Perry Freshwater
{{short description|England international rugby union player}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Perry Freshwater
| image = Perry Freshwater.JPG
| caption = Portrait of Perry Freshwater
| birth_name = Perry Thomas Freshwater
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1973|7|27}}
| birth_place = Wellington, New Zealand
| death_date =
| death_place =
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}
| weight = {{convert|17|st|2|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
| position = Loosehead Prop
| amatyears1 =
| amatteam1 =
| ru_amupdate =
| repteam1 = England Saxons
| repteam2 = England
| repyears1 = 2003–
| repyears2 =
| repyears3 = 2005–2007
| repcaps1 =
| repcaps2 =
| repcaps3 = 10
| reppoints1 =
| reppoints2 =
| reppoints3 = 0
| ru_ntupdate = 6 June 2009
| years1 = 1995–2003
| years2 = 2003–2012
| clubs1 = Leicester Tigers
| clubs2 = Perpignan
| apps1 = 70
| apps2 = 107
| points1 = 5
| points2 = 10
| ru_clubupdate = 6 June 2009
| ru_currentclub = Perpignan
| province1 =
| provinceyears1 =
| provinceapps1 =
| provincepoints1 =
| ru_provinceupdate =
| repsevensyears1 =
| ru_sevensupdate =
| coachteams1 =
| coachyears1 =
| ru_coachupdate =
| school = Wellington College
}}
Perry Thomas Freshwater (born 27 July 1973) is a retired English rugby union footballer. He is a loosehead prop and occasionally a hooker.
Biography
Born on 27 July 1973 in Wellington, New Zealand, Freshwater started playing rugby union as a five-year-old for the Wellington club and later played for New Zealand Schoolboys against Welsh Schoolboys in Christchurch in 1990. He also played for New Zealand U19 and New Zealand U21 teams before deciding to spend a year in England playing for the Leicester Tigers.
Club career
Freshwater made his debut against Nottingham in 1995 and went on to make over 130 appearances for the Tigers, many of them off the bench.
Freshwater was an unused replacement in the 2001 Heineken Cup Final,{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2000/heineken_cup/1339721.stm|title=European glory seals Leicester treble|publisher=BBC|date=19 May 2001|accessdate=15 January 2010}} and was a used replacement against Munster in the 2002 Heineken Cup Final.{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.co.uk/europeancup-2008/rugby/story/85691.html|title=Leicester hang on to defend Heineken crown|publisher=ESPN|date=25 May 2002|accessdate=15 January 2010}}
The presence of England international Graham Rowntree prevented Freshwater from establishing himself properly in the Tigers' team, and eventually in the summer of 2003 he moved to France to further his career at USA Perpignan. In his first season with the club, he was in the Perpignan team that lost to Stade Français in the 2004 Top 14 final.{{cite web|url=http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/5018_3712.php |title=Stade Francais Retain French Championship |publisher=ERC |date=28 June 2004 |accessdate=15 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826080908/http://www.ercrugby.com/eng/5018_3712.php |archivedate=26 August 2009 }} With USAP he won the 2008–09 French Championship, against ASM Clermont Auvergne.{{cite web|url=http://www.scrum.com/francetop14/rugby/story/97842.html|title=Perpignan strike to extend Clermont misery|publisher=ESPN Scrum|date=6 June 2009|accessdate=15 January 2010}}
International career
Freshwater qualified for England through his Plaistow-born father (he also had met the three-year residency requirement). In 2003, he received his first England Saxons cap when he played against France A in Perpignan. Freshwater went with the England Saxons team to Canada for the 2005 Churchill Cup and became Vice-Captain.{{cite web|url=http://www.rfu.com/News/2005/June/News%20Articles/LydonReshufflesTheChurchillPack?a=1&y=2005|title=Lydon Reshuffles The Churchill Pack|publisher=Rugby Football Union|date=25 June 2005|accessdate=15 January 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922065758/http://www.rfu.com/News/2005/June/News%20Articles/LydonReshufflesTheChurchillPack?a=1&y=2005|archivedate=22 September 2012}} The following year he was made Captain of the side against Italy A.{{cite web|url=http://www.rfu.com/News/2006/February/News%20Articles/EnglandASkipperFreshwaterInOptimisticMood?a=1&y=2006|title=England A skipper Freshwater in optimistic mood|publisher=Rugby Football Union|date=2 February 2006|accessdate=15 January 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922065911/http://www.rfu.com/News/2006/February/News%20Articles/EnglandASkipperFreshwaterInOptimisticMood?a=1&y=2006|archivedate=22 September 2012}}
Freshwater made his international debut from the replacements bench during the 40–3 victory over Samoa in November 2005.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4466496.stm|title=England 40–3 Samoa |publisher=BBC|date=26 November 2005|accessdate=15 January 2010}} He won a further two caps during the 2006 Six Nations Championship, against Scotland{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4745130.stm|title=Scotland 18–12 England|publisher=BBC|date=25 February 2006|accessdate=15 January 2010}} and Ireland.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/4813172.stm|title=England 24–28 Ireland|publisher=BBC|date=19 March 2006|accessdate=15 January 2010}}
Freshwater played in three games of the 2007 Six Nations Championship, and gained selection for the 2007 Rugby World Cup,{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/6943101.stm|title=Tindall & Hodgson miss World Cup|publisher=BBC|date=13 August 2007|accessdate=15 January 2010}} where he played in two group games.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070822060846/http://www.england-rugby.com/englandrugby/index.cfm?fuseaction=News.News_Detail&storyid=10907 England profile]
- [http://www.leicestertigers.com/squad/players.php?player=7080&includeref=dynamic Leicester profile]
- [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=6220 Perry Freshwater photo by sportingheroes.net]
{{England Squad 2007 World Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freshwater, Perry}}
Category:England international rugby union players
Category:English rugby union players
Category:English expatriate rugby union players in France
Category:Leicester Tigers players
Category:New Zealand emigrants to the United Kingdom
Category:New Zealand people of English descent
Category:People educated at Wellington College, Wellington
Category:Rugby union players from Wellington City