Butch James

Did You Know?

• James was nicknamed 'Butch' by his grandmother when he was an infant.
• He was schooled at Maritzburg College in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.
• He has completed two Absa Cape Epics, a two-person team mountain bike race covering about 700 km with 15,000 m of vertical ascent.

Sharks career

James played for the Sharks in Super Rugby and for a Currie Cup side. He appeared in two Super Rugby finals, both losses: the 2001 Super 12 final against the ACT Brumbies (36–6), where he missed four penalty attempts in the first half, and the 2007 final against the Bulls (20–19). His career was frequently interrupted by injury; after knee surgery in 2002 his appearances were limited, and in 2004 he played every Super 12 game but tore the cruciate ligaments in his left knee 12 minutes into the final match against the Stormers, ending his season and sidelining him for six months.

Despite these injuries, he was known as an aggressive tackler and excellent place kicker. Early in his career he was often penalised for dangerous tackles, including a suspension after an off-the-ball hit on French wing David Bory in only his second Test, and a sin-binning three Tests later. He later improved his technique. On 9 July 2007 he signed a two-year contract with Bath Rugby while remaining eligible for the Springboks.

Springbok career

James debuted for South Africa at fly-half in a 32–23 loss to France at Ellis Park after the 2001 Super 12 season. In the next Test against France he kicked five penalty goals in a 20–15 win in Durban but was cited and suspended, missing the following match. He started every game of the 2001 Tri Nations Series, though South Africa won only one match, 20–15 against Australia in Pretoria. He was part of the Springboks in November 2002, serving as a reserve against France in Marseille before starting at fly-half against Scotland and moving to inside centre against England; South Africa lost all those Tests, including a 53–3 defeat by England.

In the 2006 Tri Nations he played in a 35–17 loss to the All Blacks in Wellington and a 20–18 loss to Australia in Sydney, where his cross-field kick was intercepted for a Mark Gerrard try. He toured Ireland and England at the end of 2006, starting against England after being omitted for the Ireland match; he scored a try and set up another for Akona Ndungane, but South Africa lost 23–21 and James was substituted after a knee injury, missing the second Test.

He was named in the 2007 Rugby World Cup squad, playing three pool matches and all three knockout games. In the final against England, his composure helped South Africa win 15–6.

Bath career

After the 2007 World Cup, James joined Bath Rugby. He debuted in a 28–6 European Challenge Cup victory over Auch on 10 November, earning Man-of-the-Match honours after scoring a solo try and setting up another with a cross-field chip-kick. On 1 February 2011 it was announced he would join the Lions back in South Africa at the end of May. After his contract expired at the end of the 2012 season, he rejoined a South African side.