Jon Boden (rugby union)

{{EngvarB|date=September 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}

{{Infobox rugby biography

| name = Jon Boden

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1978|10|19}}

| birth_place =

| height = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}

| weight =

| position = Fly-half, Centre

| years1 = 2000–02

| years2 = 2002–04

| years3 = 2004–06

| years4 = 2007–

| clubs1 = Gran Parma

| clubs2 = Rugby Lions

| clubs3 = Doncaster Knights

| clubs4 = Leicester Lions

| apps1 =

| apps2 = 48

| apps3 = 55

| apps4 = 278

| points1 =

| points2 = 295

| points3 = 92

| points4 = 2,064

| clubupdate = 5 May 2018

| currentclub = Leicester Lions

| module = {{infobox rugby league biography|embed=yes

| club1 = London Broncos

| year1start =

| appearances1 =

| points1 =

}}

}}

Jon Boden (born 19 October 1978) is a rugby union footballer/coach, currently playing at Fly-half or Centre for Leicester Lions in National League 2 North.{{cite web|url=http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/player_archive.php?player=6495&includeref=dynamic |title=Jon Boden Player Profile |publisher=EPCR |accessdate=30 October 2016 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.leicesterlionsrfc.com/history/ |title=Leicester Lions History |publisher=Leicester Lions RFC |accessdate=30 October 2016 |archive-date=31 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031085052/http://www.leicesterlionsrfc.com/history/ |url-status=dead }} He has played higher level rugby (second tier) for Rugby Lions and Doncaster Knights, as well as European rugby with Italian side Gran Parma (now disbanded). An excellent kicker, as of the end of the 2015–16 season, Jon is the all-time points scorer in National League 2 North with over 2,000 points.{{cite web|url=http://rugby.statbunker.com/alltimestats/AllTimeLeadingScorers?comp_code=8218483 |title=National Two North All time leading scorers |publisher=Rugby Statbunker |date=5 May 2018 }}

Career

After spending some of his early career playing rugby league with the London Broncos, Jon moved to Italy to play rugby union for Italian side, Gran Parma, where he became a regular in the team, gaining Super 10 and European Shield experience. In the autumn of 2002, after two years in Italy, Jon returned to England to sign for the Rugby Lions, then playing in division 2 of the English rugby union league system.{{cite web|url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/other-sport/boden-to-make-lions-bow-3188612|title=Boden to make Lions bow|work=Coventry Telegraph|date=4 October 2003 }} Despite appearing and scoring regularly for the Lions, Jon's time with the club was not successful, as they suffered consecutive relegations in the two seasons he was there.{{cite web|title=Leagues 2002/03|url=http://www.moseleyrugby.co.uk/report_display12.php?menitem=108|publisher=Moseley Rugby club|accessdate=12 August 2012}}{{cite web|url=http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/other-sport/defeat-seals-lions-demise-3148237 |title=Defeat seals Lions' demise |work=Coventry Telegraph |date=12 April 2004 }}

Following the Lion's relegation, in the summer of 2004 Jon moved north to sign for Doncaster, who were playing in the same division that Rugby had just been relegated from. After several dismal seasons, Jon's luck was to change as he made 20 league appearances for his new club, who won the league and promotion to the second division.{{cite web |url=http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/castle-park-men-crowned-kings-1-529567 |title=CASTLE PARK MEN CROWNED KINGS |publisher=Doncaster Free Press |date=8 April 2005 |access-date=30 October 2016 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304091838/http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/castle-park-men-crowned-kings-1-529567 |url-status=dead }} Jon spent several more seasons with Doncaster, where he became a squad player, but decided to leave during the 2006–07 season as Doncaster were becoming a professional outfit and he could not combine full-time rugby with his other job role as a school teacher.

At the start of 2007 Jon joined tier 4 side, Leicester Lions, where he was signed as a player-coach.{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk/sport/rugby-clash-of-lions-at-first-home-game-1-1480168|title=RUGBY: Clash of Lions at first home game|work=Rugby Advertiser|date=6 September 2007|access-date=30 October 2016|archive-date=31 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031085303/http://www.rugbyadvertiser.co.uk/sport/rugby-clash-of-lions-at-first-home-game-1-1480168|url-status=dead}} Jon became an invaluable player at the Lions, finishing as the league's top scorer in 2008 with 282 points as the Lions finished 4th.{{cite web|url=http://rugby.statbunker.com/competitions/LeadingTopScorers?comp_id=254 |title=National Three North 07/08 Leading top scorers |publisher=Rugby Statbunker|date=19 April 2008}} Since then he has regularly finished as one of the top kickers in what is now known as National League 2 North becoming the most prolific points scorer in the division of all time as of the end of the 2016–17 season. In the summer of 2017 Jon was part of the Leicestershire county side that won the 2017 County Championship Plate with a 39–7 win over Hampshire at Twickenham Stadium.{{cite web|url=http://www.englandrugby.com/news/features/dominant-leicestershire-cruise-division-two-final-win/|title=DOMINANT LEICESTERSHIRE CRUISE TO DIVISION TWO FINAL WIN|publisher=England Rugby|date=28 May 2017 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.hampshirerugby.co.uk/news/current/2174-leicestershire-39-hampshire-7.html|title=LEICESTERSHIRE 39 HAMPSHIRE 7|publisher=Hampshire RFU|date=28 May 2017|access-date=2 June 2017|archive-date=22 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922052021/https://www.hampshirerugby.co.uk/news/current/2174-leicestershire-39-hampshire-7.html|url-status=dead}}

Season-by-season playing stats

=Club=

class="wikitable sortable"
Season

!Club

!Competition

!Appearances

!Tries

!Drop Goals

!Conversions

!Penalties

!Total Points

rowspan=2 align=left |2001–02

|rowspan=2 align=left |Gran Parma

|Super 10

??????
European Challenge Cup60151249
2002–03

|rowspan=3 align=left |Rugby Lions

|National Division One

21212326137
rowspan=2 align=left|2003–04

|National Division Two

25412124137
Powergen Cup2115121
rowspan=2 align=left|2004–05

|rowspan=5 align=left |Doncaster Knights

|National Division Two

20403232
Powergen Cup2001311
rowspan=2 align=left|2005–06

|National Division One

26302740
Powergen National Trophy100000
rowspan=2 align=left|2006–07

|National Division One

610209
rowspan=20 align=left|Leicester Lions

|National Division 3 North

1010241392
2007–08

|National Division 3 North

25525547282
rowspan=2 align=left|2008–09

|National Division 3 North

24705427224
EDF Energy Trophy100102
2009–10

|National League 2 North

24715632246
2010–11

|National League 2 North

29506940283
2011–12

|National League 2 North

25102222115
2012–13

|National League 2 North

24004635197
2013–14

|National League 2 North

24005934220
2014–15

|National League 2 North

1620349105
2015–16

|National League 2 North

211015550
2016–17

|National League 2 North

28204116140
2017-18

|National League 2 North

27003612108

{{cite web | url=http://rugby.statbunker.com/players/GetHistoryStats?player_id=5412&comps_type=-1&dates=-1 | title=Jon Boden Record by competition | publisher=Rugby Statbunker | accessdate=12 May 2018}}

= County/Representative=

class="wikitable sortable"
Season

!Side

!Competition

!Appearances

!Tries

!Drop Goals

!Conversions

!Penalties

!Total Points

2016–17rowspan=7 align=left| LeicestershireCounty Championship Plate3{{#tag:ref|May have appeared in all 4 games but press coverage of county championships very poor so not clear.|group=a}}050010

{{Reflist|group=a}}

Honours and records

National League 2 North

Doncaster Knights

Leicester Lions

Leicestershire

References

{{Reflist|2}}