 Leonard in 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 14 August 1968 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Barking, London, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 111 kg (245 lb; 17 st 7 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Rugby player, Management, Business owner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jason Leonard OBE (born 14 August 1968) is an English former rugby union player. He won a then-record 114 caps for England men’s rugby team during a 14-year international career.
A prop, Leonard played club rugby for Barking RFC, Saracens and Harlequins. He played in England teams which won four Grand Slams (1991, 1992, 1995 and 2003) and the 2003 Rugby World Cup, and played for the British & Irish Lions on three tours, winning five more caps. He was part of the Lions squad that won the test series during their 1997 tour of South Africa.
He was awarded the MBE for services to rugby in 2002,[1] and an OBE after England's Rugby World Cup success.[2] He was also inducted to the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2014.
Since his retirement in 2004, Leonard has been active in the governance of rugby. He was President of the RFU (2015–2016),[3][4] and Chairman of the British & Irish Lions (2019–2022),[5] succeeded by Ieuan Evans.[6][7]
In 2008, Leonard joined Besso Group, and has since worked as a senior advisor for the established Lloyd's broker. Leonard has launched his own special event service, the FunBus.[8]
- ^ Lomax, Andrew (14 June 2002). "Sports Awards: MBEs for Scottish curlers". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
- ^ "England's rugby World Cup winners are honoured". The Independent. 31 December 2003. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
- ^ "RFU - Rugby Football Union". Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
- ^ "Peter Baines succeeds Jason Leonard as RFU President". Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
- ^ Casey, Marcus (2 October 2017). "Jason Leonard and Steve Brown join Lions board". British & Irish Lions. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
- ^ "Lions appoint Ieuan Evans as new chairman". British & Irish Lions. 27 July 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ "Evans appointed British & Irish Lions chairman". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ "About". JASON LEONARD. Retrieved 14 December 2018.