Jamie Cudmore

Jamie Cudmore

Cudmore in 2009
Birth name	Jamie Cudmore
Date of birth	(1978-09-06) 6 September 1978 (age 46)[1]
Place of birth	Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Height	196 cm (6 ft 5 in)[1]
Weight	118 kg (18 st 8 lb; 260 lb)[1]
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock, Flanker Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) Capilano () Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2002–2003 Llanelli 13 (5) 2002–2003 Llandovery 23 (25) 2004–2005 Grenoble 28 (5) 2005–2016 Clermont 212 (90) 2016–2017 Oyonnax 15 (5) International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2002–2016 Canada 43 (15)

Jamie Cudmore (born 6 September 1978)^[2] is a Canadian former professional rugby union player who played as a lock and as a flanker. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he began his career with Capilano RFC in British Columbia. He then played professionally in Wales for Llanelli and Llandovery, and in France for Grenoble, Clermont and Oyonnax. He was nicknamed "Cuddles" by his teammates.^[3]

Professional career

Cudmore debuted for Canada in 2002 against the United States and appeared in the 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups.

On 29 May 2010, Cudmore's team ASM Clermont Auvergne won the Top 14 Championship, beating USA Perpignan 19–6 at the Stade de France. The win marked the first French national title in the club's history.

Cudmore retired at the end of the 2016–17 season.^[4]

Following critical posts on social media towards Canada's women's 7s rugby team, Cudmore was relieved from his coaching position with Rugby Canada.^[5]

Personal life

Cudmore in 2009

Cudmore in 2011

Cudmore says he "had a bit of trouble growing up". As a teenager, he was an enforcer for a drug dealer in his hometown and spent a year in a youth detention center following a conviction for assault.^[6] He has stated that rugby turned his life around and channelled his aggression in the proud spirit of rugby union, throughout his playing career.

Cudmore's younger brother is actor Daniel Cudmore, who starred as the mutant Colossus in the X-Men films. His other younger brother, Luke Cudmore, has represented the Canada U21 rugby team.^[7]

Cudmore and his wife Jennifer, who is originally from Newfoundland, have a daughter, Maelle. They currently live in the Clermont-Ferrand area of France, where Jamie owns a wine bar called "Vinomania", and a sportsbar/nightclub called "The Five".^[8] Jennifer is an entrepreneur with an honors MBA from Grenoble École de Management, and together they recently came out with their own wine label called "Sin Bin". With the Chardonnay being named 'Yellow Card', and 'Red Card' being the name of the Pinot Noir Gamay, they poke fun at his disciplinary record.^[9]

References

1. "Team Canada Rugby Profiles". tsn.ca. TSN. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
2. Jamie Cudmore player profile Scrum.com
3. "Rugby World Cup 2011: team-by-team guide to the tournament in New Zealand". Daily Telegraph. August 31, 2011. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
4. "Canadian rugby legend Jamie Cudmore retires from playing". The Province. May 7, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
5. "Rugby Canada fires coach who made 'unacceptable' posts toward women's 7s team at Tokyo Olympics". CBC Sports. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
6. Adams, Alan (September 12, 2007). "Rugby saved me". International Rugby Board. Archived from the original on August 1, 2010. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
7. Starkman, Randy (August 4, 2011). "Cudmore brothers can bring the house down". Toronto Star. Retrieved October 12, 2011.
8. Davidson, Neil (September 26, 2011). "From rugby to restaurants: Canadian enforcer serves up vintage wine". The Canadian Press aggregated at Yahoo! News. Retrieved October 12, 2011.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
9. Mortimer, Gavin (April 14, 2015). "Clermont's Jamie Cudmore on wine and winning". Rugby World.