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Chris Paterson

Birth name

Christopher Douglas Paterson

Date of birth

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

Amateur team(s)
Position(s)	Fullback / Fly-half / Wing
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. Chris played for the Scotland national team and Edinburgh for most of his career. He is Scotland's top points scorer with 809 points. He also has the second-highest number of games played for Scotland, with 109 caps. Chris was a very versatile player, meaning he could play in many different positions. These included fullback, wing, and fly-half.

Chris Paterson stopped playing international rugby in December 2011. He retired as a professional player in May 2012. Today, he works as an ambassador and special coach for the Scotland and Edinburgh rugby teams.

Chris Paterson's Early Rugby Days
Playing for Edinburgh Rugby
Time with Gloucester
Back with Edinburgh Rugby
Chris Paterson's International Career
Life After Playing: Coaching and Ambassador Role
Chris Paterson's Kicking Skills
Other Achievements
See also

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 win happened at Murrayfield. Soon after, Chris became a professional player. He first joined Glasgow. However, he only played two games there before moving 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 2002, Chris played in the Scottish/Welsh League. This league is now known as Pro14. He was part of the Edinburgh team that reached the Heineken Cup quarter-finals in the 2003–04 season. Chris was a key player for Edinburgh for seven years.

In 2007, there was a disagreement between the Scottish Rugby Union and Edinburgh Rugby's owner. Because of this, Chris left Edinburgh to play for Gloucester. He signed a three-year contract with Gloucester on July 24, 2007.

Time with Gloucester

Chris Paterson's time at Gloucester was not as successful as he hoped. He did not get to play many games during the 2007–08 season. On May 2, 2008, it was announced that Chris would return to Edinburgh Rugby. He played 14 games for Gloucester and scored 38 points. A memorable moment was a 50-meter try in a game against Bath.

Back with Edinburgh Rugby

After leaving Gloucester, Chris Paterson rejoined Edinburgh Rugby. He quickly became a regular player in the team again. One of Chris's best skills was his goal-kicking. This was clear in Edinburgh Rugby's last home game of the 2008–09 Celtic League season. Edinburgh won 43–3 against Newport Gwent Dragons. In that game, Chris scored 28 points. He kicked nine out of nine attempts, including five penalties and four conversions, and also scored 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 out with an injury, Chris scored Edinburgh Rugby's third try. This helped his team win 44–21.

Chris Paterson's International Career

Starting with Scotland (1999–2003)

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

In his next game for Scotland, during 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 Rugby World Cup, Chris scored two tries and kicked a conversion and a penalty against Japan. In the next game against the United States, he scored 19 points, including a try. Scotland made it to the quarter-finals but lost to Australia. Chris scored 71 points in this World Cup and was named Scotland's player of the tournament.

Key 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 a single international match.

Two weeks later, on November 27, 2004, against South Africa, Chris became the youngest Scottish player to reach 50 caps (games played). He was only 26 years old.

In 2005, Chris was the BBC's choice for full-back of the 2005 Six Nations Championship. Many people were surprised when he was not chosen for the 2005 British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. This was because of his excellent kicking and running.

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 since Italy joined the tournament in 2000. Chris was captain during the 2007 Six Nations Championship when Jason White was injured.

Chris played in his third World Cup in 2007. Scotland reached the quarter-finals again 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 win. This helped Scotland qualify for the next stage.

Later Career and Retirement (2008–2011)

On February 9, 2008, Chris Paterson played his 83rd game for Scotland against Wales. This broke the record for a Scottish back player. Later that year, on June 14, 2008, he played his 88th game. This broke the overall record for most appearances for Scotland. He was named man of the match 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 became the first player to reach 100 caps for Scotland. This happened in a game against Wales. In the same game, he suffered a serious kidney injury, which made him miss the rest of the season.

On November 20, 2010, Chris played his 101st game in a 21–17 win against South Africa. During the 2011 Six Nations Championship, Chris was recalled to the starting team. He scored 31 points and made impressive try-saving tackles. He also became one of only five players to score over 400 points in the history of the Six Nations Tournament.

Chris was chosen for Scotland's 2011 Rugby World Cup squad, his fourth World Cup. He scored 14 points in Scotland's first game against Romania. In the final group game against England, Chris played his 109th and final game for Scotland. Scotland lost, and were knocked out of the tournament. In this game, he set a new record for most Scotland World Cup appearances with 15. He also increased his Scotland points record 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 more than the next player. He also had the most starts for Scotland, with 96. Chris was Scotland's all-time leader in points (809), conversions (86), and penalties (140). He was also known for being able to play in many different positions.

Life After Playing: Coaching and Ambassador Role

In May 2012, it was announced that Chris Paterson would take on a new role. He became a specialist coach and 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 amazing kicking accuracy. During his career, he scored a total of 1860 points for Scotland and Edinburgh Rugby.

He successfully kicked 36 goals in a row for Scotland between August 2007 and June 2008. He did not miss a single kick during the 2007 Rugby World Cup or the 2008 Six Nations Championship. This was thought to be a world record at the time.

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 fame in Scotland led him to appear in marketing campaigns. In 2011, he was featured on cereal boxes for Scott's Porage Oats. He also helped launch a new product range for MacSween Haggis.

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