Andy Craig
Encyclopedia
Andrew "Andy" Craig is a rugby union
footballer who plays at outside centre. He played for Glasgow, Leeds Tykes
and Scotland
.
Craig previously represented Scotland at rugby league
, playing for Wigan
, Halifax
, Widnes
and Swinton. He switched to rugby union
joining Orrell
in 2000, before moving to Glasgow in the summer of 2004. He then moved to Leeds Tykes
for the 2005/2006 season.
Craig earned his first cap for Scotland on Saturday, 15 June 2002 against Canada
in Vancouver. His debut was for a lost cause. The Scots lost 26-23.
Craig was an important member of the Scotland
team for the 2003 Six Nations Championship
. He played only a handful of games in the 2004 season. His luck changed again in 2005, when under the reign of the Matt Williams
he was the starting outside centre. Although it was a disappointing season for Scotland (one win against Italy
), Craig scored two tries. One against Wales
due to an overlap and one against England
after some fine work from Chris Paterson
.
Craig suffered a setback after picking up an injury during the 2005/6 season for Glasgow. He returned to action for a few games after his injury and subsequently scored a try in one of his games. Craig, however, had not been considered by Frank Hadden
for the Scotland
team for the Autumn Internationals and the 2006 Six Nations Championship
.
.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer who plays at outside centre. He played for Glasgow, Leeds Tykes
Leeds Tykes
Leeds Carnegie is an English rugby union club, based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, currently playing in the RFU Championship. In recent years, they have bounced between the Premiership and the second-level National Division One, now known as the RFU Championship; they were either promoted or relegated...
and Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
.
Craig previously represented Scotland at rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
, playing for Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
, Halifax
Halifax RLFC
Halifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town...
, Widnes
Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward...
and Swinton. He switched to rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
joining Orrell
Orrell R.U.F.C.
Orrell Rugby Union Football Club is a rugby union team from the Orrell area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester.The club were founded in 1927, holding a place in the top-tier of rugby union from 1986 to 1997.-1927–1939:...
in 2000, before moving to Glasgow in the summer of 2004. He then moved to Leeds Tykes
Leeds Tykes
Leeds Carnegie is an English rugby union club, based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, currently playing in the RFU Championship. In recent years, they have bounced between the Premiership and the second-level National Division One, now known as the RFU Championship; they were either promoted or relegated...
for the 2005/2006 season.
Craig earned his first cap for Scotland on Saturday, 15 June 2002 against Canada
Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
in Vancouver. His debut was for a lost cause. The Scots lost 26-23.
Craig was an important member of the Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
team for the 2003 Six Nations Championship
2003 Six Nations Championship
The 2003 Six Nations Championship was the fourth series of the Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-ninth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
. He played only a handful of games in the 2004 season. His luck changed again in 2005, when under the reign of the Matt Williams
Matt Williams (rugby coach)
Matt Williams is an Australian rugby union coach from New South Wales.Williams, a teacher by profession, started in coaching at club level with Western Suburbs in Sydney, Australia in 1991...
he was the starting outside centre. Although it was a disappointing season for Scotland (one win against Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
), Craig scored two tries. One against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
due to an overlap and one against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
after some fine work from Chris Paterson
Chris Paterson
Chris Paterson is a Scotland internationalist who plays for RaboDirect Pro12 side Edinburgh Rugby. He is Scotland’s record cap and points holder with 109 caps and 809 points. Paterson is capable in a range of positions, including fullback, wing and fly-half. In recent years Paterson has played...
.
Craig suffered a setback after picking up an injury during the 2005/6 season for Glasgow. He returned to action for a few games after his injury and subsequently scored a try in one of his games. Craig, however, had not been considered by Frank Hadden
Frank Hadden
Frank Hadden is a Scottish rugby union coach. He is a former head coach of Scotland and Edinburgh Rugby.Hadden replaced Matt Williams and was appointed on 15 September 2005. Hadden coached the Merchiston Castle School 1st XV after being appointed Head of Physical Education at the school in 1983...
for the Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
team for the Autumn Internationals and the 2006 Six Nations Championship
2006 Six Nations Championship
The 2006 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
.
2006 Season
Craig decided to move from full-time rugby to semi-professional rugby. Lured by the prospect of managing a plumbing career whilst playing rugby, Craig decided to join Sedgley ParkSedgley Park R.U.F.C.
Sedgley Park Rugby Union Football Club, the 1st XV team of which play under the name of Sedgley Tigers, are a rugby union club based in Whitefield, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, Greater Manchester. They currently play in National Division One, the third tier of the English rugby union league...
.