Graham Kitchener
Encyclopedia
Graham Kitchener is an English
rugby union
player for Leicester Tigers
in the Aviva Premiership.
He plays as a Lock but can also play as a blindside flanker
.
He has represented England at Under 16, 18 and Under 20 level, and played a part in the Under 20's 6 nations grand slam in 2008. He was also a crucial member of the 2009 Under 20 squad
, reaching the final of the JWC
.
Kitchener attended Adams' Grammar School
in Newport
like fellow professional rugby player Peter Short of Bath Rugby
.
A talented all round athlete, he spent 3 years playing football for Wolverhampton Wanderers Academy before deciding to focus on rugby. He was a schoolboy cricketer for Shropshire
and was the Midlands
Under 17 Shot Put
champion, before finishing 6th in the English Schools championships.He combines his commitments as a professional rugby player with a part time degree at University of Birmingham
A graduate of the academy system at Aviva Premiership club Worcester Warriors, Graham Kitchener left the Warriors to join Leicester Tigers
for the 2011-12 season.
He played for the England Saxons
through 2011, including their successful Churchill Cup
campaign.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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...
player for Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
in the Aviva Premiership.
He plays as a Lock but can also play as a blindside flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
.
He has represented England at Under 16, 18 and Under 20 level, and played a part in the Under 20's 6 nations grand slam in 2008. He was also a crucial member of the 2009 Under 20 squad
England national under-20 rugby union team
The England under 20 rugby team are the newest representative rugby union team from England. They replace the two former age grade teams Under 19's and Under 21's. They are coached by the RFU's National Academy Coach, Mark Mapletoft. Their first tournament was the 2008 IRB Junior World...
, reaching the final of the JWC
2009 IRB Junior World Championship
-Pool B:---------------------Pool C:---------------------Pool D:---------------------13th Place Play-offs:Play-off Semi Finals----15th Place Final13th Place Final----...
.
Kitchener attended Adams' Grammar School
Adams' Grammar School
Adams' Grammar School is a selective state grammar school in Newport, Shropshire, rated by the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills as a Grade 1 outstanding school , the latest OFSTED report concludes "this is a truly impressive school"...
in Newport
Newport, Shropshire
Newport is a market town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. It lies some north of Telford and some west of Stafford sitting on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border...
like fellow professional rugby player Peter Short of Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
.
A talented all round athlete, he spent 3 years playing football for Wolverhampton Wanderers Academy before deciding to focus on rugby. He was a schoolboy cricketer for Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
and was the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
Under 17 Shot Put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
champion, before finishing 6th in the English Schools championships.He combines his commitments as a professional rugby player with a part time degree at University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
A graduate of the academy system at Aviva Premiership club Worcester Warriors, Graham Kitchener left the Warriors to join Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
for the 2011-12 season.
He played for the England Saxons
England Saxons
England Saxons is the current name of England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England A...
through 2011, including their successful Churchill Cup
Churchill Cup
The Churchill Cup was an annual rugby union tournament, held in June, contested by representative men's teams from Canada, England, the United States, and other invited teams from a wide array of countries....
campaign.