Colin Bourke

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Colin Bourke

| full_name =

| image =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|10|15|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Napier, New Zealand

| position = Flanker, Number 8, Fly-half, Centre

| amatyears1 = 2004-2011

| amatyears2 = 2003

| amatteam1 = Bay of Plenty

| amatteam2 = Hawke's Bay

| amatapps1 = 90

| amatapps2 = 12

| amatpoints1 = 115

| amatpoints2 = 97

| years1 = 2005

| years2 = 2009–2010

| years3 = 2011–2021

| years4 = 2022–2024

| clubs1 = Highlanders

| clubs2 = Chiefs

| clubs3 = Ricoh Black Rams

| clubs4 = NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes

| apps1 = 2

| apps2 = 15

| apps3 =

| apps4 =

| points1 = 15

| points2 = 0

| points3 = 0

| points4 = 0

| repyears1 = 2010

| repteam1 = Māori All Blacks

| repcaps1 = 3

| reppoints1 =

| repsevensyears1 = 2021

| repsevensyears2 = 2004

| repsevensteam1 = {{nrut7|Japan}}

| repsevensteam2 = {{nrut7|New Zealand}}

| repsevenscomp1 = 2

| repsevenscomp2 = 3

}}

Colin Bourke (born 15 October 1984) is a former Japanese rugby union and sevens player.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/144683 |title=Colin Bourke |work=Olympedia |access-date=31 July 2021}} He competed for Japan at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Early life and career

Bourke was born in Napier, New Zealand, he attended St Patrick's School and then Napier Boys' High School.{{Cite web |last=Hyde |first=Sahiban |date=2021-07-22 |title=Hawke's Bay's Colin Bourke to represent Japan in Olympic 7s |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/hawkes-bays-colin-bourke-to-represent-japan-in-olympic-rugby-7s/7N7NLFAGK6MNVWT5FRV5LGYLQE/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=The New Zealand Herald |language=en-NZ}} He participated in athletics, cricket and rugby throughout intermediate and up till sixth form at Napier Boys' High School. He played club rugby for Taradale.Troughton, Jamie. Rugby News magazine (November 2021). Charlotte Smulders Publisher, New Zealand

He represented the New Zealand Schools in 2002 and played against the Fiji and Australian schools.The 2003 New Zealand Rugby Almanac (69th Edition). Akers, Clive & Miller, Geoff. Publisher: Hodder Mia Beckett Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand.

Rugby career

In 2003, he made the New Zealand sevens team and they went on to win the 2004–05 World Sevens Series. He then moved to Mount Maunganui to play for Bay of Plenty for eight seasons. He also played Super Rugby for the Highlanders, and Chiefs.{{Cite web |last=McLeod |first=Alex |date=2021-07-23 |title=Ex-Maori ABs star to play for Japan at Olympics following eligibility saga |url=https://www.rugbypass.com/news/ex-maori-abs-star-to-play-for-japan-at-olympics-following-eligibility-saga/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=www.rugbypass.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Pickering |first=Mark |date=2024-05-08 |title=Tokyo 2020 Olympian Colin Bourke announces retirement |url=https://www.rugbyjp.com/post/tokyo-2020-olympian-colin-bourke-announces-retirement |url-status=live |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=RugbyJP |language=en}}

In 2010, he played three games for the New Zealand Māori against the New Zealand Barbarians, Ireland and England. He also played for the Barbarians that same year and suffered a serious shoulder injury which saw him miss the entire 2011 Super Rugby season.{{Cite web |last=Leabourn |first=Barry |date=2010-11-10 |title=Colin Bourke earns Baa Baa stripes |url=https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/9413-colin-bourke-earns-baa-baa-stripes.html |url-status=live |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=www.sunlive.co.nz |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Hinton |first=Marc |date=2011-11-04 |title=Colin Bourke stunned to be cast adrift in NZ |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/5904657/Colin-Bourke-stunned-to-be-cast-adrift-in-NZ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=Stuff }}

Bourke moved to Japan in 2012 to play with the Ricoh Black Rams and was naturalized as a citizen in 2018.{{cite web |title=Colin Bourke |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/rugby-sevens/athlete-profile-n1315486-bourke-colin-raijin.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210731215857/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/rugby-sevens/athlete-profile-n1315486-bourke-colin-raijin.htm |archive-date=31 July 2021 |access-date=31 July 2021 |publisher=Tokyo 2020}} He competed for Japan in the men's sevens tournament at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

In 2024, he announced his retirement from rugby after two seasons with Red Hurricanes Osaka in League One’s second division.