Steffon Armitage

Steffon Armitage

Full name	Steffon Elvis Armitage
Date of birth	(1985-09-20) 20 September 1985
Place of birth	San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	106 kg (16 st 10 lb)
School	Ivybridge Community College
Notable relative(s)	Delon Armitage
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position	Number 8/Openside Flanker
Youth clubs
Richmond Racing Rugby Club de Nice
Professional / senior clubs
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2004–2006 2006–2011 2011–	Saracens London Irish Toulon	5 134 129	(15) (135) (120)
correct as of 9 May 2015.
National team(s)
Years	Club / team	Caps	(points)
2008– 2009–	England A England	5	(0)
Sevens national teams
Years	Club / team		Comps
	England

Steffon Armitage (born 20 September 1985 in San Fernando, Trinidad) is an English professional rugby union player for RC Toulon in the Top 14.

Career

Born in San Fernando, Trinidad in 1985, Armitage grew up in the south of France, where he and his brothers played for Rugby Nice Côte d'Azur Université-Racing.

Armitage began his professional rugby career at Saracens, before signing for London Irish in 2006. Armitage started for London Irish in the 2009 Premiership final against Leicester Tigers, which the Tigers won 10-9.

At international level, Armitage was a member of the England Saxons squad that won the 2008 Churchill Cup. On 1 July 2008 he was selected to represent the England Saxons again. Armitage was called up for the England elite squad ahead of the 2009 Six Nations Championship to replace the injured Lewis Moody, making his full international debut in England's 36-11 win against Italy in the opening game. He started both matches in England's drawn two test series against Argentina in June 2009. Armitage would go on to win two further England caps in the 2010 Six Nations, coming off the bench in England's wins over Wales and Italy.

In May 2011, Armitage was granted an early release from his contract with London Irish to allow him to join French club RC Toulon. In his his first season in France, Armitage scored 7 tries in 27 matches. Armitage was in the starting 15 for 23 matches, and a substitute in 4. During this season, Armitage played for Toulon in the finals of the Top 14 and the Amlin Challenge Cup.

In July 2012, Armitage was provisionally suspended for abnormal drug test results., but was cleared to play all the games of the new season with Toulon, both in the Top 14 and Heineken Cup. In November, Armitage was cleared of the doping charge. On 19 November, Armitage was designated as best foreign player in the Top 14 by the Oscars of Midi Olympique (French Rugby Newspaper). In May 2013 he played as a replacement as Toulon won the 2013 Heineken Cup Final by 16–15 against Clermont Auvergne.

Armitage won a second Heineken Cup with Toulon playing against Saracens in May 2014. On 26 May 2014, it was announced that Armitage had been named 2013–14 ERC European Player of the Year. In that same year, Armitage was part of the Toulon side that beat Castres to win the Top 14 title.

In 2015, Armitage won a third European title with RC Toulon, and was again on the shortlist for European player of the year, losing out narrowly to Nick Abendanon who plays for Clermont Auvergne, the team Toulon defeated in the final.

Armitage can play as a Number 8 or Openside Flanker. He is known for his strength, speed and his effectiveness in ruck turnovers. Armitage has been considered to be one of the best players in the world due to his technical ability at the breakdown and his capacity to win a high number of turnovers each game. Given the English national team's lack of players with Armitage's skill set, many experts have argued that the 'exceptional circumstances' clause in England's policy banning overseas based players should be invoked to allow the triple European Championship winner to represent England, despite playing his club rugby at Toulon.

External links

• Toulon Profile
• Player Stats