Rugby player
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| Birth name | Fraser John Balmain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | (1991-11-16) 16 November 1991 (age 33) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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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Fraser John Balmain (born 16 November 1991) is an English professional rugby union player who plays prop forward for Saracens in Premiership Rugby. He previously played for Gloucester and Leicester Tigers.
Career
Balmain joined Leicester Tigers in July 2010 after being released from Newcastle Falcons academy and turning down an academy contract from Northampton Saints. On 12 November 2010 he made his Leicester debut from the bench during an Anglo-Welsh Cup game against Ospreys in Bridgend. He had to wait two years though to make his first start against the New Zealand Maori on 13 November 2012.
Balmain played as a replacement during the 2013 Premiership final as Leicester defeated Northampton Saints. 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. 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.
On 10 January 2017, Balmain left Leicester to join Premiership rivals Gloucester ahead of the 2017–18 season. 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. The following campaign saw the cherry and whites reach the league play-offs and their elimination at the semi-final stage. 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.
After over 100 appearances for Gloucester, in June 2024 Balmain joined Saracens.
Honours
- Leicester
- Gloucester
- 2× EPCR Challenge Cup runner up: 2017–18, 2023–24
References
- "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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
| Saracens Rugby Club – current squad (2024–25 season) | |||||||||||
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| Forwards |
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| Backs |
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| Other | |||||||||||
| Director of Rugby – Mark McCall | |||||||||||
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