James Gaskell facts for kids
James Gaskell at Wasps, 2014
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| Date of birth | 20 May 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Crewe, Cheshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 116 kg (256 lb; 18 st 4 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Sandbach School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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James Gaskell is a professional rugby union player. He was born on May 20, 1990. He plays for the Shokki Shuttles team in Japan. James usually plays as a flanker or a lock. These are important positions in rugby.
He started playing for the Sale Sharks team in 2008. James quickly became a star player. He was even named the youngest captain in the history of the Premiership, which is a top rugby league.
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James Gaskell's Early Rugby Journey
James Gaskell went to Sandbach School in Cheshire, England. He first learned to play rugby at the Sandbach Rugby Club. Later, he joined the Sale Sharks' special rugby academy. This academy helps young players become professionals.
Making His Professional Debut
In November 2008, the Sale Sharks team had a big problem. Many of their main players were injured or away playing for their countries. Because of this, James Gaskell and four other young players from the academy got a chance. They made their first professional appearance in a Premiership match. This was against the Worcester Warriors team.
Just two months later, James was chosen for the England Under 20s Elite Squad. This team plays in the Under 20s Six Nations tournament. He was also named Sale's Academy Player of the Year for the 2008/09 season. This showed how talented he was.
First Tries and Awards
James Gaskell scored his first try for the Sale Sharks on October 16, 2009. This happened in a game against the Cardiff Blues. Sale won that exciting match 27–26.
For the 2009/10 season, James won two big awards. He was named Sale's Breakthrough Player of the Year. He also won the Player's Player of the Year award. This means his teammates thought he was the best.
One of his tries was even voted Sale's "try of the season." This was in a game against Harlequins on January 1, 2010. He ran over 40 yards to score after getting a pass from Neil Briggs.
Becoming the Youngest Captain
In April 2010, Mike Brewer became the new head coach for Sale Sharks. He made many changes to the team. On August 31, he announced a big surprise. James Gaskell, who was only 20 years old, would be the team captain for the 2010/11 season.
This made James the youngest captain ever in the history of the Premiership. He had only started ten matches for the club before this. Mike Brewer explained that he chose James because he was a key player. He also said James was ready to lead the team forward.
Dealing with Injuries
Early in the season, James had an injury scare in a game against Saracens. Luckily, it was not too serious, and he returned to play. However, in October, he injured his ankle. This meant he could not play for about 14 to 16 weeks.
While James was recovering, Neil Briggs took over as captain. The plan was for James to become captain again the next season.
Changes in Coaching and Captaincy
James Gaskell returned from his ankle injury in January 2011. He scored a try in Sale's win against Saracens. This was his third try for the team in 20 matches.
While James was injured, the coach, Mike Brewer, was replaced. Pete Anglesea became the new coach. He then appointed Mark Cueto as the new captain.
Moving to New Teams
On February 6, 2014, James Gaskell signed a contract to play for the Wasps team. He joined them for the 2014–15 season. He played for Wasps for many years.
On August 22, 2022, it was confirmed that James had left Wasps. He moved to Japan to join the Shokki Shuttles club. This team plays in the Top League.
Playing for England
James Gaskell was chosen to play for the England squad in the summer of 2014. He played in a match against the Barbarians team.
