Joseph Marchant is an English professional rugby union player who primarily plays centre for Harlequins in the Gallagher Premiership. He was born on July 16, 1996, in Winchester. Marchant began playing rugby at the age of 6 and studied at Peter Symonds College, where he captained the rugby team. He also attended Harestock and Henry Beaufort schools. He played for Winchester RFC as a schoolboy from 2002 to 2012 and Symondians in 2013.
Marchant joined the Harlequins academy in 2014 and made his club debut in May 2015 against the Newcastle Falcons. He has been a consistent performer for Harlequins and was part of the team that reached the final of the Premiership Rugby Cup in September 2020. In that final, Harlequins lost to Sale Sharks.
One of the notable highlights of Marchant's club career was the 2020-2021 season, where he played a crucial role in Harlequins' successful campaign. He scored two tries in Harlequins' remarkable comeback victory against Bristol Bears in the Premiership semi-final, where they recovered from a 28-point deficit to win 43-36. Marchant then started in the Premiership final against Exeter, and Harlequins won the game 40-38 in a high-scoring encounter, securing their first Premiership title in nine years.
In December 2022, Marchant agreed to join Top 14 side Stade Français for the 2023 season, signaling a move to French rugby.
On the international front, Marchant has represented England at various age-group levels. He played for England U18 and U20 teams, winning the 2015 Six Nations Under 20s Championship with the latter. Marchant's impressive performances at the junior level earned him a call-up to the senior England training squad in August 2016. He was subsequently named in the Test squad for the Autumn Internationals later that year.
Marchant made his Test debut for England on August 11, 2019, as a substitute in a World Cup warm-up match against Wales. He scored his first try on his first start for England in their final warm-up fixture against Italy. However, he was not selected for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
After the World Cup, Marchant earned another cap for England when he featured against Georgia in their opening fixture of the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup.
Marchant's versatility and strong performances have established him as a promising talent in English rugby, both at the club and international levels.
Ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2023, Marchant has been named in the squad for England.
KG(23/06/2023)
Career
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Stade Francais Outside Centre |
2023 - present |
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England U20's Outside Centre |
2016 - 2019 |
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Blues Outside Centre |
2020 - 2020 |
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England A Outside Centre |
2019 - 2020 |
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Peter Symonds College Inside Centre |
|
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Barbarians Outside Centre |
2022 - 2023 |
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Harlequins Outside Centre |
2015 - 2023 |
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England Outside Centre |
2017 - 2024 |
