Fitz Harding
| Born | George Fitzgerald Harding 26 April 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| School | Wellington College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Durham University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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George Fitzgerald Harding (born 26 April 1999), known as Fitz Harding, is an English rugby union player who plays for Bristol Bears in Premiership Rugby.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Although given 'George' as his first name, Harding has only ever been called 'Fitz'.[2] He was educated at The Beacon prep school in Amersham, Buckinghamshire followed by Wellington College.[2] He then studied history at Durham University (Hatfield College), where he initially "slipped through the net" and was only assigned a place in the fourth team of the university rugby club, but soon progressed to the first XV.[3]
Harding was never a member of any Premiership rugby academy when he was younger and was also overlooked in trials for the Buckinghamshire representative side.[2][4]
Career
[edit]Harding made his Premiership debut against London Irish in March 2021.[5] The name on the back of his shirt was accidentally written as "Fitz-Harding" by the club and he had to ask them to reprint it afterwards.[2] By October 2023, Harding had made 52 appearances for the Bears since signing in 2020.[6] He was named club captain for the upcoming Premiership season, taking over from Steven Luatua.[5]
International career
[edit]In November 2025, Harding was called up to the England A squad for fixtures against All Blacks XV and Spain.[7] He came off the bench for his international debut against the All Blacks XV in a 14–31 England defeat at the Bath Recreation Ground on 8 November. A week later he captained England A to a 29–25 win against Spain in Valladolid.[8]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Fitz Harding". ESPN. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 Squires, Neil (2025). "Fitz Harding". Rugby World (306): 38–39.
- ↑ Styles, Matt (21 August 2020). "Durham graduate Fitz Harding signs for Bristol Bears". Palatinate. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ↑ Morgan, Charlie (6 November 2025). "We should all enjoy Fitz Harding's unlikely rise through rugby's levels". Telegraph Online. Retrieved 4 August 2026.
- 1 2 Evely, John (4 October 2023). "Bristol Bears confirm new club captain as Fitz Harding signs contract extension". Bristol Live. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ↑ "Harding extends Bristol deal and named captain". BBC Sport. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ↑ Fissler, Neil (19 March 2026). "Bristol's Fitz Harding puts England 'dream' on the back burner for now". RugbyPass. World Rugby. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ Raisey, Josh (12 November 2025). "England A make 8 changes for Spain, including world champion". RugbyPass. World Rugby. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
External links
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- 1999 births
- Living people
- Alumni of Hatfield College, Durham
- Durham University RFC players
- English rugby union players
- People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire
- Rugby union players from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
- Rugby union flankers
- People from Kensington
- Bristol Bears players
- 21st-century English sportsmen
- English rugby union biography, 1990s birth stubs