 Ritchie representing Scotland during the World Rugby Under 20 Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | James Thomas Ritchie | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 16 August 1996 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Dundee, Scotland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 109 kg (240 lb; 17 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Strathallan School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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James Thomas Ritchie (born 16 August 1996) is a Scottish professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for United Rugby Championship club Edinburgh and captains the Scotland national team.[1]
Jamie Ritchie started his rugby career while being brought up in the city of Dundee. One of his idols is Dundee-born Andy Nicol.
Outside rugby, he was a silver medalist at the British Judo Championships in 2009, the British independent schools judo champion in 2010 and played first XI cricket at his school.[2]
While still a teenager, Ritchie made his first-team debut in October 2014 with an appearance from the replacements' bench in the Pro12 match against Leinster.[3] In January 2021, Ritchie signed the longest deal in Edinburgh's history, with head coach Richard Cockerill describing Ritchie as a future Scotland captain. "“Jamie is an excellent young player with an old head on his shoulders. He has a really bright future ahead of him and we’re delighted he’s signed such a long-term deal. His work-rate is immense but it’s the quality of work within that which sets him apart," Cockerill said.[4]
Ritchie has represented Scotland at under-16, under-18 and under-20.[5] He played in the 2013 and 2014 European Under-18 Rugby Union Championship, the latter as captain.[5] In June 2014 he played four matches for Scotland under-20 at the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship.[6]
Ritchie received his first call up to the senior Scotland squad by coach Gregor Townsend in October 2017 for the autumn internationals.[7] Ritchie received his first senior cap against Canada on the 9 June 2018 in a 48–10 victory.[8]
Ritchie was picked in Scotland's 2019 Rugby World Cup squad. However he fractured his cheekbone in the last warm-up match for Scotland against Georgia.[9]
Ritchie received player of the match in Scotland's match against France in the 2020 Six Nations, after getting punched by France prop Mohamed Haouas[10] During this game Mohamed Haouas was sent off for dangerous play in the 37th minute for punching Ritchie.[11] He once again won a 2020 Six Nations player of the match award, this time against Wales in a 14–10 victory.[12] It was Scotland's first win on Welsh soil since 2002.
In October 2022 Ritchie was named as the captain of the Scottish squad for the 2022 end-of-year rugby union internationals.[13] In 2023 Ritchie was selected in Scotland's 33 player squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.[14]
