 Mercer with Montpellier in 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Zach Ivan Mercer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 28 June 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Leeds, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 111 kg (17 st 7 lb; 245 lb) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Merchiston Castle School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Gary Mercer (father) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Zach Mercer (born 28 June 1997) is an English rugby union player who plays as a number eight or a flanker for Gloucester in the Gallagher Premiership.
Mercer was born in Leeds and grew up near Halifax. [2] He played junior rugby for Old Brodleians. [3] At the age of eight he moved with his family to Scotland. [2] In Scotland he attended Netherlee Primary School and Williamwood High School in Glasgow. He left at the end of his third year and then he attended Merchiston Castle School and played for Glasgow Hutchesons Aloysians. [3]
Whilst living in Scotland, Mercer was a member of the Glasgow Warriors academy. [4] In 2015, Mercer joined Bath. [5]
In September 2016, Mercer made his club debut in a Premiership fixture against the Newcastle Falcons. [1]
In February 2021 it was confirmed that Mercer would join French Top 14 side Montpellier ahead of the 2021–22 season. [6] Mercer's single season in Montpellier was a success, with the side winning their first ever French Championship. [7] Mercer also won some personal accolades, being named in the Top 14 Team of the Year and well as winning the Top 14 Player of the Year award. [8] [9]
On 30 August 2022, it was confirmed that Mercer would return to England to re-join the Premiership Rugby with Gloucester on a long-term deal ahead of the 2023-24 season. [10]
Mercer became a Scottish-qualified player through residency and played for the Scotland U16 team. [2] In March 2015, Mercer represented England U18 at the U18 European Championship. [3]
Mercer made his debut for the England U20 side during the 2016 Six Nations Under 20s Championship. [3] In June 2016, Mercer scored a try against Italy U20 in the group stage of the 2016 Junior World Cup. [11]
Mercer was captain of the England U20 team that completed the grand slam in the 2017 U20 Six Nations. [12] Mercer also captained the team at the 2017 Junior World Cup, [3] scoring the winning try in the semi-final against South Africa. [13] They were defeated in the final by New Zealand. [2] His performances saw Mercer nominated for World Rugby Junior Player of the Year. [14]
Mercer received his first call up to the England national rugby union team for the 2017 Autumn Internationals, however coach Eddie Jones made it clear he would be treated as an apprentice player in the squad. [15] In January 2018 he was named in England's squad for the 2018 Six Nations Championship and was no longer listed as an apprentice player. [16] On 27 May 2018, Mercer started for England at number 8 in a non-test match against the Barbarians. Scoring a first half try on his England debut, a 63–45 loss for England, against an experienced Baa Baa lineup. [17]
Mercer was selected to make his England debut [18] against South Africa in the 2018 Autumn Internationals after Ben Morgan was dropped.
Eddie Jones announced that Mercer will gain his first start in a test match for England in their 2018 Autumn Internationals match against Japan. [19]
Mercer's father is former rugby league footballer and coach Gary Mercer, who played for New Zealand and the New Zealand Māori rugby league team. [2]
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.
George Thomas Ford is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks and the England national team.
Anthony Kenneth Chisom Watson is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a wing or fullback for Leicester Tigers and the England national team.
Jonny Hill is an English professional rugby union player who plays at lock for Premiership club Sale Sharks. Hill is the nephew of former Rugby league international Paul Loughlin.
Finn Alastair Russell is a Scottish professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Premiership Rugby club Bath and captains the Scotland national team.
Charlie Ewels is an English professional rugby union player who plays at lock for Premiership club Bath.
Junior Bulumakau is a Fijian born Scotland Rugby Union 7's player who plays for Coventry Rugby Club. He previously played for Glasgow Warriors. and Doncaster Knights. His normal position is on the Wing but he can also play Full Back.
Samuel Gregory Underhill is a professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for Premiership Rugby club Bath. Born in the United States when his father served overseas in the Royal Air Force, he moved back to the UK aged 1 year old. He was brought up in Peterborough and then moved to Gloucestershire where he played for Sir Thomas Rich’s School, Longlevens RFC and Gloucester Academy. He represents England at international level.
Ellis Genge is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Premiership Rugby club Bristol Bears and the England national team.
Thomas Michael Curry is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks and the England national team.
Leon Michael Brown is a Welsh professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for United Rugby Championship club Dragons and the Wales national team.
Joe Cokanasiga is a professional rugby union player for the England national rugby union team. He plays wing for Bath, having previously represented London Irish. He helped his former team win promotion from the RFU Championship in 2016–17 season to the English Premiership for the 2017–18 season.
Adam Hastings is a Scottish professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Premiership Rugby club Gloucester and the Scotland national team.
Christopher James Harris is a rugby union player who plays centre for Gloucester in Premiership Rugby and for Scotland.
Samuel George Skinner is a professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for United Rugby Championship club Edinburgh. Born in England, he represents Scotland at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Jack Singleton is an English professional rugby union player who plays at hooker for Premiership Rugby club Gloucester.
Harry Alan J. Randall is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Bristol Bears in Premiership Rugby. Harry Randall is the younger brother of Jake Randall, the Scarlets youngest ever player.
Henry Walker is an English rugby union player who currently plays for Gloucester in the Premiership Rugby as a hooker.
Oliver Francis Lawrence is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for Premiership Rugby club Bath and the England national team