James Pritchard (rugby union)

James Pritchard

Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	85 kg (187 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback, Center, Wing Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1999 - 2006 2004 Randwick Rugby Australian Barbarians () Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2001 - 2003 2004 - 2005 2005 2006 2006 - Bedford Blues Plymouth Albion Perpignan Northampton Saints Bedford Blues () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2003 - Canada 19 (187) Correct as of November 9, 2007

James Pritchard (born 21 July 1979 in Parkes, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian - Canadian rugby union player, who currently plays his club rugby in the UK for the Bedford Blues, and internationally for Canada. He plays as a fullback.

Pritchard started in rugby league at the age of 13 and eventually went on to play for the Australian side the Parramatta Eels in the under-19 age division when he left school, before converting to rugby union and joining the Randwick District Rugby Union Club and winning the Citibank/Mastercard Cup with them in 2000. In his first year of First grade with the club he also picked up the Ron Don Trophy for Most Improved as well as being runner-up in the Sydney Morning Herald Rookie of The Year Awards. He also finished the top pointscorer in the competition with 183 points from just 10 games.

He then made the move to the UK in 2001 to pursue a rugby career with the Bedford Blues in Englands National Division One competition. In his second year with the club he set a new National Division One record with 374 points and also picked up the club's Player Of The Year honours.

With a grandfather from Ruthilda, Saskatchewan, Pritchard came to Canada to play for the Rugby Canada Super League side Prairie Fire in 2003, to pursue a Rugby World Cup place with Canada. Pritchard made his debut a few months later for Canada in a match against the New Zealand Māori rugby union team, and later that year was selected for the 2003 World Cup, where he scored conversions against Wales and Tonga.

Recalled for Canada in 2006, Pritchard set a new Canadian scoring record of 29 points in the game against Barbados. He then surpassed that against the USA, in Canada’s RWC qualifying game in Newfoundland in August 2006, with 36 points from three tries, three penalties and six conversions.

Pritchard was also selected for the Canadian squad for the 2007 World Cup, and was Canada's main kicker for the tournament, in which he played in all four of Canada's pool games against Wales, Fiji, Japan and Australia.

References

• scrum.com stats
• rugbycanada profile

External links

• James Pritchard at Rugby For The Girls.com