Ed Craig

{{short description|Australian rugby union player}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{ Infobox rugby biography

| name = Ed Craig

| image = Ed Craig playing hooker for Eastwood District Rugby Union Football Club.jpg

| birth_name = Edward James Craig

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|7|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Sydney, Australia

| height = {{convert|186|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = {{convert|108|kg|lb stlb|abbr=on}}

| nickname =

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| spouse =

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| ru_currentposition =

| ru_currentteam =

| ru_position = Hooker

| amatyears1 = 2016–

| amatteam1 = Eastwood

| years1 = 2017

| clubs1 = {{Rut|Greater Sydney Rams}}

| apps1 = 2

| points1 = 0

| years2 = 2019

| clubs2 = {{Rut|Sydney}}

| apps2 = 7

| points2 = 10

| ru_clubupdate = 23 November 2020

| superyears1 = 2020

| super1 = Reds

| superapps1 = 2

| superpoints1 = 5

| superyears2 = 2021

| super2 = Rebels

| superapps2 = 2

| superpoints2 = 0

| superyears3 = 2022

| super3 = Waratahs

| superapps3 = 1

| superpoints3 = 0

| super14update = 1 May 2022

| ru_provinceyears1 =

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| ru_sevensnationalyears1 =

| ru_sevensnationalteam1 =

| ru_sevensnationalcomp1 =

| website =

}}

Ed Craig (born 20 July 1996) is a teacher at SHORE school in North Sydney where he teaches PDHPE and Christian studies. Previously, Craig was a PDHPE teacher at Barker College in Sydney.{{Cite web |last=Linkedin |date=1 February 2022 |title=Linkedin Profile |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-craig-2a4100152/ |website=Linkedin}} He has played rugby union for the NSW Waratahs{{cite web | url=https://www.espn.com/rugby/lineups?gameId=595152&league=242041 | title=New South Wales Waratahs vs Crusaders - Line-up - Super Rugby Pacific 2022 - 30 Apr, 2022 - ESPN }} the Melbourne Rebels{{Cite web |access-date=29 Dec 2022 |title=Rebels Add More Depth for 2021 |url=https://www.theroar.com.au/2022/04/28/shore-thing-waratahs-send-sos-for-shute-shield-schoolteacher-ahead-of-crusaders-battle/ |website=melbournerebels.rugby |language=en}} and the Queensland Reds.{{Cite web|title=Queensland Reds on Instagram: "50 games apart - congrats Ed on your debut, and Nella on the half-century! 🙌🏉🐨👍 #RedsFamily #REDvSUN #StandUp"|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/B84y7IMgaY1/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/B84y7IMgaY1 |archive-date=2021-12-26 |url-access=registration|access-date=2020-11-09|website=Instagram|language=en}}{{cbignore}} He played for Australian Schoolboys and Australian Under 20s and for Sydney in the National Rugby Championship (NRC). Craig is currently playing in the Sydney Shute Shield competition for his home club Eastwood. His position is hooker.

Early life and junior rugby

Ed Craig (Edward James Craig) was born in Sydney (Eastwood) in Australia and played junior club rugby with Hillview Rugby Club (now Central Eastwood),{{Cite web|url=https://www.centraleastwoodrugby.com/|title=Central Eastwood Rugby|website=Central Eastwood Rugby|language=en|access-date=2019-09-15}} junior rep rugby with Eastwood Rugby Club and school rugby with Epping Boys High School.

He played in the EBHS 1st XV (2012-2014), Combined High Schools (CHS) 1st XV and Combined States in the 2013 Australian Schoolboy Rugby Championships. In 2014, Craig captained the CHS 1st XV{{Cite web|url=https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/2d0af0be04313254b440125d25a45cdb?width=650|title=Ed Craig playing for CHS 1st XV v GPS 1st XV|last=|first=|date=|website=Green and Gold Rugby Forum|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190901064512/https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/2d0af0be04313254b440125d25a45cdb?width=650 |archive-date=2019-09-01 |access-date=}} and played in the NSW 1st XV{{Cite web|url=https://eppingboy-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/news/2014/7/ed-craig-australian-combined-high-school-captain-and-oliver-gree.html|title=Ed Craig Australian combined High school Captain and Oliver Green CHS Football Captain - Epping Boys High School|website=eppingboy-h.schools.nsw.gov.au|access-date=2019-09-01}} which won the Australian Schoolboy Rugby Championships.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rugby.com.au:443/news/2016/02/12/nsw-i-wins-australian-schoolboys-championships-for-2014|title=NSW I wins Australian Schoolboys Championships for 2014|website=www.rugby.com.au|language=en|access-date=2019-09-01}} He played for Australian Schoolboys in their NZ tour 2014{{Cite web |date=2020-10-01 |title=Ed Craig |url=https://schoolsrugby.com.au/player/ed-craig/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=schoolsrugby.com.au |language=en-US}} against Fiji and New Zealand.{{Cite web|url=https://rugby365.com/schools/news-sa-schools/aussie-schools-leave-on-tour/|title=Aussie Schools Leave On Tour {{!}} Rugby365|website=rugby365.com|language=en|access-date=2019-09-01}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.schoolsrugby.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/ASRU-TEAMS-2010-2018.pdf|title=Australian Schoolboy Team Lists - 2010-2018|last=|first=|date=|website=Schools Rugby|access-date=1 September 2019}} Craig won the Volvo Australian Schools Rugby Scholarship in 2014.{{Cite web |title=RUPA: 2014 Volvo Australian Schools Rugby Scholarships announced |url=https://rupa.rugby/news/2014-volvo-australian-schools-rugby-scholarships-announced |access-date=2019-09-01 |website=rupa.rugby|date=20 September 2016 }}

Rugby career

Craig was part of the NSW Waratahs Gen Blue squad and played for NSW in the Australian Super Under 20s Championship.{{Cite web|date=2015-11-12|title=NSW Waratahs 2016 Gen Blue training squad announced|url=https://rugbynews.net.au/nsw-waratahs-2016-gen-blue-training-squad-announced/|access-date=2019-09-15|website=Rugby News|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2015-02-03|title=NSW Under 20s doing the business|url=http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/nsw-20s/|access-date=2019-09-02|website=Green and Gold Rugby|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2015-12-18|title=Waratahs Under 20s have solid first hit out|url=http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/waratahs-under-20s-have-a-good-first-hit-out/|access-date=2019-09-02|website=Green and Gold Rugby|language=en-US}} In 2016 he joined the Australian Under 20s side for the World Rugby U20s Championships in Manchester, England, where he played against Scotland and NZ.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ultimaterugby.com/player/view/9124|title=Edward Craig|website=www.ultimaterugby.com|language=en|access-date=2019-09-01}}

Craig plays club rugby for Eastwood in Sydney's Shute Shield competition. He played colts 1st XV (2014-2015), and then 1st and 2nd Grade behind Eastwood’s two contracted NSW Waratah Super Rugby hookers Hugh Roach and Damien Fitzpatrick (2016-2018).{{Cite web|url=https://rugbynews.net.au/2017-shute-shield-season-preview-eastwood/|title=2017 Shute Shield Season Preview: Eastwood|date=2017-03-09|website=Rugby News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-01}} Craig played hooker for Eastwood’s 1st Grade side (2019-2022).

He played for the Greater Sydney Rams in the National Rugby Competition (NRC) (2017) and the Sydney NRC (2019).{{Cite web|url=http://www.nswwaratahs.com.au/news/news-article/articleid/18514/sydney-and-country-confirm-nrc-squads|title=Sydney confirms NRC squad|last=|first=|date=|website=NSW Waratahs|access-date=1 September 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://nsw.rugby/news/2019/10/22/in-focus-jake-gordon-and-ed-craig|title = | Latest Rugby News | NSW Waratahs| date=8 October 2019 }} Craig has played 150 games for Eastwood - 130 in first grade - with 41 tries and 205 points.{{Citation|title=Ed Craig rugby highlights 2019 Shute shield & NRC Season|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuq1m6cFLdY|language=en|access-date=2019-10-17}}{{Cite web|last=Fusesport game stats|date=|title=Fusesport Shute Shield game statistics|url=https://nswpremresults.fusesport.com/drawresult.asp?id=601735&seasonid=751|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024225550/https://nswpremresults.fusesport.com/drawresult.asp?id=601735&seasonid=751 |archive-date=2020-10-24 |access-date=2020-11-24|website=nswpremresults.fusesport.com}}

In February 2020 Craig got his first Super Rugby cap with the Queensland Reds as replacement for injured Reds and Wallabies hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa.{{Cite web|url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=CMWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.couriermail.com.au%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Freds-call-up-sydney-club-player-to-help-solve-hooking-crisis%2Fnews-story%2F1557a4bf9840681224cc162c71c9c015&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&nk=a128e039eb766b4f1459831ed1598726-1581331025|title=Reds call up Sydney club player to help solve hooking crisis|last=|first=|date=|website=www.couriermail.com.au|access-date=2020-02-10}} In October 2020 he finished Eastwood's Shute Shield season with a narrow Grand Final loss to Gordon. In November 2020 he signed with the Melbourne Rebels for the 2021 Super Rugby season, and was backup hooker for the NSW Waratahs in 2022.{{Cite web |title=Shore thing: Waratahs send SOS for Shute Shield schoolteacher ahead of Crusaders battle |url=https://www.theroar.com.au/2022/04/28/shore-thing-waratahs-send-sos-for-shute-shield-schoolteacher-ahead-of-crusaders-battle/ |access-date=2022-12-30 |website=The Roar |language=en-US}}

Outside rugby

Craig has a Bachelor of Education (Health and Physical Education) from the University of Sydney. He teaches Christian Studies and PDHPE and coaches rugby at Sydney's SHORE school.

Super Rugby statistics

{{updated|12 June 2021|{{cite web | url=http://www.itsrugby.co.uk/players/edward-craig-37145.html | title=Player Statistics | work=It's Rugby}}}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; line-height:90%; font-size:95%; width:60%;"
SeasonTeamGamesStartsSubMinsTriesConsPensDropsPointsYelRed
2020{{Rut|Reds}}20241000500
2021 AU{{Rut|Rebels}}202560000000
2021 TT{{Rut|Rebels}}00000000000
2022 TT{{Rut|Waratahs}}0019648000000
colspan="2"|Total || 5 || 0 || 5 || 65 || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 5 || 0 || 0

References