Pat Leach
Encyclopedia
Patrick James Handley "Pat" Leach (born 18 July 1985) is a rugby union
player for Newport RFC and the Newport Gwent Dragons
regional team. He usually plays at centre, but he has also played at fullback. Born in St Asaph
, Flintshire
, Leach began his career with Colwyn Bay RFC
and joined Orrell RUFC
after leaving school. He also played for Manchester Rugby Club
and had trials with English Premiership side Worcester before joining Newport RFC in 2009. He received his first call-up to the Dragons side in May 2010.
to Mike – a former Wales B rugby international – and Sally Leach. He attended Rydal Penrhos
senior school in Colwyn Bay
, where his father was employed as a rugby coach. While at Rydal, Leach mostly played cricket
, and in 2000, at the age of 14, he began playing in the Liverpool and District Cricket Competition
for Colwyn Bay, for whom he played until 2009. He briefly went on trial with Glamorgan County Cricket Club
in the summer of 2002, playing for their Under-17s team in matches against Monmouth School
and Wiltshire Under-17s
. Three years later, he was selected to play for the Wales Minor Counties
in a Minor Counties Championship
match against Shropshire
in Colwyn Bay. He bowled 11 overs in the first innings, taking no wickets for 63 runs, but did not bowl in the second innings and did not bat in either innings.
In 2008, Leach was selected to play for Wales in a three-day game against the Marylebone Cricket Club
at the SWALEC Stadium. He opened the bowling for Wales, taking two wickets for 29 runs in 12 overs, before scoring 40 runs off 74 balls. In the second innings, he took one more wicket for 25 runs off 11 overs and added 35 runs off 54 ball. The match finished as a draw, with Wales falling 77 runs short of a result with three wickets remaining.
while at Rydal, both for the school and for Colwyn Bay RFC
. On leaving school, Leach joined Orrell RUFC
, but later returned to Colwyn Bay. He spent two years back with Colwyn Bay before joining Manchester Rugby Club
, making it into the first XV. This led to appearances for Cheshire and for the England Counties team's tour of Japan and South Korea in 2009. The same year, Leach had a two-week trial with English Premiership side Worcester Warriors, followed by two weeks with the Newport Gwent Dragons
at a training camp in Aberystwyth
.
Leach was offered a contract with the Dragons in August 2009, but an ankle injury early in the season meant that he missed much of the 2009–10 campaign. He made his comeback for Newport RFC in a game against Bedwas RFC
in January 2010, and went on to make 15 more appearances before the end of the season, leading to his Dragons debut against the Ospreys on 7 May 2010; he was replaced by Tom Riley after 66 minutes.
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...
player for Newport RFC and the Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
regional team. He usually plays at centre, but he has also played at fullback. Born in St Asaph
St Asaph
St Asaph is a town and community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 3,491.The town of St Asaph is surrounded by countryside and views of the Vale of Clwyd. It is situated close to a number of busy coastal towns such as Rhyl, Prestatyn, Abergele,...
, Flintshire
Flintshire (historic)
Flintshire , also known as the County of Flint, is one of thirteen historic counties, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which mostly lies on the north east coast of Wales....
, Leach began his career with Colwyn Bay RFC
Colwyn Bay RFC
Colwyn Bay Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the town of Colwyn Bay, North Wales. Colwyn Bay RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets....
and joined Orrell RUFC
Orrell R.U.F.C.
Orrell Rugby Union Football Club is a rugby union team from the Orrell area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester.The club were founded in 1927, holding a place in the top-tier of rugby union from 1986 to 1997.-1927–1939:...
after leaving school. He also played for Manchester Rugby Club
Manchester Rugby Club
Manchester Rugby Club, formerly known as Manchester Football Club, are one of the oldest rugby union clubs in existence, having been founded in 1860, 11 years before the RFU....
and had trials with English Premiership side Worcester before joining Newport RFC in 2009. He received his first call-up to the Dragons side in May 2010.
Early life and cricket career
Leach was born in St AsaphSt Asaph
St Asaph is a town and community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 3,491.The town of St Asaph is surrounded by countryside and views of the Vale of Clwyd. It is situated close to a number of busy coastal towns such as Rhyl, Prestatyn, Abergele,...
to Mike – a former Wales B rugby international – and Sally Leach. He attended Rydal Penrhos
Rydal Penrhos
Rydal Penrhos is a private co-educational boarding school in Colwyn Bay, North Wales. It is located on multiple sites around the town including a site in the neighbouring village of Rhos-on-Sea where it keeps its watersports equipment for easy access to the beach.The school, as it exists today,...
senior school in Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay
- Demography :Prior to local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974 Colwyn Bay was a municipal borough with a population of c.25,000, but in 1974 this designation disappeared leaving five separate parishes, known as communities in Wales, of which the one bearing the name Colwyn Bay encompassed...
, where his father was employed as a rugby coach. While at Rydal, Leach mostly played 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...
, and in 2000, at the age of 14, he began playing in the Liverpool and District Cricket Competition
Liverpool and District Cricket Competition
The Liverpool and District Cricket Competition is the top level of competition for recreational club cricket in the Liverpool area and since 2000 has been a designated ECB Premier League, one of two in Lancashire, the other being the Northern League....
for Colwyn Bay, for whom he played until 2009. He briefly went on trial with Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
in the summer of 2002, playing for their Under-17s team in matches against Monmouth School
Monmouth School
Monmouth School is an HMC boys' boarding and day school in Monmouth, Monmouthshire in south east Wales. It was founded in 1614 by William Jones. It is run as a trust, the William Jones's Schools Foundation, by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Livery Companies...
and Wiltshire Under-17s
Wiltshire County Cricket Club
Wiltshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Wiltshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
. Three years later, he was selected to play for the Wales Minor Counties
Wales Minor Counties Cricket Club
Wales Minor Counties Cricket Club, representing the historic counties of Wales except Glamorgan is currently the only non-English member of the Minor Counties Championship in the England and Wales domestic cricket structure....
in a Minor Counties Championship
Minor Counties Cricket Championship
The Minor Counties Cricket Championship is a season-long competition in England that is contested by those county cricket clubs that do not have first-class status...
match against Shropshire
Shropshire County Cricket Club
Shropshire County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Shropshire and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy...
in Colwyn Bay. He bowled 11 overs in the first innings, taking no wickets for 63 runs, but did not bowl in the second innings and did not bat in either innings.
In 2008, Leach was selected to play for Wales in a three-day game against the Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
at the SWALEC Stadium. He opened the bowling for Wales, taking two wickets for 29 runs in 12 overs, before scoring 40 runs off 74 balls. In the second innings, he took one more wicket for 25 runs off 11 overs and added 35 runs off 54 ball. The match finished as a draw, with Wales falling 77 runs short of a result with three wickets remaining.
Rugby career
Leach also played rugby unionRugby 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...
while at Rydal, both for the school and for Colwyn Bay RFC
Colwyn Bay RFC
Colwyn Bay Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the town of Colwyn Bay, North Wales. Colwyn Bay RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Llanelli Scarlets....
. On leaving school, Leach joined Orrell RUFC
Orrell R.U.F.C.
Orrell Rugby Union Football Club is a rugby union team from the Orrell area of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester.The club were founded in 1927, holding a place in the top-tier of rugby union from 1986 to 1997.-1927–1939:...
, but later returned to Colwyn Bay. He spent two years back with Colwyn Bay before joining Manchester Rugby Club
Manchester Rugby Club
Manchester Rugby Club, formerly known as Manchester Football Club, are one of the oldest rugby union clubs in existence, having been founded in 1860, 11 years before the RFU....
, making it into the first XV. This led to appearances for Cheshire and for the England Counties team's tour of Japan and South Korea in 2009. The same year, Leach had a two-week trial with English Premiership side Worcester Warriors, followed by two weeks with the Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
at a training camp in Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
.
Leach was offered a contract with the Dragons in August 2009, but an ankle injury early in the season meant that he missed much of the 2009–10 campaign. He made his comeback for Newport RFC in a game against Bedwas RFC
Bedwas RFC
Bedwas RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh village of Bedwas. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.-Club history:...
in January 2010, and went on to make 15 more appearances before the end of the season, leading to his Dragons debut against the Ospreys on 7 May 2010; he was replaced by Tom Riley after 66 minutes.
External links
- Newport Gwent Dragons profile
- Newport RFC profile
- Profile at CricketArchive.com