Eric Peters (rugby union)

Eric Peters

Date of birth	28 January 1969
Place of birth	Glasgow, Scotland
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Weight	105 kg (16 st 7 lb)
School	Brentwood School
University	Cambridge University
Occupation(s)	Chartered Surveyor
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Number eight
Amateur clubs
Years	Club / team
	Loughborough Students Cambridge University R.U.F.C.
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1993–2000 2000–2001 2002 2002 2002–2003	Bath Rugby Harlequins Fylde Rotherham Connacht
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
1995 - 1999	Scotland	29	(25)

Eric Peters (born 28 January 1969) is a Scottish former amateur and professional rugby union player, usually playing at No8, who rose to captain the Scotland national rugby union team.

Early life

Born in Scotland Peters attended Brentwood School,^[1] and Cambridge University, where he became captain of rugby. He played rugby for England at both Under 21 and Student level, before choosing to play for Scotland at senior level.^[2]

Rugby career

He joined Bath Rugby club in September 1993,^[3] when rugby union was still an amateur game, so he also qualified as a Chartered Surveyor and worked for a property consultant. He first played for Scotland against Canada, in January 1995, and became a professional player when the code was changed in 1996. He was first appointed Scottish captain for the 1999 match against Italy, but sustained a shattered kneecap in April 1999, and was out of the game for over a year. In March 2000, whilst still undergoing rehabilitation and surgery on his knee, it was discovered that he had testicular cancer, which was successfully treated with chemotherapy.^[4]

Peters scored a particularly memorable try in 1995 vs Wales at Murrayfield. Doddie Weir collected a loose kick deep inside the Scottish half, he set off like, in the words of the late Bill McLaren, "a mad giraffe". When the Weirs's path was eventually blocked, he fed Kenny Logan whose mazy run made the try. Logan weaved his way past numerous Welsh defenders deep into the oppositions territory before one of them finally slowed his run. Peters loomed large on his shoulder and took the pass to then score to the delight of the home crowd to finish Murrayfield's more memorable tries.

Whilst still injured, he left Bath and joined Harlequins, who he first played for in December 2000. Leaving Harlequins in 2001, he briefly joined Fylde and Rotherham before joining Connacht in 2002.^[5] He also briefly returned to the Scotland team in 2002.^[6] Peters usually played in the Number 8 position, is 1.96m tall and had a playing weight of 105 kg

Later career

Retiring from professional rugby in 2003, Peters became a Chartered Surveyor and Senior Associate at property consultants King Sturge,^[7] for whom he still plays rugby sevens, helping them win the RICS tournament 3 years in a row.^[8] He also commentates on rugby for BBC Radio 5 Live and is a celebrity supporter of the Orchid cancer charity.^[9]

References

1. School – Famous Old Brentwoods retrieved 5 February 2009
2. Gordon Poole Agency Biography retrieved 5 February 2009
3. Bath rugby press release of 5 July 2000 retrieved 5 February 2009
4. BBC report on Peters 28 November 2000 retrieved 5 February 2009
5. BBC news report 13 August 2002 retrieved 5 February 2009
6. Independent newspaper report on Peters return 18 June 2002 retrieved 5 February 2009
7. King Sturge staff list retrieved 5 February 2009
8. RICS article "Ballpark Figures" 03 December 2007 retrieved 5 February 2009
9. Orchid Cancer Celebrity Supporters retrieved 5 February 2009