Fraser John Balmain (born 16 November 1991)[1] is an English professional rugby union player who plays prop forward for Saracens in Premiership Rugby. He previously played for Gloucester and Leicester Tigers.[2]
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| Birth name | Fraser John Balmain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 16 November 1991 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Newcastle upon Tyne, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 117 kg (18 st 6 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Newlands School Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Loughborough University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Career
editBalmain joined Leicester Tigers in July 2010 after being released from Newcastle Falcons academy and turning down an academy contract from Northampton Saints.[3] On 12 November 2010 he made his Leicester debut from the bench during an Anglo-Welsh Cup game against Ospreys in Bridgend.[4] He had to wait two years though to make his first start against the New Zealand Maori on 13 November 2012.[5]
Balmain played as a replacement during the 2013 Premiership final as Leicester defeated Northampton Saints.[6] The following year on 1 June 2014 saw him receive international recognition as he came off the bench as a substitute for an England XV in a non-cap friendly against the Barbarians.[7] In his last season at the club Balmain started for the Tigers side that defeated Exeter Chiefs to win the 2016–17 Anglo-Welsh Cup.[8]
On 10 January 2017, Balmain left Leicester to join Premiership rivals Gloucester ahead of the 2017–18 season.[9] In his first campaign at the club he was part of the side that were defeated by Cardiff Blues in the 2017–18 European Rugby Challenge Cup final.[10] The following campaign saw the cherry and whites reach the league play-offs and their elimination at the semi-final stage.[11] In his last season with the club Balmain started in the 2023–24 EPCR Challenge Cup final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium which saw them beaten by Sharks to finish runners up.[12]
After over 100 appearances for Gloucester, in June 2024 Balmain joined Saracens.[13]
Honours
edit- Leicester
- Gloucester
- 2× EPCR Challenge Cup runner up: 2017–18,[10] 2023–24[12]
References
edit- ^ "Fraser Balmain". ESPNscrum. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ "Leicester Tigers Senior Squad - Fraser Balmain". web page. Leicester Tigers. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
- ^ "Tigers pounce for ex-Falcon Fraser". The Journal. 6 July 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ "Tigers will learn from cup experience". Leicester Tigers. 14 November 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ "Tigers celebrate famous win over Maori All Blacks". Leicester Tigers. 13 November 2012. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ a b Osborne, Chris (25 May 2013). "Aviva Premiership final: Leicester 37-17 Northampton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ Chase, Graham (1 June 2014). "England XV 29-39 Barbarians". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Anglo-Welsh Cup final: Exeter Chiefs 12-16 Leicester Tigers". BBC Sport. 19 March 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ "Fraser Balmain and Val Rapava Ruskin: Gloucester sign props for next season". BBC Sport. 10 January 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ a b Pritchard, Dafydd (11 May 2018). "European Challenge Cup final: Cardiff Blues 31-30 Gloucester". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ Pilnick, Brent (25 May 2019). "Premiership semi-final: Saracens crush Gloucester 44-19 to reach fifth final in six years". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ a b Hurcom, Sophie (24 May 2024). "Sharks overpower Gloucester to win Challenge Cup". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
- ^ "Saracens sign prop Balmain from Gloucester". BBC Sport. 13 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
External links
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