Josh Canham

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Josh Canham
Full nameJoshua Canham
Date of birth (2001-02-01) 1 February 2001 (age 24)
Place of birthPeoria, Illinois, United States
Height202 cm (6 ft 8 in)[1][2]
Weight115 kg (254 lb)[1][2]
SchoolBrighton Grammar School
Rugby union career
Position(s)
Lock
Current team Reds
Youth career
–2020 Harlequin Rugby Club
–2020 Brighton Grammar School
2019–2020 Rebels Academy[3]
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2020–2021 Eastwood 2 (0)
2021 Bond University 3 (0)
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2021–2024 Rebels 34 (10)
2024– Reds 7 (0)
Correct as of 26 June 2024
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2024 Australia A 1 (0)
2024– Australia 1 (0)
Correct as of 17 November 2024

Josh Canham (born 1 February 2001) is an Australian

lock in the forward-line. He was named in the Rebels wider training squad for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.[4] He made his Rebels debut in Round 3 of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season against the Drua.[5] Canham has been labelled the "biggest success storiy of the Victorian Rugby system",[1] having played all his junior rugby in the state of Victoria before making his professional debut for the Victorian-based Melbourne Rebels.[1]

Background and early career

Canham was born in Peoria, in the Midwestern American state of Illinois, in 2001.[1][2] He began his junior rugby career with the Harlequin Rugby Club in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.[1][2] Canham was educated at Brighton Grammar School, and was in the schools First XV for 2018 and was the schools First XV vice-captain in 2019.[6]

Career

In mid-2020, Canham moved to Sydney to play for Eastwood in Sydney's Shute Shield club competition.[7] After arriving on 18 July 2020 Canham underwent two weeks of self-isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic before he began training.[7] In 2020 Canham had played for Eastwood's lower grades,[8] before getting promoted to the senior team for 2021, with head coach Ben Batger stating in an interview, "I've got a few really good, young locks I'm quite excited about that played lower grades last year. Charlie Cale, Jack Lafolafo and Josh Canham are all 198 centimetres – so they'll be playing Super Rugby next year as there's no locks anywhere! But it's good to have some height coming through."[8] Canham was called up in March to the first of two Australia U20 (Junior Wallabies) training camps for 2021, which took place on the Gold Coast, Queensland in preparation for the 2021 Oceania Rugby U20 Championship.[9] Canham eventually made two appearances for Eastwood[10] in the shortened Shute Shield season and was called-up to the second Australia U20 camp in May.[11] In June 2021, Canham was named in the Australia U20 squad ahead of the 2021 Oceania Rugby U20 Championship.[12] The team was based in the Gold Coast, Queensland until the start of the tournament in July, however the 2021 Oceania Rugby U20 Championship was subsequently cancelled due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] Instead of returning to Sydney, where lockdown restrictions were in place, Canham chose to remain on the Gold Coast, receiving a release from Eastwood to join the local side: Bond University.[14] Canham began playing for Bond University in July 2021, and made a total of three appearances for the club in Queensland's Hospital Cup competition.[15][16][17]

Super Rugby

Rebels

In February 2022 Canham was named in the Melbourne Rebels' wider training squad ahead of the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, having come through as an Academy product.[4] He played ten games for the Rebels in his breakout season, starting in six games and scoring a try in Round 12 against the Blues in a 71–28 defeat.[18][19] Originally being deployed as a loosehead lock, Canham made one substitution in the back row in 2022.[18][20] In 2023, Canham transitioned once again — this time to the tighthead lock position — where he started in nine of his ten appearances for the Rebels.[18]

Following consistent performances across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Canham featured in fifteen matches for the Rebels in 2024,[18] including a quarter-final knockout against the Hurricanes,[21] before receiving a call-up to the Wallabies squad.[22] In June 2024, The Sydney Morning Herald described Canham as 'terrific' and noted that his lineout work had reached the 'next level'.[23] This was, however, the final season for the Rebels. They were cut from the Super Rugby competition at the conclusion of the 2024 campaign.[24][25]

Reds

Further information: 2025 Queensland Reds season

At the conclusion of the 2024 season, Canham was announced by the Queensland Reds as a new signing.[26][27] Canham signed a two-year deal with the Reds, and was joined by five former Rebels teammates (2025 Queensland Reds season § Transfers).

International career

Being born in the United States, Canham was eligible to represent the United States or Australia at international level.

Canham began his international career in 2021 after being called-up to the Junior Wallabies camps for the 2021 Oceania Rugby U20 Championship.[9][11][12] Canham was not called-up at international level again until August 2024 for Australia's two-test tour of Argentina in the 2024 Rugby Championship.[22] Canham made his international debut for Australia on 7 September 2024, coming on as a substitute in the 66th minute for Nick Frost.[28] Australia lost 67–27 in Santa Fe.[29] Two months later, in November 2024, Canham represented Australia A on their Spring tour. Canham started at tighthead lock, however Australia A lost 17–38 against the England Saxons in Twickenham Stoop, London.[30][31]

Statistics

As of 3 June 2023[32]
Season Team Games Starts Sub Mins Tries Cons Pens Drops Points Yel Red
2021 AU Rebels 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2021 TT Rebels 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022 Rebels 10 6 4 477 1 0 0 0 5 0 0
2023 Rebels 10 10 0 800 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 20 16 4 1277 1 0 0 0 5 1 0

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Josh Canham – Wallabies". wallabies.rugby. Rugby Australia. Archived from the original on 13 April 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Tucker, Jim (26 June 2024). "Rising lock Josh Canham signs with Queensland Reds". reds.rugby. Queensland Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 26 June 2024.
  3. ^ Brighton Grammar School (1 March 2019). "Good luck and congrats to Josh Canham (Year 12), vice-captain of the Melbourne Rebels Academy team, who is off to Canberra this weekend to play the ACT Brumbies Academy". facebook.com – via Facebook.
  4. ^ a b "Rebels Squad". Melbourne Rebels. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Melbourne Rebels Round 3 Team Announcement" (Press release). Melbourne Rebels. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  6. ^ Brighton Grammar School (9 September 2024). "Josh Canham (OB 2019) CAPPED! – Wallaby #987". facebook.com. Archived from the original on 13 April 2025 – via Facebook.
  7. ^ a b "Academy Players take Unexpected Detour on their way towards a Melbourne Rebels Jumper". vic.rugby. Rugby Victoria. 4 September 2020. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020.
  8. ^ a b Cook, Paul (8 April 2021). "2021: The Big Kick-Off – Eastwood". Behind The Ruck. Archived from the original on 8 April 2021.
  9. ^ a b Tucker, Jim (25 February 2021). "JUNIOR WALLABIES SQUAD CONFIRMED AHEAD OF FIRST CAMP". reds.rugby. Queensland Rugby Union. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021.
  10. ^ "Josh Canham – It's Rugby". itsrugby.co.uk.
  11. ^ a b Williamson, Nathan (6 May 2021). "Super Rugby AU debutants included in Junior Wallabies camp". rugby.com.au. Rugby Australia. Archived from the original on 6 May 2021.
  12. ^ a b Williamson, Nathan (18 June 2021). "Junior Wallabies name squad for Oceania Tournament". rugby.com.au. Rugby Australia. Archived from the original on 18 June 2021.
  13. ^ "2021 Oceania Rugby U20 Championship Postponed". oceania.rugby. Oceania Rugby. 2 July 2021. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021.
  14. ^ McLeod, Pat (9 July 2021). "Fear not a factor for Bond 'Babies'". bond.edu.au. Bond University. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023.
  15. ^ "Allsports Physiotherapy Hospital Challenge Cup – GPS 1st Grade Men vs Bond University 1st Grade Men". xplorer.rugby. Queensland Premier Rugby.
  16. ^ "Allsports Physiotherapy Hospital Challenge Cup – Bond University 1st Grade Men vs UQ 1st Grade Men". xplorer.rugby. Queensland Premier Rugby.
  17. ^ "Allsports Physiotherapy Hospital Challenge Cup – Wests 1st Grade Men vs Bond University 1st Grade Men". xplorer.rugby. Queensland Premier Rugby.
  18. ^ a b c d "Josh Canham, Lock – All Rugby". all.rugby. All Rugby. Archived from the original on 7 February 2025.
  19. ^ Hinton, Marc (8 May 2022). "Rieko Ioane says Blues embraced their identity in 11-try Super Rugby Pacific romp". Stuff. Stuff Ltd.
  20. ^ "Match Centre: Hurricanes 45–22 Rebels". super.rugby. SANZAAR. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022.
  21. ^ "Axed Melbourne Rebels bow out of Super Rugby Pacific with 47–20 quarterfinal loss to Hurricanes". ABC News. 8 June 2024. Archived from the original on 8 June 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Wallabies squad confirmed for tour of Argentina". wallabies.rugby. Rugby Australia. 20 August 2024. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024.
  23. ^ Cully, Paul (9 June 2024). "Lock him in, Joe: The rookie who can keep Rebels spirit alive in a gold jersey". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment. Archived from the original on 12 June 2024.
  24. ^ "Financially-stricken Melbourne Rebels axed from Super Rugby Pacific". Guardian Australia. 30 May 2024.
  25. ^ Pentony, Luke (30 May 2024). "Melbourne Rebels' axing comes as no surprise but the ramifications may not be felt for some time". ABC News.
  26. Nine's Wide World of Sport. Nine Entertainment. Archived
    from the original on 15 July 2024.
  27. ^ "Canham's Reds move confirmed after Rebels' demise". ESPN. 26 June 2024. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024.
  28. ^ Gallan, Daniel (8 September 2024). "Argentina 67–27 Australia: men's rugby union international – as it happened". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Archived from the original on 7 September 2024.
  29. ^ "Argentina condemn Australia to biggest Test defeat". BBC Sport. BBC. 7 September 2024. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024.
  30. ^ Telfer, Alastair (17 November 2024). "Murley scores twice as England A beat Australia A". BBC Sport. BBC. Archived from the original on 6 February 2025.
  31. ^ "'Confrontational' Henry Pollock makes case to be fast-tracked by Steve Borthwick after England A win". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. 17 November 2024. Archived from the original on 19 November 2024.
  32. ^ "Player Statistics". It's Rugby.
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