Pat Sanderson
Encyclopedia
Patrick Harold Sanderson (born 6 September 1977 in Chester
) is a former England international
rugby union
player and flanker
for Worcester, the team he currently captains. He is the brother of the former England player Alex Sanderson
.
His early rugby union career blossomed at Bury Grammar School
, Littleborough RUFC
and then at Kirkham Grammar School
and included his first international cap for the England 16 Group Schools team. He joined Manchester Sale (now Sale Sharks
) in 1996 and was capped by England U21s and England A. He moved to Harlequins where he played in the 2001 Powergen Cup final, when Quins lost to Newcastle
by 30–27.
Sanderson was first capped on England’s 1998 southern hemisphere tour as a 20-year-old, facing New Zealand twice and South Africa
, and he won another three caps on the 2001 tour to North America.
At the end of the 2003–04 season he moved to newly promoted Worcester Warriors, as captain, he was instrumental in ensuring the Warriors remained in the Premiership
. He started every Premiership
game last in 2004/5 and Sanderson was nominated for Zurich Player of the Season 2004–05 and the PRA Players’ Player of the Year. This consistency resulted in an England
recall for the Autumn test opener against Australia
in November 2005. Despite some impressive performances in the 2005 Autumn Internationals and being made captain for England's tour to Australia
in 2006, he fell out of favour with England
when Brian Ashton
replaced Andy Robinson
as coach in late 2006 and has not featured since.
Sanderson is an established and firm favourite at Worcester Warriors – both of the supporters and the club, and is fondly referred to as 'Captain Fantastic'. He has played over 100 top flight games and scored 22 tries for Worcester and has again being named as club captain for the 2008/09 season by Director of Rugby for Worcester Mike Ruddock
.
Sanderson is also a high-calibre sevens player, having made his debut back in 1997 in Hong Kong. In 2003–04 he played in six of the IRB World Series rounds including the three wins in South Africa, Hong Kong and London. He also helped England win the prestigious Hong Kong event. In 2002 he was also a member of England
’s Commonwealth Games
squad in Manchester.
Sanderson is the Chairman of the Professional Rugby Players’ Association and he is well placed to understand the problems players face, particularly with injuries. A fractured shoulder, two damaged knees and prolapsed disc have all kept him out of the game at different stages. Sanderson is also now the players representative of the This is Rugby campaign, in association with the The Professional Rugby Players' Association
, Premier Rugby Limited and the RFU, to promote the Core Values
of rugby following a spate of disreputable incidents in professional premiership rugby.
Sanderson committed his future to Worcester on the eve of the 2007/08 season by agreeing a new two-year deal, which will see him remain at Sixways
until 2010.
In August 2011, Sanderson was forced to retire from rugby after failing to recover from a shoulder injury.
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
) is a former England international
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
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...
player and flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
for Worcester, the team he currently captains. He is the brother of the former England player Alex Sanderson
Alex Sanderson
Alexander Sanderson is a former English rugby union footballer who played in the back row for Saracens and Sale Sharks. He is the brother of Pat Sanderson who also played rugby for Littleborough RUFC....
.
His early rugby union career blossomed at Bury Grammar School
Bury Grammar School
Bury Grammar School is an independent grammar school in Bury, Greater Manchester, England, that has existed since Kev Cryer was born, c.1570. The current headmaster is the Reverend Steven Harvey MA. The previous headmaster, Keith Richards MA, retired after sixteen years of headmastership on 7...
, Littleborough RUFC
Littleborough RUFC
Littleborough RUFC are a rugby union club based in the North West of England on the outskirts of Rochdale.The club has 4 senior teams and a thriving junior section.LRUFC is part of Littleborough Sports club...
and then at Kirkham Grammar School
Kirkham Grammar School
Kirkham Grammar School is a co-educational independent school in Kirkham, Lancashire, England . It was founded in 1549. Its roots can be traced back to the chantry school attached to St Michael's Church in the 13th century. The school remained in the church grounds until it moved to occupy...
and included his first international cap for the England 16 Group Schools team. He joined Manchester Sale (now Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
) in 1996 and was capped by England U21s and England A. He moved to Harlequins where he played in the 2001 Powergen Cup final, when Quins lost to Newcastle
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...
by 30–27.
Sanderson was first capped on England’s 1998 southern hemisphere tour as a 20-year-old, facing New Zealand twice and South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
, and he won another three caps on the 2001 tour to North America.
At the end of the 2003–04 season he moved to newly promoted Worcester Warriors, as captain, he was instrumental in ensuring the Warriors remained in the Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
. He started every Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
game last in 2004/5 and Sanderson was nominated for Zurich Player of the Season 2004–05 and the PRA Players’ Player of the Year. This consistency resulted in an England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
recall for the Autumn test opener against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
in November 2005. Despite some impressive performances in the 2005 Autumn Internationals and being made captain for England's tour to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 2006, he fell out of favour with England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
when Brian Ashton
Brian Ashton (rugby player)
William Brian Ashton MBE is a former rugby union player and the former Head Coach of the England and Ireland national rugby union teams.-Biography:...
replaced Andy Robinson
Andy Robinson
Richard Andrew 'Andy' Robinson OBE is an English rugby union coach and retired player. He is currently the head coach of Scotland.Robinson played as an openside flanker for Bath, England and the British and Irish Lions...
as coach in late 2006 and has not featured since.
Sanderson is an established and firm favourite at Worcester Warriors – both of the supporters and the club, and is fondly referred to as 'Captain Fantastic'. He has played over 100 top flight games and scored 22 tries for Worcester and has again being named as club captain for the 2008/09 season by Director of Rugby for Worcester Mike Ruddock
Mike Ruddock
Mike Ruddock, OBE is a Welsh rugby union coach, currently coach of the Ireland Under-20 Rugby Union Team and Lansdowne FC . Ruddock was the coach of the Worcester Warriors until his resignation on 28 April 2010 following their relegation from the Guinness Premiership...
.
Sanderson is also a high-calibre sevens player, having made his debut back in 1997 in Hong Kong. In 2003–04 he played in six of the IRB World Series rounds including the three wins in South Africa, Hong Kong and London. He also helped England win the prestigious Hong Kong event. In 2002 he was also a member of England
England national rugby union team (sevens)
The English national rugby union sevens team compete in the World Sevens Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the Commonwealth Games.-Honours:* 1973 International Seven-A-Side Tournament - Winners* Rugby World Cup Sevens Winners 1993* Hong Kong Sevens Winners 2002* Hong Kong Sevens Winners 2003*...
’s Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
squad in Manchester.
Sanderson is the Chairman of the Professional Rugby Players’ Association and he is well placed to understand the problems players face, particularly with injuries. A fractured shoulder, two damaged knees and prolapsed disc have all kept him out of the game at different stages. Sanderson is also now the players representative of the This is Rugby campaign, in association with the The Professional Rugby Players' Association
The Professional Rugby Players' Association
The Rugby Players Association is a trade union representing athletes who currently play or have played rugby union in England at a professional or semi-professional level. Established in 1998, it was originally called the Professional Rugy Players' Association ; in October 2009 it changed its name...
, Premier Rugby Limited and the RFU, to promote the Core Values
Core values
Core values may refer to:*Core values, the first value category of the value system*Core democratic values*Family values*The core values of many military organizations:**Core values of the United States Marine Corps**Core values of the United States Navy...
of rugby following a spate of disreputable incidents in professional premiership rugby.
Sanderson committed his future to Worcester on the eve of the 2007/08 season by agreeing a new two-year deal, which will see him remain at Sixways
Sixways Stadium
Sixways Stadium is a stadium in Worcester, England. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of Worcester Rugby Football Club. The stadium is able to hold 12,068. It opened in 1975 and is located off junction 6 of the M5 motorway, hence the name Sixways.An...
until 2010.
In August 2011, Sanderson was forced to retire from rugby after failing to recover from a shoulder injury.