Jason Eaton facts for kids
| Birth name | Jason John Eaton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 21 August 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Palmerston North, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 115 kg (18 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Palmerston North Boys' High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jason John Eaton (born 21 August 1982) is a former professional rugby union player from New Zealand. He was known for playing as a lock, which is a key position in the scrum. Jason played for some of the biggest teams in rugby, including the famous All Blacks.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Jason Eaton was born in Palmerston North, New Zealand. He grew up on a farm near a small town called Colyton. This is where he spent his childhood.
He went to Feilding Intermediate school. Later, he attended Palmerston North Boys' High School. Many talented rugby players have come from this school.
Jason's Rugby Journey
Jason Eaton started his professional rugby career in New Zealand. He played for different provincial teams before joining bigger clubs.
Provincial Rugby Beginnings
Jason first played for the Manawatu team in 2002. He played 25 games for them over two years. In these games, he scored three tries.
In 2004, he moved to the Taranaki team. He played for the Stratford club within the Taranaki competition. He was named Player of the Year for the Taranaki side in 2011.
Playing for the All Blacks
In 2005, something amazing happened. Jason was chosen by coach Graham Henry to join the All Blacks. This was a huge deal because he hadn't even played in the top-level Super Rugby competition yet!
He made his first appearance for the All Blacks when he was 23 years old. This was during their successful tour in November 2005. His very first game was against Ireland. Jason played a total of 15 test matches for the All Blacks between 2005 and 2009.
Super Rugby with the Hurricanes
Jason Eaton also played for the Hurricanes in the Super Rugby competition. This is a very high level of rugby. He had a fantastic start with the Hurricanes.
In his first game for them, he scored two tries against the Western Force. Overall, he played 89 games for the Hurricanes. He scored 10 tries during his time with the team.
International Recognition
On 21 November 2006, Jason Eaton received a special award. He won the International Rugby Players' Association's (IRPA) International Newcomer of the Year award. This award is voted on by international players from all over the world. Players are not allowed to vote for their own teammates. This shows how much other players respected his talent.
Playing Overseas
In 2013, Jason left New Zealand to play rugby in other countries. He first played briefly for the Shining Arcs team in Japan.
After Japan, he moved to France. From 2014 to 2018, he played for the French club La Rochelle. This was another important part of his professional rugby journey.
