View source for Jeremy Guscott

{{short description|British Lions & England international rugby union player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name                    = Jeremy Guscott
| image                   = Jeremy Guscott 2012.jpg
| caption                 = Jeremy Guscott in 2012
| birth_name              = Jeremy Clayton Guscott
| birth_date              = {{birth date and age|1965|7|7|df=y}}
| birth_place             = [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], [[Somerset]], England
| death_date              =
| death_place             = 
| height                  = {{convert|6|ft|1|in|abbr=on}}
| weight                  = {{convert|13|st|3|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
| position                = [[Centre (rugby union)|Centre]]
| amatyears1              = 
| amatteam1               = 
| ru_amupdate             = 
| repteam1                = [[England national rugby union team|England]]
| repteam2                = [[British & Irish Lions|British Lions]]
| repyears1               = 1989–1999
| repyears2               = [[1989 British Lions tour to Australia|1989]], [[1993 British Lions tour to New Zealand|1993]], [[1997 British Lions tour to South Africa|1997]]
| repcaps1                = 65
| repcaps2                = 8
| reppoints1              = 143
| reppoints2              = 7
| medals                  = {{MedalSport|Men's [[Rugby union|Rugby 15's]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{nrut|England}}}} 
{{MedalCompetition|[[Rugby World Cup]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1991 Rugby World Cup|1991 England]]|[[1991 Rugby World Cup squads|Squad]]}}
| ru_ntupdate             = 
| years1                  = 1984–2000
| clubs1                  = [[Bath Rugby|Bath]]
| apps1                   = 266
| points1                 = 710
| ru_clubupdate           = 
| ru_currentclub          = 
| province1               = 
| provinceyears1          = 
| provinceapps1           = 
| provincepoints1         = 
| ru_provinceupdate       = 
| repsevensyears1         = 
| ru_sevensnationalcaps   = 
| ru_sevensnationalpoints = 
| ru_sevensupdate         = 
| coachteams1             = 
| coachyears1             = 
| ru_coachupdate          = 
| occupation              = Television pundit
| school                  = [[Ralph Allen School]]
}}

'''Jeremy Clayton Guscott''' (born 7 July 1965) is an English former [[rugby union]] player who played for [[Bath Rugby|Bath]], [[England national rugby union team|England]] and the [[British & Irish Lions|British Lions]].<ref name="Bath">{{cite web|url=http://www.bathrugby.com/645.php|title=Bath Rugby – Jeremy Guscott|publisher=Bath Rugby|access-date=6 February 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206033611/http://www.bathrugby.com/645.php|archive-date=6 December 2008}}</ref> Usually an [[Centre (rugby union)|outside centre]], he also appeared for England on the [[wing (rugby union)|wing]].

On 17 November 2016, Guscott was inducted to the [[World Rugby Hall of Fame]] during the opening ceremonies for the Hall's first physical location in [[Rugby, Warwickshire]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-38003317 |title=World Rugby Hall of Fame: Jonny Wilkinson attends launch |publisher=BBC News Coventry and Warwickshire |date=17 November 2016 |access-date=23 October 2017}}</ref>

==Early life ==
Guscott was born in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], [[Somerset]], one of the two sons of [[Jamaicans|Jamaican]] hospital porter Henry Guscott and his English wife Sue.<ref>{{cite web |title=LESSONS FROM A LIFE IN SPORT |url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/rugby-union/article/how-sir-ian-mcgheechan-inspired-me-and-why-murrayfield-is-my-least-favourite-ground-kls0j5j9q |website=[[The Times]] |access-date=11 December 2021 |date=25 October 2020}}</ref> He was educated at [[Ralph Allen School]]. He played for Bath, his home city, throughout his career, most of which was during the amateur era. Guscott was originally a [[bricklayer]], briefly drove buses for [[Badgerline]] in Bath, and worked for [[British Gas plc|British Gas]] in a public-relations role before the game turned professional.<ref name="Bath" />

==Rugby career==
At club level Guscott played for Bath from 1984 to 2000, scoring 710 points in 266 appearances. He also started for Bath in the victorious [[1998 Heineken Cup Final]] as they defeated [[CA Brive|Brive]].<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/17106.php
|title=The Third Heineken Cup Final
|publisher=epcrugby.com
|date=31 January 1998
|access-date=24 February 2017
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026005039/http://www.epcrugby.com/matchcentre/17106.php
|archive-date=26 October 2016
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>

During the English off season in 1987, Guscott travelled to [[Australia]] and played for Wollongong Waratahs RFC in the Illawarra District Rugby Union competition.

Marking his England debut with a hat-trick of tries in the 58–3 win over [[Romania]] in [[Bucharest]] in May 1989, Guscott received a call-up for the in-progress [[1989 British Lions tour to Australia|British Lions tour of Australia]], making a series-winning contribution in the second and third Tests. He also travelled to [[New Zealand]] in 1993 with the Lions, playing in all three Tests; though in this tour the Lions lost 2 matches to 1.

When [[Will Carling]] stepped down as England captain in 1996, [[Phil de Glanville]] was appointed his successor. As de Glanville was thereby guaranteed a place in the team, Carling was moved from [[Centre (rugby union)|inside centre]] to [[Centre (rugby union)|outside centre]] and Guscott was relegated to the bench. Such was Guscott's talent and form at the time that even Carling noted in his autobiography that it was an extraordinary decision for then England Coach, [[Jack Rowell]], to make. In the 1997 Five Nations, Guscott came off the bench to play on the wing in wins against Ireland and Wales.

Guscott toured with the British Lions in [[1997 British Lions tour to South Africa|South Africa in 1997]], where he scored the winning [[drop goal]] during the decisive second test.<ref name="Lions">{{cite web|url=http://www.lionsrugby.com/history/players.php?player=2350&includeref=dynamic|title=The British and Irish Lions – Jeremy Guscott|publisher=Lionsrugby.com|access-date=28 June 2013}}</ref> He started the third and final test in this series but broke his arm and could not finish the game.

His last game for England was against [[Tonga national rugby union team|Tonga]] in a [[1999 Rugby World Cup]] pool match at Twickenham, scoring a length-of-field try and receiving a standing ovation upon the game's conclusion. An increasingly debilitating thigh injury forced Guscott to call time on his career and take an early exit from 1999 World Cup competition. England lost to [[South Africa national rugby union team|South Africa]], without him, in the quarter final. In all, Guscott represented England in three World Cups – 1991, 1995, and 1999 – helping England to an appearance in the 1991 final. He missed most of the 1994 international season through injury.

Guscott now works for the [[BBC]] as a pundit on their rugby programmes.

==Personal life==
Guscott is married to Saz, who is a psychologist. He has 3 daughters, Imogen, Holly and Saskia, from his previous marriage.

==See also==
* [[List of top English points scorers and try scorers]]

==Bibliography==
* ''At the centre – autobiography'' {{ISBN|1-85793-084-3}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|id=1011242|name=Jeremy Guscott}}
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=1178 Rugby heroes]

{{British and Irish Lions 1989}}
{{British and Irish Lions 1989 France}}
{{Four Home Unions 1990}}
{{England Squad 1991 World Cup}}
{{British and Irish Lions 1993}}
{{England Squad 1995 World Cup}}
{{British and Irish Lions 1997}}
{{England Squad 1999 World Cup}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guscott, Jeremy}}
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People educated at Ralph Allen School, Bath]]
[[Category:Barbarian F.C. players]]
[[Category:Bath Rugby players]]
[[Category:Black British sportsmen]]
[[Category:British & Irish Lions rugby union players from England]]
[[Category:England international rugby union players]]
[[Category:English rugby union players]]
[[Category:English people of Jamaican descent]]
[[Category:Sportspeople of Jamaican descent]]
[[Category:Rugby union centres]]
[[Category:Rugby union players from Bath, Somerset]]
[[Category:World Rugby Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:1991 Rugby World Cup players]]
[[Category:1995 Rugby World Cup players]]
[[Category:1999 Rugby World Cup players]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]