Chris Paterson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chris Paterson

Birth name	Christopher Douglas Paterson
Date of birth	(1978-03-30) 30 March 1978 (age 47)
Place of birth	Edinburgh, Scotland
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight	12 st 8 lb (80 kg)
School	Galashiels Academy
Occupation(s)	Rugby ambassador and coach
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback / Fly-half / Wing Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1996–1999 Gala RFC () Correct as of 24 July 2007 Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1998 1999–2007 2007–2008 2008–2012 Glasgow Edinburgh Gloucester Edinburgh 2 89 14 67 (0) (530) (38) (529) Correct as of 5 May 2012 Current local club Edinburgh Rugby National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1999–2011 Scotland 109 (809) Correct as of 1 October 2011

Christopher Douglas Paterson, also known as Chris Paterson, is a famous Scottish rugby player. He was born on March 30, 1978. He played for the Scotland and Edinburgh teams for most of his career.

Chris Paterson is a record-holder for Scotland. He scored 809 points, which is more than any other Scottish player. He also played in 109 international games, making him Scotland's second most-capped player. He could play in many positions, like fullback, wing, and fly-half.

He stopped playing international rugby in December 2011. He retired from all professional rugby in May 2012. Today, he works as an ambassador and special coach for rugby in Scotland.

Chris Paterson's Early Rugby Days

Chris Paterson began his rugby journey with his local team, Gala. A big moment for him was scoring a solo try that helped Gala win the 1999 Scottish Cup. This exciting match happened at Murrayfield.

Soon after, Chris became a professional player. He joined Glasgow but only played two games there. Then, he moved to Edinburgh Rugby. To become a professional player, he left the University of Edinburgh. He had been studying to become a PE teacher.

Playing for Edinburgh Rugby

From 2000 to 2007, Chris was a key player for Edinburgh Rugby. He helped the team reach the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup in the 2003–04 season. This was a big achievement for Edinburgh.

Later, due to some disagreements between the Scottish Rugby Union and Edinburgh Rugby's owner, Chris decided to leave. On July 24, 2007, he signed a three-year contract with Gloucester.

Time with Gloucester Rugby

Chris Paterson's time at Gloucester was not as successful as he hoped. He didn't get to play many games during the 2007–08 season.

However, he did have a memorable moment. He scored a fantastic 50-meter try against Bath in a derby game. On May 2, 2008, it was announced that Chris would return to Edinburgh Rugby for the next season. He played 14 games for Gloucester and scored 38 points.

Returning to Edinburgh Rugby

After leaving Gloucester, Chris Paterson rejoined Edinburgh Rugby. He quickly became a regular player for the team again.

One of Chris's best skills was his goal-kicking. In a game on May 9, 2009, against Newport Gwent Dragons, he showed this skill perfectly. Edinburgh won 43–3, and Chris scored 28 points all by himself. He kicked nine out of nine attempts, including five penalties and four conversions, plus a try!

Chris played his last professional match on May 5, 2012. It was against Benetton Treviso at Murrayfield Stadium. Even though he had been injured, he scored Edinburgh Rugby's third try in their 44–21 victory.

Chris Paterson's International Career

Early International Games (1999–2003)

Chris Paterson played his first game for Scotland in the 1999 Rugby World Cup. This was against Spain, and he played as a fullback. Scotland reached the quarter-finals in that World Cup but lost to New Zealand.

In his next game for Scotland, in the 2000 Six Nations Championship against France, Chris scored his first points. He kicked two penalties and a conversion. Later that year, he scored his first try for Scotland during a tour of New Zealand.

Chris became a regular player for Scotland. His strong performances helped him earn a spot in Scotland's 2003 Rugby World Cup team.

During the 2003 World Cup, Chris had some amazing games.

• Against Japan, he scored two tries, a conversion, and a penalty. Scotland won 32–11.
• Against the United States, he scored 19 points, including a try. Scotland won 39–15.

Scotland made it to the quarter-finals again but lost to Australia. Chris scored 71 points in the 2003 World Cup and was named the team's best player.

Big Moments (2003–2007)

On November 15, 2004, Chris Paterson made history. In Scotland's huge 100–8 win over Japan, he scored 40 points. This included three tries, 11 conversions, and one penalty. This is still a record for the most points scored by a Scottish player in one international game. He also became Scotland's second-highest points scorer.

Two weeks later, on November 27, 2004, against South Africa, Chris became the youngest and lightest Scottish player to reach 50 international games. He was 26 years old.

In 2005, Chris was named the BBC's best fullback of the 2005 Six Nations Championship. Many people were surprised when he wasn't chosen for the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand.

Chris was part of a strong Scotland team in the 2006 Six Nations Championship. They beat France, England, and Italy. Scotland finished third, which was their best result in the Six Nations since Italy joined in 2000.

Chris also captained Scotland during the 2007 Six Nations Championship when the usual captain was injured.

He played in his third World Cup in 2007. Scotland reached the quarter-finals but lost to Argentina. Chris played in all five of Scotland's games and scored 46 points. In a crucial game against Italy, he kicked perfectly, scoring all 18 points in Scotland's narrow 18–16 victory. This helped Scotland move forward in the tournament.

Later International Career (2008–2011)

On February 9, 2008, Chris Paterson played his 83rd game for Scotland against Wales. This meant he had played more games than any other Scottish back player.

Later that year, on June 14, 2008, he played his 88th game, breaking the record for most appearances for Scotland. He was named the best player in Scotland's 26–14 win over Argentina.

In 2009, Chris scored the winning points in Scotland's historic 9–8 win against Australia. This was Scotland's first win over Australia in 27 years!

On February 13, 2010, Chris Paterson made history again. He became the first player to reach 100 games for Scotland when he played against Wales. However, he got a serious kidney injury in that game, which made him miss the rest of the season.

He returned to play his 101st game on November 20, 2010. Scotland beat the world champions, South Africa, 21–17.

In the 2011 Six Nations Championship, Chris showed his amazing defensive skills. He made a fantastic try-saving tackle against England's Ben Foden. The next week, he made a similar tackle against Italy's Luke McLean. These tackles helped Scotland stay in the games. He also became one of only five players to score more than 400 points in the history of the Six Nations Tournament.

Chris was chosen for Scotland's 2011 Rugby World Cup squad, which was his fourth World Cup. He scored 14 points in Scotland's first game, a 34–24 win over Romania.

In his final game for Scotland, his 109th cap, he played against England in the 2011 World Cup. Scotland needed to win to move to the next stage, but they lost 16–12. In this game, Chris set a new record for most World Cup appearances for Scotland with 15. He also increased his total points for Scotland to 809.

Chris Paterson announced his retirement from international rugby in December 2011. He held many important Scottish records at that time. His 109 caps were more than 20 ahead of the next player. He also had the most starts in Scotland's history with 96. He was Scotland's all-time leader in points (809), conversions (86), and penalties (140). Chris was known for being able to play in many different positions.

Coaching and Ambassador Role (2012 onwards)

In May 2012, it was announced that Chris Paterson would take on a new role. He became a specialist coach and an ambassador for the Scottish Rugby Union. This means he helps train players and represents Scottish rugby.

Chris Paterson's Kicking Skills

Chris Paterson was known for his incredible accuracy when kicking goals. During his career, he scored a total of 1860 points for Scotland and Edinburgh Rugby.

He once successfully kicked 36 goals in a row for Scotland between August 2007 and June 2008. He didn't miss a single kick during the 2007 Rugby World Cup or the 2008 Six Nations Championship. This was thought to be a world record for consecutive successful kicks in international games for a while.

For Scotland, he scored 809 points. This included 22 tries, 90 conversions, 170 penalties, and 3 drop goals.

For Edinburgh Rugby, he scored 773 points in the Pro12 league and 287 points in the Heineken Cup.

Other Achievements

Chris Paterson's popularity in Scotland led to him being part of marketing campaigns. In 2011, he appeared on cereal boxes for Scott's Porage Oats. He also helped promote a new product range for MacSween Haggis.

In 2012, Chris was given an award called Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his great contributions to Scottish rugby. In June 2012, he also received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Edinburgh Napier University.

International Tries

Chris Paterson scored 22 tries for Scotland during his international career. Here are some of them:

Try	Opposing Team	Venue	Competition	Date	Result	Score
1	New Zealand	Eden Park, Auckland	2000 Scotland rugby union tour of New Zealand	1 July 2000	Loss	48-14
2	United States	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	2000 Autumn Internationals	4 November 2000	Win	53-6
3	Wales	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	2001 Six Nations	17 February 2001	Draw	28-28
4	Canada	Thunderbird Stadium, Vancouver	2002 Scotland rugby union tour of North America	15 June 2002	Loss	26-23
5	United States	Boxer Stadium, San Francisco	2002 Scotland rugby union tour of North America	22 June 2002	Win	23-65
6
7	Romania	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	2002 Autumn Internationals	9 November 2002	Win	37-14
8	Wales	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	2003 Six Nations	8 March 2003	Win	30-22
9	Italy	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	2003 Six Nations	29 March 2003	Win	33-25
10	South Africa	Kings Park Stadium, Durban	2003 Scotland rugby union tour of South Africa	7 June 2003	Loss	29-25
11	Japan	Willow Sports Complex, Townsville	2003 Rugby World Cup	12 October 2003	Win	32-11
12
13	United States	Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane	2003 Rugby World Cup	20 October 2003	Win	39-15
14	Japan	McDiarmid Park, Perth	2004 Autumn Internationals	13 November 2004	Win	100-8
15
16
17	Wales	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	2005 Six Nations	13 March 2005	Loss	22-46
18	Romania	Dinamo Stadium, Bucharest	2005 mid-year rugby union tests	5 June 2005	Win	19-39
19	Wales	Millennium Stadium, Cardiff	2006 Six Nations	12 February 2006	Loss	28-18
20	Italy	Stadio Flaminio, Rome	2006 Six Nations	18 March 2006	Win	10-13
21	Italy	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	2007 Six Nations	24 February 2007	Loss	17-37
22	Romania	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	2007 Rugby World Cup	18 September 2007	Win	42-0

See also

In Spanish: Chris Paterson para niños

• Duncan Paterson, his uncle, who also played for Scotland.
• Gregor Townsend, another famous rugby player who went to Galashiels Academy.
• List of rugby union Test caps leaders