Date of birth | 5 August 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place of birth | Nottingham, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 108 kg (17 st 0 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Joe Gray (born 5 August 1988) is a rugby union coach for London Scottish in the RFU Championship and a retired player. He played for Harlequins in Premiership Rugby across two spells. He is the only player in history to have won every trophy available to players in the top two tiers of English rugby, including both European trophies. He played as a hooker, and previously played for Northampton Saints and Saracens.
Gray started his Rugby career at Nottingham, he was part of the Nottinghamshire County Schools Rugby Club and also played with Notts, Lincs & Derby County side. Gray took part in a tour of Australia with Three Counties at the age of 15. He played for England under16's A and played for the England under 18's the following year while he was still only 16.
Gray won the Churchill Cup with the England Saxons after starting the Challenge Cup final for Harlequins that they won in 2011.
He started for Harlequins in their 2011–12 Premiership final victory over Leicester Tigers. [1] Following his 80 minutes in the final he toured with England that summer to South Africa and played in the two midweek uncapped games against the Barbarians.
On 27 January 2019, Gray faced his old club Harlequins in a Premiership Rugby Cup match, against Saracens. An away win for Saracens, in which Gray came on in the second half as hooker. [2] He was a replacement as Saracens won the 2019 European Rugby Champions Cup Final. [3] He returned to Harlequins on loan in January 2020 before signing full time with the club. [4] [5]
Gray won his second Premiership title, this time as a replacement, as Harlequins won the game 40–38 in the highest scoring Premiership final ever on 26 June 2021. [6]
Gray got his first taste of club coaching with KCS Old Boys RFC in the 2015–16 season before going on to become the Director of Rugby at Barnes RFC.
Following his retirement from playing at the end of the 2021–22 season. He became head coach at London Scottish. [7]
Gray was called up again to the England training squad by coach Stuart Lancaster in May 2014 and flew out with the squad for the Barbarians' fixtures. [8] He made his England debut during the tour, coming off the bench in the 20–15 loss to New Zealand. [9]
Gray runs a sports recovery business called MyoMaster alongside his wife Lottie. In March 2024, the couple appeared on British reality television business programme Dragons' Den. The couple ultimately secured an investment from former Manchester United footballer Gary Neville and British businesswoman Sara Davies. [10]
Saracens Rugby Club is an English professional rugby union club based in North London, England, currently playing in Premiership Rugby, the highest level of competition in English rugby.
Richard Cockerill is an English rugby union coach and former player and was most recently the manager of Top 14 side Montpellier. He was the England national team's interim head coach between Eddie Jones and Steve Borthwick. He played as a hooker, spending the majority of his career at Leicester Tigers where he played 255 games over two spells, he won 27 caps for England and was included in the 1999 Rugby World Cup squad. He won five league titles, two European Cups and two domestic cups as a player.
Harlequins is a professional rugby union club that plays in Premiership Rugby, the top level of English rugby union. Their home ground is the Twickenham Stoop, located in Twickenham, south-west London.
Christopher John Ashton is a retired English rugby union and former rugby league footballer, and one of the few players who have represented England in both rugby codes. Ashton primarily played wing and secondarily played fullback.
Mike Brown is an English professional rugby union player who plays fullback or wing for Leicester Tigers in Premiership Rugby. Brown joined the Harlequins senior team in 2005, having played youth rugby at Salisbury and Melksham, and began playing for the England first team two years later. Between 2021–2022 Brown played a season for Newcastle Falcons.
Chris Robshaw is an English former rugby union player. He was the captain of the England national rugby union team from January 2012 until December 2015. Robshaw's position of choice was in the back row of the scrum, usually flanker.
Joseph William George Marler is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Premiership Rugby club Harlequins and the England national team.
Jamie Edward George is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a hooker for Premiership Rugby club Saracens and captains the England national team.
George Edward John Kruis is an English former professional rugby union player. He played lock for Saracens and represented England and the British & Irish Lions. He was almost always used as a jumper in the line-out due to his height and athleticism.
Viliami Vunipola is a professional rugby union player who plays as a number eight for Premiership Rugby club Saracens. Born in Australia, he represents England at international level after qualifying on residency grounds.
Simon Kerrod is a South African rugby union player, currently playing with English Premiership side Harlequins. His regular position is tighthead prop.
Kyle Norval Jonathan Sean Sinckler is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Premiership Rugby club Bristol Bears and the England national team.
Oliver Jonathan Devoto is an English rugby union player, who plays for Exeter Chiefs as a utility back primarily as a centre and fly-half.
Marcus Sebastian Smith is a professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Premiership Rugby club Harlequins. Born in the Philippines, he represents England at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Leanne Infante is an English rugby union player. She made her debut for England in 2013 and was a finalist in the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup. At club level, she plays for Saracens.
Jack Singleton is an English professional rugby union player who plays at hooker for Premiership Rugby club Gloucester.
Hugh Peter Tizard is an English professional rugby union player, currently playing as a lock for Saracens, which competes in Premiership Rugby, the top-level competition of English rugby. He previously played for Harlequins.
Theodor Dan is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a hooker for Premiership Rugby club Saracens and the England national team.