Jason Leonard Bio

Jason Leonard is one of the finest players to ever wear an England shirt. With 114 caps for his country, four Six Nations Grand Slam titles and a Rugby World Cup victory to his name, he’s undoubtedly one of the greats of the game.

Born 14 August 1968, Jason Leonard’s career straddled rugby’s professional and amateur eras. His obvious talent for the game was spotted during his youth and he joined Saracens in 1989. After a single year with the London club, he moved to Harlequins, where he stayed until his retirement in 2004. During his lengthy stay with the club, he made 290 appearances for the team.

However, despite his spectacular domestic career, Jason Leonard is best known for his performances in an England shirt. At the age of 21, he became the youngest prop forward to ever play for England. From here, he never looked back. Over the course of his career, he won 114 caps for his country. To this day, he remains the most-capped England player.

Across his career with England, Jason Leonard won almost every trophy the game has to offer. He won the Grand Slam in the Six Nations Championship four times (1991, 1992, 1995 and 2003) and he was a crucial member of England’s Rugby World Cup-winning side in 2003. Plus, thanks to his success for England, Jason Leonard also toured with the British and Irish Lions three times.

Since retiring from the game in 2004, Jason Leonard has remained a huge presence in rugby and has actively been involved in the governance of the game. For example, he’s currently the Chairman of the British and Irish Lions. In addition, he’s been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.