Julian White
Encyclopedia
Julian White MBE is an English
rugby union
footballer who plays prop for Leicester Tigers
and England
.
White is regarded as one of the most powerful forwards in the game. He is renowned for his destructive scrummaging
and aggressive tighthead prop.
As a youngster he played mini and junior rugby for Salcombe and had played in the same senior side as his father, a former Plymouth Albion player. He served his rugby union apprenticeship with Okehampton and Plymouth Albion and had a spell in New Zealand with Hawke's Bay
and Canterbury Crusaders. He made his debut for Hawke's Bay in August 1996 and appeared in the NZ Provincial Championship
. He made his only Super 12 appearance as a replacement for the Crusaders against Natal in Christchurch in April 1997.
His time in New Zealand ended in tragedy; he was involved in an auto accident in which a young woman was killed and he suffered a broken leg. As he remembers it,
He returned to the UK when a Welsh coach who had worked with White at Hawke's Bay told him that Bridgend desperately needed a tighthead. White played for Bridgend in 1998/9 before moving to Saracens in 1999. He swiftly made his Premiership debut in the 28–23 defeat of London Irish
at Vicarage Road
, Watford on the opening weekend of the season.
White made his England
debut against South Africa
on England's Summer 2000 tour there. He appeared in his first Twickenham
Test against Argentina
in November 2001, playing until half time when he was replaced by Phil Vickery.
He toured North America in the summer of 2001, forming a solid front row with Graham Rowntree
and Dorian West
.
At the start of the 2002 season he transferred back to the West Country with Bristol Shoguns. This occurred after a protracted affair where White had attempted to get out of the contract he had signed with Bristol. White did not endear himself to Bristol supporters as he had tried to break out of his contract to join bitter local rivals Bath. In the event, White did become a Bristol player. Along with team-mate Daryl Gibson
, he joined Leicester Tigers
for the 2003–04 season after Bristol were relegated. Replacing the retiring Darren Garforth
, his Leicester
debut was held over as he was in Australia on duty with England at the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup.
During the world cup he was in the starting line up against Samoa
and came on as replacement against Uruguay
.
In 2004 White took the opportunity to demonstrate his scrummaging
skills in the England
front row during the 6 Nations and the summer tour to the Southern Hemisphere.
He was one of the players named in the 2005 British and Irish Lions
squad to tour New Zealand
, and started in all three tests.
Prior to the 2007 Rugby Union World Cup, White made himself unavailable for selection and did not feature in another England game. In January 2009, it was announced that he had been selected for the England Saxons squad. With the suspension of Matt Stevens it was announced in 2009 that he had been called up to the full England squad in 2009 as a replacement for Stevens.
, and now farms 300 acres (121.4 ha) in the area, keeping 200 head of cattle and 300 ewes as of late 2009. He plans to continue farming after the end of his rugby career, envisioning a business of selling high-quality beef and lamb to restaurants and eventually supermarkets. He and Sara currently have two daughters.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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...
footballer who plays prop 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...
and 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...
.
White is regarded as one of the most powerful forwards in the game. He is renowned for his destructive scrummaging
Scrum (rugby union)
In rugby union a scrum is a means of restarting play after a minor infringement. It involves up to eight players from each team, known as the pack or forward pack, binding together in three rows and interlocking with the free opposing teams forwards. At this point the ball is fed into the gap...
and aggressive tighthead prop.
As a youngster he played mini and junior rugby for Salcombe and had played in the same senior side as his father, a former Plymouth Albion player. He served his rugby union apprenticeship with Okehampton and Plymouth Albion and had a spell in New Zealand with Hawke's Bay
Hawke's Bay Rugby Union
The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. The union is based in Napier.-Representative rugby:...
and Canterbury Crusaders. He made his debut for Hawke's Bay in August 1996 and appeared in the NZ Provincial Championship
National Provincial Championship
The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...
. He made his only Super 12 appearance as a replacement for the Crusaders against Natal in Christchurch in April 1997.
His time in New Zealand ended in tragedy; he was involved in an auto accident in which a young woman was killed and he suffered a broken leg. As he remembers it,
He returned to the UK when a Welsh coach who had worked with White at Hawke's Bay told him that Bridgend desperately needed a tighthead. White played for Bridgend in 1998/9 before moving to Saracens in 1999. He swiftly made his Premiership debut in the 28–23 defeat of London Irish
London Irish
London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...
at Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road
Vicarage Road, a stadium in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, is the home of the football club Watford and their tenants, the Saracens rugby union club. An all-seater stadium, its current capacity is 17,477.-History:...
, Watford on the opening weekend of the season.
White made his 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...
debut against South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
on England's Summer 2000 tour there. He appeared in his first Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
Test against Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
in November 2001, playing until half time when he was replaced by Phil Vickery.
He toured North America in the summer of 2001, forming a solid front row with Graham Rowntree
Graham Rowntree
Graham Christopher Rowntree is a former English rugby union player. He played loosehead prop for Leicester Tigers and England. He was capped 54 times for England, despite having to compete for his position with the world's second most capped player, Jason Leonard.Rowntree was born in...
and Dorian West
Dorian West
Dorian Edward West MBE nicknamed "Nobby" is a former English international rugby union footballer.Born in Wrexham, his family moved to England when he was young...
.
At the start of the 2002 season he transferred back to the West Country with Bristol Shoguns. This occurred after a protracted affair where White had attempted to get out of the contract he had signed with Bristol. White did not endear himself to Bristol supporters as he had tried to break out of his contract to join bitter local rivals Bath. In the event, White did become a Bristol player. Along with team-mate Daryl Gibson
Daryl Gibson
Daryl Peter Earl Gibson is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who played inside centre for Canterbury Crusaders in the southern hemisphere and Bristol Shoguns, Leicester Tigers and Glasgow Warriors in the northern hemisphere...
, he joined 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 2003–04 season after Bristol were relegated. Replacing the retiring Darren Garforth
Darren Garforth
Darren Garforth is a former international rugby union footballer who played tighthead prop for Leicester Tigers and England....
, his Leicester
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...
debut was held over as he was in Australia on duty with England at the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup.
During the world cup he was in the starting line up against Samoa
Samoa national rugby union team
The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
and came on as replacement against Uruguay
Uruguay national rugby union team
The Uruguay national rugby union team is the representative side of Uruguay, governed by the Unión de Rugby del Uruguay. They have been playing international rugby since 1948. Their jersey is blue and black and they are known as Los Teros. They qualified twice for the Rugby World Cup, in 1999 and...
.
In 2004 White took the opportunity to demonstrate his scrummaging
Scrum (rugby)
Scrum , in the sports of rugby union and rugby league, is a way of restarting the game, either after an accidental infringement or when the ball has gone out of play...
skills in the 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...
front row during the 6 Nations and the summer tour to the Southern Hemisphere.
He was one of the players named in the 2005 British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
squad to tour New Zealand
2005 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand
In 2005 the British and Irish Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand for the first time since 1993, playing 7 tour matches against first and second division clubs from the National Provincial Championship series, 1 tour match against the national New Zealand all Māori club, and 3 official test...
, and started in all three tests.
Prior to the 2007 Rugby Union World Cup, White made himself unavailable for selection and did not feature in another England game. In January 2009, it was announced that he had been selected for the England Saxons squad. With the suspension of Matt Stevens it was announced in 2009 that he had been called up to the full England squad in 2009 as a replacement for Stevens.
Personal life
White met his wife since 2004, Sara, in a Cardiff bar when he was, by his own admission, "completely twisted" (i.e., drunk). She has proven to be a good influence on him in many ways, perhaps none more significant than when she bought him a cow as a Christmas present. The gift sparked an interest in animals and farming; since then, he has purchased and rented land near the village of Stoke AlbanyStoke Albany
Stoke Albany is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, part of the borough of Kettering. It is off the A427 road between Market Harborough and Corby, about halfway between the two. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 330 people....
, and now farms 300 acres (121.4 ha) in the area, keeping 200 head of cattle and 300 ewes as of late 2009. He plans to continue farming after the end of his rugby career, envisioning a business of selling high-quality beef and lamb to restaurants and eventually supermarkets. He and Sara currently have two daughters.