Sam James (rugby union)
Sam James (born 3 July 1994) is an English rugby union player, currently playing with the Sale Sharks. He usually plays as a centre but can also play as a fly-half or fullback. Sam is known for his magnificent handling and ball skills, as well as his kicking game.
| Birth name | Samuel George James | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 3 July 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Manchester, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 98.18 kg (15 st 6 lb; 216 lb)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Wilmslow High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Luke James (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Rugby Union Player | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Club career
Sam made his professional debut against Northampton Saints on 21 April 2013 at 19 years of age.[2] James played every minute of the 2018-19 Gallagher Premiership season, the only player in the entire league to do so. He was selected in the BT Sport Dream Team for the 2019-20 Gallagher Premiership season, in which BT Sport pundits choose their team of the season. He has amassed over 200 caps for Sale, with over 150 of these coming in the Premiership, making him one of the more experienced players in the squad. This seniority within the squad has led to James captaining the side on numerous occasions.
International career
James toured South Africa with England Saxons in the summer of 2016.[3]
Sam made his England debut in 2017 against the Barbarians, providing an impressive offload to assist Nathan Earle’s try.
He was called up to the senior England squad by Eddie Jones for their 2017 summer tour of Argentina.[4]
Honours
Individual
- Sale Sharks Young Player of the Season: 2014-15, 2015-16.
- BT Sport Team Dream Team: 2019-20.
Sale Sharks
- Premiership Rugby Cup: 2019-20.
- Premiership Rugby runner-up: 2022-23.
References
- "Sale Sharks - Sam James". Sale Sharks. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- "Sam James: Sale Sharks centre enjoying first-team opportunity". web page. BBC. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
- "England squad: Nathan Hughes in, Danny Cipriani and Chris Ashton out". BBC Sport. 1 August 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
- "England v Argentina: Dylan Hartley, Joe Launchbury & George Ford in squad". BBC Sport. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.