Eorl Crabtree

Eorl Crabtree
Personal information
Full name Eorl Lance Crabtree
Born (1982-10-02) 2 October 1982[1]
Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, England
Height 6 ft 5 in (196 cm)[2]
Weight 18 st 4 lb (116 kg)[3]
Playing information
Position Prop, Second-row, Centre

Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2000–16 Huddersfield Giants 423 79 0 0 316
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2004–10 England 14 3 0 0 12
As of 7 November 2016

Eorl Crabtree (born October 2, 1982) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played for Huddersfield Giants of Super League and England. His playing position was prop forward, he spent his entire playing career at Huddersfield.

Biography

Born in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, Crabtree has lived in Meltham since he was three years old and attended Honley High School. He is the nephew of legendary professional wrestler Shirley "Big Daddy" Crabtree, himself a former rugby league player who played for Bradford Northern, although he never made an appearance for the first team.

Crabtree while playing for Huddersfield in 2010

Club career

Crabtree signed for Huddersfield on his 17th birthday and made his début for the club in 2001. The following season he scored 25 tries in 37 league and cup appearances whilst playing at centre during Huddersfield's National League promotion season. His breakthrough year in Super League was 2004 where, under coach Jon Sharp, he established himself as a regular in Huddersfield's first team and developed a reputation as an imposing figure with his mix of size and athleticism. Crabtree played for Huddersfield in the 2006 Challenge Cup Final at second-row forward against St. Helens but the Giants lost 12-42. Crabtree had a superb 2009 campaign at Huddersfield. Having helped them to a third-place finish in Super League and to Wembley for the Challenge Cup final, Crabtree also impressed national coach Tony Smith who selected Eorl in the England squad for the 2009 Four Nations. At the end of the year, Crabtree signed a new long-term contract until the end of the 2015 season.

Crabtree was an integral part of the Huddersfield team that finished top of Super League XVIII, and was one of four Huddersfield players selected in the Super League Dream Team that year. In April 2014, Crabtree made his 350th appearance for the Giants in a 33-14 win over Warrington in Super League XIX. With this appearance he is currently the 14th most capped Huddersfield club player ever.[4] In 2015, he signed an extension to his contract taking him until the end of the 2017 season.[5] On September 3, 2015, Crabtree made history and became the 10th most capped club player of the Huddersfield Giants. He also scored a rare try on his 400th appearance for the club.[6]

Crabtree announced his retirement as a player on 7 November 2016 to become an ambassador for the Giants.[7] He also makes regular appearances as a commentator and pundit for BBC Sport's rugby league coverage.

International career

Eorl is a full England international having played 13 times for his country. He featured in the 2009 and 2010 Four Nations tournaments, but missed out on selection in 2011.

References

  1. ↑ Stott, Julie (6 October 2010). "England Four Nations Pen Pics". News of the World. UK: News Group Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  2. ↑ "Giants to Boast Biggest Pack". Huddersfield Giants. Huddersfield Giants. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  3. ↑ "Huddersfield Giants 1st Team Eorl Crabtree". Huddersfield Giants web site. Huddersfield Giants. 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  4. ↑ "Huddersfield Giants prop Eorl Crabtree reaches club 350 appearances". The Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 2014-04-02. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
  5. ↑ Eorl Crabtree: Huddersfield Giants prop signs new deal
  6. ↑ "Huddersfield beat Castleford to close on Super League semi-finals". theguardian. 2015-09-03. Retrieved 2015-09-05.
  7. ↑ "Crabtree calls time on stellar playing career". Huddersfield Giants. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
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