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James Clare (rugby league)

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James "Sticks"[1] Clare
Personal information
Full nameJames David Clare[2]
Born (1991-04-13) 13 April 1991 (age 33)
Castleford, West Yorkshire, England
Playing information
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight14 st 2 lb (90 kg)[3]
PositionWing, Fullback
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2012–15 Castleford Tigers 38 24 0 0 96
2013(loan) → Doncaster 4 1 0 0 4
2015(DR) → York City Knights 7 9 0 0 36
2015–16 Bradford Bulls 30 21 0 0 84
2017 Leigh Centurions 5 6 0 0 24
2018–22 Castleford Tigers 70 30 0 0 120
2018(DR) → Halifax 3 0 0 0 0
2022(loan) → York City Knights 1 0 0 0 0
Total 158 91 0 0 364
Source: [4][5]

James Clare (born 13 April 1991) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played as a winger or fullback in the Super League and the RFL Championship in the 2010s and 2020s.

Clare spent the majority of his career with the Castleford Tigers in the Super League across two spells, making over 100 appearances and scoring over 50 tries. He played two seasons for the Bradford Bulls in the Championship, and also represented the Leigh Centurions in the Super League. He spent time on loan or dual registration with Doncaster, Halifax and the York City Knights in the Championship, and at the York City Knights in League 1.

Background

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Clare was born in Castleford, West Yorkshire, England.

Having come through the Castleford Tigers academy system, Clare earned his first full-time contract prior to the 2012 season.[6][7]

Playing career

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Castleford Tigers

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Clare made his first team début for the Castleford Tigers on 16 March 2012 away to the Huddersfield Giants.[8] He made 2 further appearances that season, and scored his first try on 8 July 2012 at home to the Huddersfield Giants.[9]

In June 2013, Clare signed a two-year contract extension with the Tigers.[10] On 8 September 2013, Clare scored 4 tries in Castleford's visit to local rivals Wakefield Trinity Wildcats on the final day of the season.[11] In 2013, he made 9 appearances and scored 8 tries.

Clare was allocated squad number 24 prior to the 2014 season.[12] He made 17 appearances and scored 11 tries for Castleford as the team finished 4th in Super League and reached the Challenge Cup final.

Clare was given squad number 2 for 2015, following the retirement of Kirk Dixon, after his impressive performances in 2014 established him in the first team.[13] Despite this, Clare said, "The hard work starts now in my eyes. The number will mean nothing if you don't train as hard as you can or perform on the day".[13] He made 9 appearances and scored 4 tries for the Tigers, as well as playing for the York City Knights on dual registration, before his move to the Bradford Bulls was announced on 22 July.[1]

Doncaster (loan)

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Clare joined newly-promoted Championship side Doncaster for the 2013 season.[14] He was to be on a 24 hour call back for parent club Castleford after 28 days. Clare made 4 appearances and scored 1 try for the club across February and March before returning to the Tigers.[15]

York City Knights (dual registration)

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In 2015, Clare played for the York City Knights in League 1 through their dual registration arrangement with Castleford. The Tigers' head coach Daryl Powell said he was "looking for him to build some confidence" through spending time at York.[16] Clare made 7 appearances and scored 9 tries for the Knights.[15]

Bradford Bulls

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Clare signed for Championship side the Bradford Bulls in July, towards the end of the 2015 season.[17] He signed a deal until the end of the 2016 season.

In the 2015 Season, Clare featured in Round 23 (Halifax). Clare played in Qualifier 1 (Sheffield Eagles) to Qualifier 4 (Widnes Vikings) then in Qualifier 6 (Leigh Centurions) to Qualifier 7 (Halifax). He scored against the Sheffield Eagles (1 try), the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats (1 try) and Salford Red Devils (1 try).

In the 2016 Season, Clare featured in the pre-season friendlies against the Leeds Rhinos and the Castleford Tigers. He scored against Castleford Tigers (1 try). He featured in Round 1 (Featherstone Rovers) to Round 22 (Oldham). Clare played in the Challenge Cup in the 4th Round (Dewsbury Rams). He scored against Whitehaven (2 tries), the Swinton Lions (3 tries), the Leigh Centurions (3 tries), the London Broncos (1 try), Halifax (1 try), the Sheffield Eagles (1 try), the Dewsbury Rams (1 try), Workington Town (2 tries), Oldham (2 tries) and the Batley Bulldogs (2 tries). In June, midway through the season, Clare signed a contract extension keeping him at Bradford until 2018.[18]

Clare later recalled that, after Bradford were placed in administration in November 2016, he "seriously considered quitting the game for good", saying, "The amount of emotional stress you go through takes its toll on you physically in the end."[19] In January 2017, following the Bradford Bulls' liquidation, Clare became a free agent.[20]

Leigh Centurions

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On 5 January 2017, it was announced that Clare had signed a 2-year deal with the newly-promoted Leigh Centurions.[21] Leigh head coach Neil Jukes said: "James is someone we've admired and monitored for some while now, especially after his performance in our epic draw at Bradford last year."[22] He was allocated shirt number 28, due to arriving after the squad numbers were revealed.

Unfortunately, Clare suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in Leigh's pre-season win over the Dewsbury Rams on 29 January 2017.[23] This ruled him out for most of the upcoming season. He made his first appearance for the Centurions on 3 September against the Widnes Vikings in the fourth round of the Qualifiers, scoring a try.[24] He played the remainder of the season, making 5 appearances and scoring 6 tries.[15] Leigh were defeated by the Catalans Dragons in the 2017 Million Pound Game, resulting in their relegation to the Championship and meaning all contracts became null and void, leaving other clubs free to approach Clare.[25]

Castleford Tigers

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In December 2017, Clare rejoined his hometown club Castleford Tigers on a one-year deal for the 2018 season, with an option to extend the deal by a further year.[26] He said, "Cas are the club that I've supported for my entire life so to be back here and to have another chance to pull on this famous shirt is great," and added, "I pushed for the move as much as I could because I knew I always wanted to come back here."[26]

In his first season back at Castleford, Clare wore the number 26.[27] After beginning the season at Halifax on dual registration, he played his first game since returning against the Salford Red Devils on 11 March, scoring a try.[28] He was kept out for a number of months mid-season due to a tibial plateau fracture.[29] In July, he extended his contract until the end of the 2020 season.[30] Despite his injury - and the fierce competition for places on Castleford's wings from Greg Eden, Greg Minikin and Jy Hitchcox - he made 18 appearances and scored 8 tries.[15]

Clare warming up for the Castleford Tigers at Anfield in 2019

The 2019 campaign proved to be Clare's most prolific season yet in the Super League. He regained squad number 2, claiming the right-wing berth as his own following Greg Minikin's move to centre.[31] He made 30 appearances, playing in all but 2 of Castleford's matches, and scored 16 tries, topping the club's try-scoring charts.[32] This included his second hat-trick for the Tigers on 12 July - this was his first Castleford treble since 2013 and it occurred, again, in a visit to local rivals Wakefield.[33] Clare also finished the season as the runner up for the club's Players' Player of the Year award.[34]

Following the arrival of Sosaia Feki and Derrell Olpherts at Castleford for 2020, Clare was given squad number 21.[35] He made a strong start to the campaign and had made 5 appearances and scored 4 tries when the season was suspended in March. Upon the season's resumption, injuries to teammates saw Clare fill in at fullback and centre.[36] In December 2020, it was announced that Clare had signed a two-year extension with Castleford,[37] with head coach Daryl Powell touting him as the team's "most improved player" and praising his hard work and commitment.[36][38]

Prior to the 2021 season, Clare was forced to undergo knee surgery due to an injury sustained during the previous campaign.[39] This caused him to miss the start of the year, and he was limited to 7 appearances throughout the season. First-team opportunities proved harder to come by for Clare in 2022 under Lee Radford, making 3 appearances, though he was a part of the coaching staff for the club's academy.[40] On 26 August 2022, Castleford confirmed that Clare would leave the club at the end of the season upon the expiry of his contract.[40][41] Across both stints with Castleford, Clare made 108 appearances and scored 54 tries.

Halifax (dual registration)

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In February 2018, Clare played for Championship side Halifax through their dual registration agreement with Castleford.[42] He made 3 appearances.[15]

York City Knights (loan)

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In February 2022, Clare joined Championship team York on a one-month loan deal.[43] However, he only made one appearance for the Knights after receiving a three-match ban for punching in a pre-season friendly for Castleford.[44]

Retirement

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Clare retired from professional rugby league following the conclusion of the 2022 season. He had been offered a new contract by Castleford alongside a foundation coaching role but instead opted to focus on his own coaching business, the Elite Rugby Academy, for children aged 4 to 14.[45] He began work in secondary education in late 2022 as a PLC co-ordinator in a Pontefract school. He has proved popular with all the students and continues to promote rugby league in school.[45]

Statistics

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Appearances and points in all competitions by year
Club Season Tier App T G DG Pts
Castleford Tigers 2012 Super League 3 1 0 0 4
2013 Super League 9 8 0 0 32
2014 Super League 17 11 0 0 44
2015 Super League 9 4 0 0 16
2018 Super League 18 8 0 0 32
2019 Super League 30 16 0 0 64
2020 Super League 12 4 0 0 16
2021 Super League 7 1 0 0 4
2022 Super League 3 1 0 0 4
Total 108 54 0 0 216
→ Doncaster (loan) 2013 Championship 4 1 0 0 4
→ York City Knights (loan) 2015 League 1 7 9 0 0 36
2022 Championship 1 0 0 0 0
Total 8 9 0 0 36
→ Halifax (DR) 2018 Championship 3 0 0 0 0
Bradford Bulls 2015 Championship 7 3 0 0 12
2016 Championship 23 18 0 0 72
Total 30 21 0 0 84
Leigh Centurions 2017 Super League 5 6 0 0 24
Career total 158 91 0 0 364

References

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  1. ^ a b "Clare ups 'Sticks'". Castleford Tigers. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  2. ^ Companies House
  3. ^ "James Clare Biography". Castleford Tigers. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  4. ^ RL Record Keepers' Club
  5. ^ Rugby League Project
  6. ^ "Tigers academy trio earn full time contracts". Superleaguefans.com. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  7. ^ McAllister, Josh (23 September 2020). "Video RL Stories with James Clare: "How am I in a room with Willie Tonga?!"". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Huddersfield 42-4 Castleford". BBC Sport. 16 March 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  9. ^ "Castleford Tigers 52-6 Huddersfield Giants". BBC Sport. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  10. ^ "James Clare re-signs with Castleford". Love Rugby League. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Wakefield 36-32 Castleford". BBC Sport. 8 September 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  12. ^ "Castleford Tigers 2014 squad numbers". Love Rugby League. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Clare's ready to face the Wildcats". Castleford Tigers. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  14. ^ "Tigers Duo Out on Loan". Castleford Tigers. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d e "James Clare Player Stats". Love Rugby League. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  16. ^ "Castleford winger James Clare off to League One York". Sky Sports. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  17. ^ "Bradford sign James Clare and Matt Ryan". Love Rugby League. 23 July 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  18. ^ Bower, Aaron (6 June 2016). "Bradford duo James Clare and Omari Caro sign new deals". Total Rugby League. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  19. ^ Heppenstall, Ross (29 March 2018). "EXCLUSIVE: Castleford winger James Clare reveals all on his tumultuous journey". The Daily Express. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  20. ^ "Bradford Bulls: Former Super League champions liquidated". BBC Sport. 3 January 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  21. ^ "Centurions Confirm James Clare Signing". Leigh Centurions. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  22. ^ "James Clare joins Leigh Centurions from Bradford Bulls". Sky Sports. 6 January 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  23. ^ "Long-term injury blow rules out former Castleford Tigers star James Clare". www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  24. ^ "Qualifiers: Leigh Centurions 8-24 Widnes Vikings". BBC Sport. 3 September 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  25. ^ "Million Pound Game: Leigh Centurions 10-26 Catalans Dragons". BBC Sport. 30 September 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  26. ^ a b "Clare returns to Cas". Castleford Tigers. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  27. ^ "2018 Squad Numbers". Castleford Tigers. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  28. ^ "Super League: Castleford Tigers 22-8 Salford Red Devils". BBC Sport. 11 March 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  29. ^ "Injury update". Castleford Tigers. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  30. ^ "James Clare: Castleford Tigers winger signs contract extension". BBC Sport. 10 July 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  31. ^ "2019 squad numbers confirmed". Castleford Tigers. 4 January 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  32. ^ "James Clare - Career Stats & Summary - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  33. ^ "Super League: Castleford beat Wakefield 36-16 in derby thanks to James Clare hat-trick". BBC Sport. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  34. ^ "Boxing Day talking points". Castleford Tigers. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  35. ^ "2020 Squad Numbers Revealed". Castleford Tigers. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  36. ^ a b "Clare sticks with Cas in 2021". Castleford Tigers. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  37. ^ "Clare on Stick-ing around with Cas". Castleford Tigers. 30 January 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  38. ^ "James Clare: Castleford winger signs new one-year contract". BBC Sport. 9 December 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  39. ^ Shaw, Matthew (10 February 2021). "Castleford Tigers winger James Clare remaining positive despite injury setback". Yorkshire Live. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  40. ^ a b "Tigers departing club at end of 2022". Castleford Tigers. 26 August 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  41. ^ Darbyshire, Drew (26 August 2022). "Castleford confirm six departures at the end of the season". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
  42. ^ "Castleford keeping tabs on progress of loan men". Pontefract and Castleford Express. 18 March 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  43. ^ Gordon, James (18 February 2022). "Castleford winger James Clare makes return to York". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  44. ^ "James Clare: Castleford Tigers winger to miss start of season after punching ban". BBC Sport. 26 January 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  45. ^ a b McAllister, Josh (13 December 2022). "James Clare on rejecting new Castleford deal, work outside of rugby league & future playing career". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
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