James Hook

James Hook is a former Wales and British Lions rugby player, and part of the exciting generation of talents who came through at Ospreys in the 2000s that was dubbed by the Welsh press as “The Fab Four”. He was a flamboyant fly-half and nerveless goal-kicker who helped his club to two Pro12 titles.

He retired in 2020 upon the expiration of his Ospreys contract, and went on to write a series of children’s rugby-based stories. He didn’t leave rugby altogether though, and worked for the Ospreys as their kicking and skills coach.

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More About James Hook

Born in Port Talbot, James Hook was the middle child of three sporty children; his brother was also a professional rugby player, and his siter a netball player. He started playing rugby when he was at Neath College, playing a half-back combination with Martin Roberts.

His career progressed, first playing in the junior and youth teams at clubs including Aberavon Quins RFC, Taibach RFC, and Corus RFC. He moved into senior rugby, playing for Neath RFC, becoming the record holder for the highest individual points tally within one season.

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He made his step into national rugby by playing for the Ospreys in the 2006-07 Magners League season, giving an outstanding performance as a fly-half and inside centre. He stayed with the Ospreys until the end of 2010, when he signed a three-year-deal with French side USA Perpignan.

Upon leaving Perpignan in 2014, he joined Gloucester Rugby in the English Aviva Premiership, before returning to Ospreys in 2016.

However, it wasn’t just club-level rugby that James was excelling at. He initially played for the Wales Under-21 team, before playing in the Welsh Sevens Team. He made his international debut against Argentina where he scored a late try. He made his home debut for Wales in 2006, and was named as their Man of the Match.

During the 2007 Six Nations Championship, James played in all of Wales’s games, but was featured at inside-centre, rather than his preferred position of fly-half. As a result, he struggled to make an impact. However in the final game against England, he switched position and produced a Man of the Match-winning performance, scoring an impressive 22 points in their 27-18 win.

He continued to play at the 2008 Six Nations Championship, the 2009 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa, the 2010 Six Nations Championship, the 2011 World Cup, and the 2012 Six Nations Championship.

Overall, he achieved an impressive record:

– Neath RFC – 204 points in 16 appearances

– Perpignan – 801 points in 68 appearances

– Gloucester – 294 points in 78 appearances

– Ospreys – 841 points in 149 appearances

– Wales – 352 points in 81 appearances

After retiring, James took his first steps into punditry, commentating for BBC Wales. He has also stepped into the world of writing, and has since released a duology of children’s books:

– Chasing a Rugby Dream: Kick Off (2020) – winner of The Telegraph Sports Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year

– Chasing a Rugby Dream: Impact (2021)

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