Chris Latham (rugby player)

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Chris Latham
Full name	Chris Latham
Date of birth	1975-09-08
Place of birth	Narrabri, New South Wales
Height	1.93 m
Weight	102 kg
Rugby union career
Position	Full back
Super Rugby		Caps	(points)
1997 1998-	Waratahs Queensland Reds	10 90	(193)
Current local club:	Gold Coast Breakers
correct as of 12 Sept 2006.
National team(s)
1998-	Australia	72	(180)
correct as of 12 Sept 2006.
7's National teams
1997, 2006	Australia	{{{ru_sevensnationalcomp}}}
correct as of 12 Sept 2006.
Other Information
School attended	Narrabri High School
Spouse	Michelle

Chris Latham (born 8 September 1975) is an Australian rugby union player, who plays at full back for the Queensland Reds and Australia.

He currently stands as the 2nd highest try scorer (behind David Campese) in Wallaby history with 31 international tries (155 points), as of June 2006.

[edit] Career

He started his career with the New South Wales Waratahs, but moved to Queensland in 1998 beginning a highly successful career with the Queensland Reds where he has been awarded the Australian Super 12 Player of the Year award 3 times (2000, 2003 and 2004). In 2005 he became the 21st player to win 100 caps for Queensland. Such is the love for "Latho" amongst the Queensland Reds supporters that amid speculation that he would move to Irish provincial club Munster the famous XXXX Hill was renamed the "Don't Go Latho" Hill in a successful effort to keep him in Queensland.

He made his international debut for Australia against France in 1998 and played in both the 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cups.

He was the star of the Northern Hemisphere v Southern Hemisphere Tsunami Relief match held at Twickenham in March 2005, in which he scored 3 tries in a game which pitted the best players from each hemisphere against each other.

Until 2004, his performance in the Super 12 had not translated to international rugby, where he was otherwise a choice for Australia in the absence of other candidates like Mat Rogers and the recently retired Matt Burke.

In February 2006, he was named in the Australian Rugby Sevens team to compete at the 2006 Commonwealth games, to be held in Melbourne where he suffered a rib injury.

On 12 September 2006 he was awarded the 2006 John Eales Medal^[1]. He is the first back to be awarded the medal.

He is widely regarded as the best fullback in the world by rugby pundits and fans alike, but suffered severe misfortunate in early 2007 when he ripped his anterior cruciate ligament in pre-season training with the Queensland Reds, endangering his chances of playing in his 3rd Rugby World Cup this year.

[edit] References

^ "Chris Latham wins 2006 John Eales Medal", ARU, 2006-09-12. Retrieved on September 12, 2006.

[edit] External links

Preceded by Jeremy Paul	John Eales Medal 2006	Succeeded by current

v • d • e Australia squad - 2003 Rugby World Cup
Forwards:	Baxter • Cannon • Cockbain • Croft • Darwin • Dunning • Giffin • Harrison • Lyons • Paul • Roe • Smith • Sharpe • Vickerman • Young • Waugh (vc)
Backs:	Burke • Flatley • Giteau • Gregan (c) • Grey • Larkham • Latham • Mortlock • Roff • Rogers • Sailor • Turinui • Tuqiri • Whitaker
Coach:	Jones