James Pritchard (rugby)

James Gordon Pritchard (born 21 July 1979) is an Australian-Canadian professional rugby union and rugby league footballer, who currently plays his club rugby union for Ampthill in National League 1 following short spells with Old Albanian and Coventry (where he was player-coach).[1] Pritchard is best known for his time with Bedford Blues, where he spent 12 seasons across two spells with the club, and he is the club's record points scorer with 2,883 points in all competitions, including 99 tries.[2] He is also the RFU Championship all-time top points scorer with 2,673 points from 251 league and play-off games while playing for Bedford Blues and Plymouth Albion (a figure that includes 94 tries), as a fullback, wing or centre.[3][4] Pritchard has played internationally for Canada, with whom he appeared in four Rugby World Cups, and is his countries all-time top points scorer with 607 points.[5][6]

James Pritchard
Birth nameJames Gordon Pritchard
Date of birth (1979-07-21) 21 July 1979
Place of birthParkes, New South Wales, Australia
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight85 kg (187 lb)
SchoolRed Bend Catholic College
Rugby league career
Position(s) Fullback, Wing
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1996 - 97 Parkes Spacemen ()
Correct as of 31 May 2012
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1998 Parramatta Eels ()
Correct as of 3 January 2009
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback, Wing, Centre
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1999-2006 Randwick Rugby ()
2004 Australian Barbarians ()
2015 Barbarians (rugby) ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2001-2003 Bedford Blues 51 (630)
2004-2005 Plymouth Albion 30 (319)
2005 USA Perpignan ()
2006 Northampton Saints 2 (4)
2006-16 Bedford Blues 213 (2,253)
2016 Ampthill (loan) 4 (32)
2016 Coventry 6 (14)
2017 Old Albanian 7 (36)
2017- Ampthill 29 (202)
Correct as of 12 May 2018
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2003-2015 Canada 62 (607)
Correct as of 28 May 2017
National sevens team(s)
Years Team Comps
2008-2015 Canada

Youth and early amateur career

Pritchard was born in Parkes, New South Wales, Australia and started in rugby league football at the age of 13. He played for NRL side the Parramatta Eels in the Under-19 age division after he left school, before changing to play rugby union and joining the Randwick District Rugby Union Club in 1999 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 points scorer in the competition with 183 points in ten games.

Professional career

Bedford Blues

James Pritchard captained the Blues in its 125th Season – one of the most successful in its history when the side finished second in the Championship and made the playoffs semifinals and the final of the British and Irish Cup. He played mainly at fullback or the wing but whatever number he wore on his shirt his authority and influence on the team was clear. For him personally, 2010–11 was probably his best in a Bedford career that started when he was signed in 2001 from the Randwick club in Australia. He broke the club points scoring record with 403, the first player ever to pass 400; he passed 300 for the third time, the only one ever to do that, and he joined Andy Finnie as the only Bedford player to score 2000 points in his Bedford career. James Pritchard first broke the club's points scoring record with 386 in his second season with the club then left to pursue international honours with Canada before returning in 2006 and making an indelible mark on the history of the Blues.

James Pritchard has played more international matches as a Bedford player then anyone save 'Budge' Rodgers. By the end of the 2010–11 Championship season in England he had played 33 times for Canada – 28 of them as a Bedford player – and had scored 332 international points. And he was in such form as captain of the Blues, having just set another record, that more caps looked certain to follow. Add to that 181 appearances and the second highest career total of points in 125 years - including 65 tries - and its clear he belongs among Bedfords all-time greats. Australian born, with a Canadian grandfather and a grandmother from Northamptonshire, he was signed by Colin Jackson from the Randwick club with a reputation as a points machine – and he didn't disappoint, finishing as top point scorer in all eight seasons he played up to, and including 2011–12. In his second season, 2002–03, he broke the club record with 386, in league and cup, in just 27 games, securing the Player of the Season award on the way. His 374 in the league that season was still a record in 2011 when he regained the overall club record with 403. His early success convinced him to try to make the Canada squad for the 2003 World Cup and so he left Bedford to join the Prairie Fire in the Canadian Super League. He made his international debut in a non-cap match against the New Zealand Maori in Calgary in July 2003 and then played in 3 capped matches in a Pan-American tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina in August before making the World Cup squad and playing against Wales and Tonga in Australia.

Plymouth Albion

He joined Plymouth Albion in August 2004 and scored 319 points for them in 29 consecutive appearances. His last match for Albion was against Bedford in the 2005 Powergen Challenge Shield Final at Twickenham where he broke his collarbone in the 16th minute.

Bedford Blues

After 3 years away and with spells at Perpignan in France and Northampton Saints, James Pritchard returned to Goldington Road for the 2006–07 season and scored 303 points in that campaign, and once again picked up the Player of the Season award for the second time in his career. He was recalled to the Canadian team in 2006 setting a new record of 36 points in a match against the USA and then played in all four pool games in the 2007 World Cup in France. On 7 May 2011, Pritchard passed the 400 point mark for the 2010-11 RFU Championship season, the first time this has been achieved by a Bedford Blues player in their 125-year history. He finished the season with 403 points. The 2011–12 season was again another successful season for Pritchard, again surpassing the 200 point mark in the league, as well as captaining the side to the s of the Championship for the second year running only to be beaten by eventual winners London Welsh. For the third time in his career he was named Player of the season for the club.

International career

James Pritchard on the run against Ireland in Vancouver, BC.

With a grandfather from Ruthilda, Saskatchewan, Pritchard came to Canada to play for the Rugby Canada Super League side Prairie Fire in 2003, and to pursue a 2003 Rugby World Cup place with Canada. Pritchard made his international debut a few months later for Canada in a non cap match against the New Zealand Maori in Calgary in July 2003 and then played in 3 capped matches in a pan American tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina in August before making the World Cup squad for the 2003 Rugby World Cup, where he scored conversions against Wales and Tonga.

After a few years in the rugby wilderness, Pritchard was recalled for Canada in 2006, setting a new Canadian scoring record of 29 points in a World Cup Qualifying game against Barbados. He then surpassed that against the United States in Canada's 2007 Rugby World Cup - Americas qualification game in Newfoundland in August 2006, with 36 points from three tries, three penalties and six conversions. In that same year Pritchard was also voted Canada's Player of the Year by Canadian Rugby News.

Pritchard was also selected for the Canadian squad for the 2007 Rugby 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.

In 2011 Pritchard was once again selected for the Canadian Squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Making this his 3rd Rugby World Cup for the Canadians. He played fullback in Canada's first 3 games against Tonga, France and Japan, before being ruled out for selection against the All Blacks due to concussion he picked up in the previous game against Japan.

In 2015 Pritchard was left off of the roster for the World Cup as coach Crowley explained he had more options for kickers who also offered a more versatile fullback than Pritchard. Shortly after that James Pritchard announced his retirement from international rugby. Pritchard has set the record for most points scored for Canada. He has a total of 607 points from 18 tries, 103 conversions and 104 penalties.[6] On 28 September, Pritchard came out of retirement haven been called up to the Canadian squad replacing the injured Liam Underwood.

Rugby union season-by-season career stats

Club

Season Club Competition Appearances Tries Drop Goals Conversions Penalties Total Points
2001-02Bedford BluesNational Division 124804240244
2002-03National Division 1261204972374
Powergen Cup1102112
2004-05Plymouth AlbionNational Division 1241304037256
Powergen Cup4109950
Powergen Shield2002313
2005-06USA PerpignanTop 14??????
Northampton SaintsGuinness Premiership200204
2006-07Bedford BluesNational Division 1251206032276
EDF Energy Cup2003624
2007-08National Division 123902931196
EDF Energy Cup3406547
2008-09National Division 120405330216
EDF Energy Cup2003418
2009-10RFU Championship22503836209
British & Irish Cup100102
2010-11RFU Championship16612939208
British & Irish Cup8302521128
2011-12RFU Championship211004526218
British & Irish Cup52019872
2012-13RFU Championship16503827182
British & Irish Cup55030188
2013-14RFU Championship17602135177
British & Irish Cup4006218
2014-15RFU Championship15402913117
British & Irish Cup42012652
2015-16RFU Championship200000
British & Irish Cup210005
AmpthillNational League 142011032
2016-17CoventryNational League 16202014
Old AlbanianNational League 17504136
2017-18AmpthillNational League 129605322202

[7]

International/Representative

Season County Competition Appearances Tries Drop Goals Conversions Penalties Total Points
2003-04CanadaInternational Tour2102215
World Cup 2003200204
2005-06Churchill Cup 20062103423
2006-07International Tour2003521
2007-08World Cup 20074003521
Churchill Cup 20083004420
2008-09International Tour5003727
Churchill Cup 20093006424
2010-11International Tour3209543
2011-12Churchill Cup 20113104425
World Cup 20113004420
International Tour31051045
2012-13International Tour100039
World Cup 2015 Qualification2103320
2013-14Pacific Nations Cup 20132104734
International Tour3204842
2014-15Pacific Nations Cup 20142107225
International Tour200128
2015-16Pacific Nations Cup 20152002210
World Cup 2015100000

[7]

Honours and records

RFU Championship

  • All-time top points scorer: 2,673 points[3]

Bedford Blues

Canada

References

  1. "James Pritchard – a shock to the system?". Coventry RC – The 19:14 from Allesley Park: a view from the stand. 9 December 2016.
  2. "Rugby Union: James Pritchard didn't know he had beaten Bedford Blues scoring record". Bedfordshire on Sunday. 13 January 2014.
  3. "RFU Championship All time leading top scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 23 April 2016.
  4. "RFU Championship All time try scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 23 April 2016.
  5. "Canadian veteran James Pritchard to play in fourth Rugby World Cup after all". The Globe and Mail. 24 April 2015.
  6. "Most Capped Lineup: Canada". Americas Rugby News. 27 January 2017.
  7. "James Pritchard Record by competition". Rugby Statbunker. 12 May 2018.
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