:Darran Harris

{{infobox rugby biography

| name = Darran Harris

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| alt =

| birth_name = Darran Harris

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|11|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Brecon, Wales

| height = 180 cm

| weight = 102 kg

| ru_position = Hooker, prop

| youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = Brecon

| youthyears2 = |youthclubs2 = Merthyr

| years1 = 2010–2011 |clubs1 = Merthyr |apps1 = |points1 =

| years2 = 2011–2013 |clubs2 = Pontypridd |apps2 = 34 |points2 = ?

| years3 = 2013–2015 |clubs3 = Scarlets |apps3 = 10 |points3 = 5

| years4 = 2013–2015 |clubs4 = Llanelli |apps4 = 41 |points4 = 20

| years5 = 2014 |clubs5 = Carmarthen Quins |apps5 = 2 |points5 = 0

| years6 = 2015–2016 |clubs6 = Rotherham Titans |apps6 = 0 |points6 = 0

| years7 = 2016–2017 |clubs7 = Newport Gwent Dragons |apps7 = 5 |points7 = 0

| years8 = 2016–2017 |clubs8 = Bedwas |apps8 = 7 |points8 = 0

| years9 = 2016–2017 |clubs9 = Ebbw Vale |apps9 = |points9 =

| repyears1 = |repteam1 = Wales U16 |repcaps1 = |reppoints1 =

| repyears2 = |repteam2 = Wales U18 |repcaps2 = |reppoints2 =

| repyears3 = |repteam3 = Wales U20 |repcaps3 = |reppoints3 =

}}

Darran Harris (born 11 November 1992){{cite web |title=Darran Harris |url=http://en.espn.co.uk/wales/rugby/player/159226.html |publisher=ESPN |accessdate=2 May 2016 }} is a Welsh rugby union player.{{cite web |title=Darren Harris |url=http://www.scarlets.co.uk/eng/games/player_archive.php?player=104179&includeref=dynamic |publisher=Scarlets |accessdate=2 May 2016 }} He plays for RFU Championship side, Rotherham Titans as a hooker.

Career

Born in Brecon, Harris started playing rugby at Brecon RFC as a prop before moving to the youth ranks of Merthyr RFC. During this time, he played for the youth team of the Welsh region of Cardiff Blues. While playing for the Blues, he was mentored by Dale McIntosh who convinced him to move to Pontypridd RFC in 2011{{cite news |title=Rugby: Merthyr players James Howe and Darren Harris move to Pontypridd RFC |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/other-sport/rugby-merthyr-players-james-howe-1826341 |website=Wales Online |date=8 June 2011 |accessdate=2 May 2016 }} and changed him from a prop to a hooker.{{cite web |title=Harris, Darran - Hall of Fame |url=http://www.ponty.net/harris-darran |publisher=Pontypridd RFC |accessdate=2 May 2016 }} In 2013, he was part of the Pontypridd Welsh Premier Division and WRU Challenge Cup double-winning team. The next season, he left the Cardiff Blues region to move to Llanelli RFC which allowed him to play for Scarlets.{{cite news |url=http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Scarlets-add-promising-youngsters/story-19463732-detail/story.html |title=Scarlets add two promising youngsters |publisher=South Wales Evening Post |date=3 July 2013 |accessdate=2 May 2016 }} He made his Scarlets debut in the Anglo-Welsh Cup against Saracens.{{cite news |last=Howell |first=Andy |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/dragons-scarlets-give-youngsters-heads-6310642 |title=Dragons and Scarlets give youngsters their heads in Anglo-Welsh Cup |publisher=Wales Online |date=15 November 2013 |accessdate=2 May 2016}} He also played for Scarlets in the Premiership Sevens tournament.{{cite news |last=Thomas |first=Simon |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/cardiff-blues-prove-magnificent-sevens-7514060 |title=Cardiff Blues prove they are the magnificent sevens of Welsh regional rugby |publisher=Wales Online |date= 26 July 2014|accessdate=2 May 2016}} In 2015, Harris left Scarlets and Wales to play in England for RFU Championship Rotherham Titans for development.{{cite news |url=http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Scarlets-hooker-Darran-Harris-join-Rotherham/story-26356442-detail/story.html |title=Scarlets hooker Darran Harris to join Rotherham |publisher=South Wales Evening Post |date=19 April 2015 |accessdate=2 May 2016}}

When he joined the club, he was tipped to be Rotherham's first-choice hooker. After suffering an ankle injury in Rotherham's pre-season, he made his debut for Rotherham in the RFU Championship against Cornish Pirates.{{cite news |first=Guy |last=Williams |url=http://www.southyorkshiretimes.co.uk/sport/local-sport/rotherham-titans-cornish-pirates-clash-could-bring-debut-for-darran-harris-1-7466041 |title=Rotherham Titans: Cornish Pirates clash could bring debut for Darran Harris |publisher=South Yorkshire Times |date=17 September 2015 |accessdate=2 May 2016 |archive-date=12 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812181347/http://www.southyorkshiretimes.co.uk/sport/local-sport/rotherham-titans-cornish-pirates-clash-could-bring-debut-for-darran-harris-1-7466041 |url-status=dead }} After four games of the season, Harris later suffered a shoulder injury that ruled him out of contention for a large part of Rotherham's 2015–16 RFU Championship season.{{cite news |url=http://www.southyorkshiretimes.co.uk/sport/local-sport/injury-breakthrough-for-rotherham-titans-1-7659568 |title=Injury breakthrough for Rotherham Titans |publisher=South Yorkshire Times |date=6 January 2016 |accessdate=2 May 2016 |archive-date=12 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812182241/http://www.southyorkshiretimes.co.uk/sport/local-sport/injury-breakthrough-for-rotherham-titans-1-7659568 |url-status=dead }} After a year in England, Harris returned to Wales with the Dragons,{{cite news |first=Katie |last=Vizard |title=Newport Gwent Dragons secure hooker Darran Harris |url=https://dragonsrfc.wales/news/2016/june/newport-gwent-dragons-secure-hooker-darran-harris.html |publisher=Dragons |date=10 June 2016 |accessdate=24 April 2023 }} for whom he played five times (one start) before being released at the end of the 2016–17 season.{{cite news |title=Dragons confirm quintet's departure |url=https://www.planetrugby.com/dragons-confirm-quintets-departure |website=PlanetRugby |date=13 May 2017 |accessdate=24 April 2023 }}

International career

In 2012, Harris was called up to the Wales national under-20 rugby union team, where he also played for them in the IRB Junior World Championship in South Africa.{{cite news |title=Junior World Championship 2012: Wales U20 74-3 Samoa U20 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/18399513 |website=BBC Sport |date=12 June 2012 |accessdate=2 May 2016 }}