Steve Borthwick
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Stephen William Borthwick (born 12 October 1979 in Carlisle) is an English rugby union footballer who plays lock for Bath and England. He has established himself among the best line-out jumpers in England. He is 6'6" and over 15st.
Borthwick played rugby for Hutton Grammar School. He was captain and went on a tour with them to Australia.
Borthwick joined Bath in 1998 from Preston Grasshoppers, making his debut against Saracens in December 1998. He had to balance rugby commitments with study, graduating from the University of Bath in 2003 with a degree in Economics and Politics.
He first emerged during England's tour of South Africa in 2000 and his knowledge and grasp of the line-out intricacies have now made him a pivotal figure for club and country. Despite his presence in the line-out, he was not really heavy enough for international football, but has since bulked out.
A regular choice as the England A team captain, from his debut against Wales at Wrexham in February 2001, he had already excelled on the full tour of South Africa the previous summer. Injury prevented him being considered for the next trip the following year to Argentina. He came on as a blood replacement for Ben Kay in the 25-14 win over Australia in Melbourne in June 2003, his sixth cap. A member of England’s wider World Cup squad, he narrowly missed selection to the final 30.
Borthwick had arguably his best ever season for Bath in 2003/04. A central leadership figure in the absence of many senior players due to the World Cup, he quickly set about making his mark on the Zurich Premiership. He was one of the three nominees for the Zurich Premiership Player of the Year award. He also regained his place in the England squad. Despite England's disappointing results, Steve came out with a lot of credit through his solid play in adversity.
Borthwick initially failed to make England's 2005 Autumn test squad, with Gloucester forward Alex Brown seemingly poised for a start instead, but injury ruled Brown out of contention and Borthwick stepped in, playing a commanding role against Australia, New Zealand and Samoa.
