James Whitcombe
{{short description|English rugby union player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = James Whitcombe
| image =
| birth_name = James William Whitcombe
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|11|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = Keighley, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = {{convert|6|ft|2|in|m|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|18|st|12|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
| school = Woodhouse Grove School
| relatives = Martin Whitcombe (father)
| position = Prop
| currentclub = Edinburgh
| years1 = 2019–2025
| clubs1 = Leicester Tigers
| apps1 = 68
| points1 = 10
| years2 = 2019
| clubs2 = → Sydney University
| apps2 = 0
| points2 = 0
| years3 = 2019–2020
| clubs3 = → Leicester Lions
| apps3 = 10
| points3 = 10
| years4 = 2025–
| clubs4 = Edinburgh
| apps4 =
| points4 =
| repyears1 = 2019–2020
| repteam1 = {{nruu|England|20}}
| repcaps1 = 3
| reppoints1 = 0
| clubupdate = 15 June 2025
| repupdate = 21 March 2021
}}
James William Whitcombe (born 20 November 2000){{cite web|url=http://en.espn.co.uk/scrum/rugby/player/36468.html?source=opta| publisher=ESPN|work=ESPN Scrum|access-date=21 March 2021|title=James Whitcombe profile}} is an English rugby union player for Edinburgh in the United Rugby Championship, his preferred position is loosehead prop.{{cite web|url=https://www.leicestertigers.com/player/james-whitcombe|publisher=Leicester Tigers|title=James Whitcombe Leicester Tigers profile|accessdate=21 March 2021}} Between 2019 and 2025 he played 68 times for Leicester Tigers in Premiership Rugby.
Early life
Whitcombe first played rugby union at 5 years old for Skipton RFC, in north Yorkshire,{{cite news|url=https://www.englandrugby.com/england/mens-development/u20s-squad/james-whitcombe|title=RFC Profile | access-date=21 March 2021| publisher= RFU}} and also played rugby league for Keighley Albion,{{cite news|url=https://www.keighleynews.co.uk/sport/18080446.james-whitcombe-focused-leicester-tigers-england-chance/|work=Keighley News |date=5 December 2019| access-date=21 March 2021| title=James Whitcombe focused on Leicester Tigers after England chance}} before concentrating on union at Bradford & Bingley RFC and Woodhouse Grove School where he was selected for England's under-16, England under-18 on their 2018 summer tour of South Africa and England under-19 sides. He joined Leicester Tigers academy's development pathway at the age of 13.{{cite news|url=https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/features/featured-post/32524/young-guns-leicester-tigers-prop-james-whitcombe/|work=The Rugby Paper| date=18 April 2019| access-date=21 March 2021| title=Young Guns: Leicester Tigers prop James Whitcombe}} He was part of Leicester Tigers two successive under 18 league titles.{{cite news|url=https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/leicester-tigers-finals-day-gloucester-2544662|publisher=reach group|work=Leicester Mercury|date=14 February 2019|access-date=21 March 2021|title=Seven Leicester Tigers academy players target a second Finals Day success when they meet Gloucester}}{{cite news|url=https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/leicester-tigers-cubs-learning-tough-2561388|publisher=reach group|work=Leicester Mercury|date=20 February 2019|access-date=21 March 2021|title=Leicester Tigers cubs are learning the tough lessons of Premiership rugby - Tom Youngs}} After finishing school he spent 3 months playing for Sydney University Colts in the Shute Shield.{{cite news|url=https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/all/columnists/38082/jackson-column-james-whitcombe-keeping-the-great-prop-dynasty-alive/| work=The Rugby Paper| date=3 September 2020| access-date=21 March 2021| title=Jackson column: James Whitcombe keeping the great prop dynasty alive}}{{cite news|url=https://www.sydneyunirugby.com.au/article/tigers-duo-join-sufc|date=18 June 2019| access-date=21 March 2021| title=Tigers duo join SUFC}}
Career
In July 2019 Whitcombe was promoted to Leicester's development squad and became a full time rugby player.{{cite news|url=https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/17772780.keighleys-james-whitcombe-cutting-teeth-tigers/|title=Keighley's James Whitcombe cutting his teeth with Tigers|date=16 July 2019| access-date=21 March 2021|work=Telegraph and Argus |location=Bradford}} He spent the 2019–2020 season on loan with Leicester Lions in National League 2 South, and was named the league's Young player of the season.{{cite news|url=https://www.leicestertigers.com/news/whitcombe-wins-national-league-award|work=Leicester Tigers|date=13 April 2020| access-date=21 March 2021| title=Whitcombe wins National League award}} He signed new contracts with Leicester in May 2020,{{cite news|url=https://www.leicestertigers.com/news/leicester-lock-in-quintet-of-young-tigers |date=7 May 2020| access-date=21 March 2021| title=Leicester lock in quintet of young Tigers}} and March 2021.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56319783| work=BBC Sport| title=Nemani Nadolo & Dan Cole head list of Leicester Tigers' new deals and signings| date=8 March 2021| access-date=21 March 2021}}
Whitcombe made his senior Leicester Tigers debut on 19 December 2020 in a European Rugby Challenge Cup win against Bayonne,{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56368318| work=BBC Sport | date=12 March 2021 | access-date=21 March 2021| title=James Whitcombe: The fifth member of an 85-year-old rugby dynasty}}{{cite news|url=https://www.keighleynews.co.uk/sport/18963583.leicester-debut-young-keighley-prop/|work=Keighley News| date=23 December 2020| access-date=21 March 2021| title=Leicester debut for young Keighley prop}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/55347575| date=19 December 2020| access-date=21 March 2021| work= BBC Sport| title=European Challenge Cup: Leicester Tigers beat Bayonne 28-20 in France}} and made his Premiership Rugby debut as a replacement in a loss against Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate on 27 February 2021.
His first start for Leicester came in the unusual position of blindside flanker, becoming the first Leicester prop to play outside the front row since 1967.{{cite news|url=https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/leicester-tigers-james-whitcombe-rugby-6204251|work=Leicester Mercury|date=13 November 2021|access-date=14 November 2021|title=Why Leicester Tigers started prop in back row and new signing latest|author=Ethan Clamp & Bobby Bridge}}
Family life
Whitcombe is the son of Martin Whitcombe, the grandson to Frank Whitcombe Jr and the great grandson to Frank Whitcombe and Thomas Cockcroft, both prominent rugby league players in the 1940s.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56368318|work=BBC Radio Leicester|date=12 March 2021|access-date=14 November 2021|title=James Whitcombe: The fifth member of an 85-year-old rugby dynasty|author=Adam Whitty}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Leicester Tigers squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitcombe, James}}
Category:English rugby union players
Category:Leicester Tigers players
Category:People educated at Woodhouse Grove School
Category:Rugby union players from Keighley
{{England-rugbyunion-bio-2000s-stub}}