2010 and retained the captaincy for the 2011 Six Nations Championship. On 29 May 2010, Rees was voted Rhondda Sport Personality of the year.
He missed the 2011 Rugby World Cup due to a neck injury which meant that Rees would lose the Wales captaincy to Sam Warburton.
On 26 May 2013, Rees played for the Barbarians against England in a warm-up match before England"s tour of Argentina. On 14 June 2014 versus South Africa Rees surpassed the record of 58 caps held by Garin Jenkins for the most Wales caps as hooker.