External links
- James Parsons at ESPNscrum
- James Parsons at ItsRugby.co.uk
| Full name | James William Parsons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 27 November 1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Palmerston North, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 106 kg (234 lb; 16 st 10 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | King's College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Tom Parsons (cousin) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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James William Parsons (born 27 November 1986) is a New Zealand retired Rugby union player who played as a hooker for the Blues in Super Rugby [1] [2] and North Harbour in the ITM Cup. [3] He has also played two matches for the All Blacks. He is one of just 3 players that have ever become a Blues centurion and Player of the Year
He was born in Palmerston North and educated at King's College in Auckland, completing his education in 2004.
He was first selected for North Harbour in 2007 and went on to become a centurion for the province. In 2012 he debuted for the Blues in Super Rugby, his first game being against the Highlanders.
After being called up to the All Blacks squad as injury cover, he made his international debut against Scotland on 15 November 2014. Parsons is one of eight All Blacks to have come from the Takapuna Rugby Club.[ citation needed ]
In 2015, he gave up his starting spot to the retiring Keven Mealamu in his 50th appearance for the Blues against Highlanders at Eden Park. Parsons would take over as the captain of the Blues the following year.
Parsons was re-selected for New Zealand in 2016, following the injury of Nathan Harris, playing off the bench against Australia in Westpac Stadium for the Bledisloe Series. Parsons was later injured himself at a training session, preventing any further game time that year. In the same year he won Blues Player of the Year.
In 2019 Parsons re-signed with the Blues until 2021. [4]
In January 2021, Parsons announced his retirement from rugby, on medical advice. [5]
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The Blues are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Auckland, who play in the Super Rugby competition. Like New Zealand's four other Super Rugby teams, the Blues were established by the NZRU in 1996. One of the most successful teams in Super Rugby history, the Blues won the competition in its first two seasons, 1996 and 1997, and again in 2003, as well as a Trans Tasman competition in 2021, additionally, the team were finalists in 1998 and 2022 and semi-finalists in 2007, 2011 and 2023.
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