Jamie Ritchie

James Thomas Ritchie (born 16 August 1996) is a Scottish professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for United Rugby Championship club Edinburgh and the Scotland national team.^[1]

Jamie Ritchie

Ritchie representing Edinburgh in 2021
Full name	James Thomas Ritchie
Date of birth	(1996-08-16) 16 August 1996 (age 28)
Place of birth	Dundee, Scotland
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	109 kg (240 lb; 17 st 2 lb)
School	Madras College Strathallan School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker Current team Edinburgh Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2014–2025 Edinburgh 113 (35) 2025– Perpignan 0 (0) Correct as of 29 March 2024 International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2013 Scotland U18s 5 (0) 2014–2016 Scotland U20s 18 (25) 2018– Scotland 54 (5) Correct as of 25 November 2024

Early life

Jamie Ritchie started his rugby career while being brought up in the city of Dundee. One of his idols is Dundee-born Andy Nicol.^{[citation needed]}

Outside rugby, he was a silver medalist at the British Judo Championships in 2009, the British independent schools judo champion in 2010 and played first XI cricket at his school.^[2]

Club career

While still a teenager, Ritchie made his first-team debut in October 2014 with an appearance from the replacements' bench in the Pro12 match against Leinster.^[3] In January 2021, Ritchie signed the longest deal in Edinburgh's history, with head coach Richard Cockerill describing Ritchie as a future Scotland captain. "“Jamie is an excellent young player with an old head on his shoulders. He has a really bright future ahead of him and we’re delighted he’s signed such a long-term deal. His work-rate is immense but it’s the quality of work within that which sets him apart," Cockerill said.^[4]

On 6 February 2025, it was confirmed that Ritchie would leave Edinburgh to join French side Perpignan in the Top 14 from the 2025-26 season.^[5]

International career

Ritchie has represented Scotland at under-16, under-18 and under-20.^[6] He played in the 2013 and 2014 European Under-18 Rugby Union Championship, the latter as captain.^[6] In June 2014 he played four matches for Scotland under-20 at the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship.^[7]

Ritchie received his first call up to the senior Scotland squad by coach Gregor Townsend in October 2017 for the autumn internationals.^[8] Ritchie received his first senior cap against Canada on the 9 June 2018 in a 48–10 victory.^[9]

Ritchie was picked in Scotland's 2019 Rugby World Cup squad. However he fractured his cheekbone in the last warm-up match for Scotland against Georgia.^[10]

Ritchie received player of the match in Scotland's match against France in the 2020 Six Nations, after getting punched by France prop Mohamed Haouas^[11] During this game Mohamed Haouas was sent off for dangerous play in the 37th minute for punching Ritchie.^[12] He once again won a 2020 Six Nations player of the match award, this time against Wales in a 14–10 victory.^[13] It was Scotland's first win on Welsh soil since 2002.

In October 2022 Ritchie was named as the captain of the Scottish squad for the 2022 end-of-year rugby union internationals.^[14] In 2023 Ritchie was selected in Scotland's 33 player squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.^[15]