Ian Prior (rugby union)
| Born | Ian Prior 21 August 1990 Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 83 kg (13 st 1 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ian Prior (born 21 August 1990) is an Australian-born Zimbabwe international rugby union player who previously played for the Western Force in Super Rugby AU and Super Rugby Trans-Tasman. He previously played for the Force, Reds and Brumbies teams in Australia at Super Rugby level, as well as for English club Harlequins. Prior's usual position is scrum-half but he can also play fly-half.
Rugby union career
Prior played for the Australia under-20 team at the 2010 Junior World Championship in Argentina.[1]
He made his Super Rugby debut for the Reds against the Lions in Johannesburg during the 2011 Super Rugby season. Prior moved to Canberra prior to the start of the 2012, where he signed a two-year deal to play for the Brumbies.
He joined the Perth-based Western Force ahead of the 2014 Super Rugby season.[2] After the removal of the Force from the Super Rugby competition in the latter half of 2017, Prior signed a short-term deal to play for English club Harlequins,[3] and then rejoined the Force as captain for the new World Series Rugby season in 2018.[4]
Later that year, he was also targeted as a potential player for Zimbabwe,[5] but took no part in their Africa Cup campaign.[1] Prior remained captain of the Western Force for the 2018 National Rugby Championship.[6]
He made his international debut for Zimbabwe in 2024, playing a vital role in the country's victorious 2024 and 2025 Rugby Africa Cup campaigns, the latter of which saw Prior awarded the Player of the Tournament accolade as Zimbabwe qualified for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. He was also the top scorer with 52 points.[7]
Super Rugby statistics
- As of 15 July 2017 [8]
| Season | Team | Games | Starts | Sub | Mins | Tries | Cons | Pens | Drops | Points | Yel | Red |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Reds | 6 | 0 | 6 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | Brumbies | 12 | 4 | 8 | 386 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | Brumbies | 13 | 2 | 11 | 347 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | Force | 15 | 8 | 7 | 715 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | Force | 9 | 1 | 8 | 136 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2016 | Force | 13 | 7 | 6 | 485 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | Force | 13 | 5 | 8 | 485 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 80 | 27 | 53 | 2678 | 1 | 19 | 18 | 0 | 97 | 0 | 1 | |
International Statistics
| Cap. | Opponents | Results (Zim 1st) | Position | Points | Dates | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  Uganda | 22–20 | Flyhalf | 7 (2 conv, 1 pen) | 20 July 2024 | Mandela National Stadium, Kampala |
| 2. |  Namibia | 32–10 | Flyhalf | 9 (3 conv, 1 pen) | 24 July 2024 | Mandela National Stadium, Kampala |
| 3. |  United Arab Emirates | 62–22 | Flyhalf | 15 (6 conv, 1 pen) | 5 November 2024 | The Sevens Stadium, Dubai |
| 4. |  South Korea | 27–22 | Flyhalf | 12 (3 conv, 2 pen) | 16 November 2024 | Namdong Asiad Rugby Field, Incheon |
| 5. |  Morocco | 43–8 | Flyhalf | 23 (4 conv, 5 pen) | 8 July 2025 | Mandela National Stadium, Kampala |
| 6. |  Kenya | 29–23 | Flyhalf | 14 (1 conv, 3 pen, 1 drop) | 13 July 2025 | Mandela National Stadium, Kampala |
| 7. | Namibia | 30–28 | Flyhalf | 15 (3 conv, 3 pen) | 19 July 2025 | Mandela National Stadium, Kampala |
| 8. |  Tonga | 26–36 | Flyhalf | 6 (3 conv) | 4 July 2026 | Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Denver, Colorado |
Legend: pen = penalty (3 pts.); conv = conversion (2 pts.), drop = drop kick (3 pts.).
References
- 1 2 "International career". Its Rugby. 26 July 2016.
- ↑ "Brumbies halfback to join Force". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 April 2013.
- ↑ "Ian Prior: Harlequins bring in scrum-half on short-term deal". British Broadcasting Corporation. 16 November 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
- ↑ Taylor, Nick (21 April 2018). "New captain Ian Prior excited to lead fresh Western Force culture". The West Australian. Perth. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
- ↑ "Zimbabwe Rugby Union target Aussie rugby star". New Zimbabwe. 30 April 2018.
- ↑ Taylor, Nick (20 August 2018). "Wallabies full-back Dane Haylett-Petty locks in Western Force return". The West Australian. Perth. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
- ↑ Muchinjo, Enock (19 July 2025). "Zimbabwe Qualify for Men's Rugby World Cup 2027 with Win Over Namibia". Rugby Afrique. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
- ↑ "Player Statistics". Its Rugby. 26 July 2016.
External links
- 1990 births
- Australian rugby union players
- Australian people of Zimbabwean descent
- ACT Brumbies players
- Queensland Reds players
- Western Force players
- Rugby union scrum-halves
- Sportspeople from Bundaberg
- Living people
- Perth Spirit players
- Harlequin F.C. players
- Rugby union players from Queensland
- Australian expatriate rugby union players in England
- 21st-century Australian sportsmen