James Botham
James Botham (born 22 February 1998) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays for Cardiff Blues as a flanker. He is a Wales under-20 international.[1]
| Birth name | James Botham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 22 February 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Cardiff, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 182 cm (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 95 kg (14 st 13 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Liam Botham (father) Ian Botham (grandfather) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Early life
The grandson of all-round cricketer Sir Ian Botham, James was born in Cardiff whilst his father Liam Botham was playing for Cardiff RFC as a wing. After his father moved to Newcastle Falcons for the 2000/1 season, James was brought up and educated in Cumbria.[2]
Club career
James joined the Cardiff Blues academy in 2016, and in the 2018/19 season started making appearances for the senior team, initially in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, and then debuted in the Pro14 against Connacht Rugby. Botham signed his first professional contract with the Blue's in March 2019.[3][4]
International career
Botham made his debut for Wales under-18 on 25 March 2016 against Scotland under-18 at St. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground, Swansea, scoring a try in the 31-30 victory.[5] He has since made his debut for the Wales under-20 squad.[1]
References
- "James Botham". www.ultimaterugby.com. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
- Steve May (31 May 2017). "Wales inherits Botham dynasty". The Times. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- "Pro14: James Botham and Keiron Assiratti signs first Cardiff Blues deal". BBC Sport. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- "James Botham, grandson of Sir Ian, earns Cardiff Blues professional deal". Sky Sports. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- Andy Howell (25 March 2016). "'This is his dream... He's always said he's Welsh!' English cricket legend Ian Botham has no qualms about his grandson playing for Wales". Wales Online. Retrieved 27 March 2019.