Liam Botham
Encyclopedia
Liam James Botham is a former rugby
player who played rugby union
and later rugby league
. He is the son of English Test
cricket
er Ian Botham
. His godfather is the former West Indian cricket captain Viv Richards
.
Liam initially followed in his father's footsteps, playing county cricket for Hampshire
. He took the wicket of former England captain Mike Gatting
on his County Championship debut. However, he left the sport in 1997 after just one season to play rugby union
for West Hartlepool
. He made his debut for the England under-21 team the same year, before successive moves to Cardiff
and Newcastle Falcons
.
While at Newcastle the club won the Tetley Bitter Cup and reached the final of the European Shield
. In 2003 he switched sports again, signing for Super League
club Leeds Rhinos
. Although playing well for the Rhinos, the 2004 Superleague Champions, Botham signed for struggling Wigan
towards the end of the season, feeling he could not get a regular place in the Rhinos team.
In 2005 he announced his retirement aged 27 after a neck
injury. Towards the end of the 2006 season there were signs that he might return to playing competitive cricket: he played a significant role in an England XI victory against Lancashire in a testimonial match for Andrew Flintoff
at Old Trafford. In 2006 Liam setup a company with his friend James Miller; Botham & Miller will offer executive sporting trips to South Africa, Australia and other destinations.
He plays for, and is captain of Northallerton Town 1st XI.
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
player who played rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and later rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
. He is the son of English Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
. His godfather is the former West Indian cricket captain Viv Richards
Viv Richards
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, KNH, OBE is a former West Indian cricketer. Better known by his second name, Vivian or, more popularly, simply as Viv or King Viv Richards was voted one of the five Cricketers of the Century in 2000, by a 100-member panel of experts, along with Sir Donald...
.
Liam initially followed in his father's footsteps, playing county cricket for Hampshire
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
. He took the wicket of former England captain Mike Gatting
Mike Gatting
Michael "Mike" William Gatting OBE is a former English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Middlesex and for England from 1977 to 1995, captaining the national side in twenty-three Test matches between 1986 and 1988...
on his County Championship debut. However, he left the sport in 1997 after just one season to play rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
for West Hartlepool
West Hartlepool R.F.C.
West Hartlepool Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union club who play in the National League 3 North league after gaining promotion by winning the 2010 / 2011 North 1 East league.-History:...
. He made his debut for the England under-21 team the same year, before successive moves to Cardiff
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
and Newcastle Falcons
Newcastle Falcons
The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in...
.
While at Newcastle the club won the Tetley Bitter Cup and reached the final of the European Shield
European Shield
The European Shield was a reprechage tournament for teams knocked out in the first round of the European Challenge Cup in 2002-03 and 2003-04. The name "European Shield" had previously been used for the now renamed European Challenge Cup....
. In 2003 he switched sports again, signing for Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
club Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
. Although playing well for the Rhinos, the 2004 Superleague Champions, Botham signed for struggling Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
towards the end of the season, feeling he could not get a regular place in the Rhinos team.
In 2005 he announced his retirement aged 27 after a neck
Neck
The neck is the part of the body, on many terrestrial or secondarily aquatic vertebrates, that distinguishes the head from the torso or trunk. The adjective signifying "of the neck" is cervical .-Boner anatomy: The cervical spine:The cervical portion of the human spine comprises seven boney...
injury. Towards the end of the 2006 season there were signs that he might return to playing competitive cricket: he played a significant role in an England XI victory against Lancashire in a testimonial match for Andrew Flintoff
Andrew Flintoff
Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff MBE is a former English cricketer who played for Lancashire County Cricket Club, England and the Indian Premier League team Chennai Super Kings. A tall fast bowler, batsman and slip fielder, Flintoff according to the ICC rankings was consistently rated amongst the top...
at Old Trafford. In 2006 Liam setup a company with his friend James Miller; Botham & Miller will offer executive sporting trips to South Africa, Australia and other destinations.
He plays for, and is captain of Northallerton Town 1st XI.
External links
- Leeds Tykes profile
- Cricket career
- Botham & Miller
- profile at leedsrugby
- Liam Botham Wigan Career Page on the Wigan RL Fansite.