Key Facts
| Squad | Saracens |
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| Position | Centre |
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| Age | 25 |
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| Height | 1.86m (6'1") |
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| Weight | 95kg (14st 13lb) |
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| Caps | 5 |
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| Twitter |
@bradbarritt
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A playmaker and vice-captain of the Sharks in his native Natal, Brad Barritt made a vivid impression at the early age of 21 before joining Saracens in November 2008 and signing an extended three-year contract in October 2010.
His progress was so rapid that he was called from the 2010 Saxons’ Churchill Cup squad into England’s senior tour party to Australasia as cover for Dominic Waldouck and made his debut in the non-cap match against New Zealand Maori at Napier in late June that year.
Brad’s Test debut, alongside Owen Farrell, another newcomer, followed in the 13-6 win over Scotland at Murrayfield in February and he went on to start every match in the 2012 RBS 6 Nations Championship, being on the winning side four times.
He had been a regular in the Sharks’ Super 14 and Currie Cup squads since his debut in 2006 with his direct running, physical edge, distribution skills and ability to control games to the fore. The Sharks generously released him from his contract that still had a year to run but they did so in the interests of his own development as a player.
A UK passport holder, Durban-born Brad said: "It was a unique opportunity as a young guy to broaden my horizons." With periods of time away from home during the Vodacom Super 14 making it almost impossible to study, he arrived at Saracens with an overseas opportunity to finish his Business degree. He added: “My grandparents were born in England and my grandfather played for English Universities.
“My parents are Rhodesian but they moved to South Africa the year before I was born. So I have strong English roots and a lot of my extended family, aunts and uncles, live in England.”
He scored a try on his full debut in the 37-13 win over Bristol Rugby at Watford in January 2009 when deputising for the now retired former England centre Andy Farrell and went on to make 14 appearances during that season and went on to become Saracens Player of the Season in 2009-10. Last May, he helped the club to beat Leicester Tigers 22-18 at Twickenham to lift the Aviva Peremiership title for the first time.
His first start for the Saxons in the second Churchill Cup pool match against the USA at Infinity Park, Denver in June 2009 produced a try-scoring outcome – with one of the Saxons’ seven in a 56-17 victory. He played throughout the game and started the next three Saxons’ matches, helping the side to beat Ireland A and Italy A in the winter of 2010. Brad shared in the subsequent Churchill Cup triumph in Colorado and New Jersey and figured off the bench in the 2011 games against Italy A and Ireland Wolfhounds.
Brad’s previous representative honours featured the Emerging Springboks, a side he helped to lift the IRB Nations Cup in Bucharest in June 2007. He played a key role in the 24-10 victory over Argentina A, the defending champions in the tournament that involved six countries.
International record
2012 S, It, W, F, I
Last updated: March 19, 2012
