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Josh Canham

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Josh Canham
Full nameJoshua Canham
Born (2001-02-01) 1 February 2001 (age 25)
Peoria, Arizona, United States
Height202 cm (6 ft 8 in)[1][2]
Weight115 kg (254 lb)[1][2]
SchoolBrighton Grammar School
Notable relativeBen Canham (brother)
Rugby union career
Position 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)
2025– Reds 20 (10)
Correct as of 15 June 2026
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2024 Australia A 1 (0)
2024– Australia 8 (20)
Correct as of 8 September 2026

Josh Canham (born 1 February 2001) is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the Reds in Super Rugby. His playing position is 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 story 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

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Canham was born in Peoria, Arizona, United States,[2][6] to English parents.[6] Canham's father, who also played rugby union in the 1980s, worked for the construction company Caterpillar.[6] Because of his father's work, the Canham family moved to Switzerland and Singapore while Josh was still in his youth, before finally settling in Melbourne when he was 8-years-old.[6]

Growing up, Canham was active in basketball alongside rugby, playing as power forward and center due to his size.[6] He was lured to play Australian rules football, living in the epicenter of the sport, however his distaste of his school's coaches at Brighton Grammar School, and his connection to rugby from his father led him to turn it down.[6]

His junior rugby career began with the Harlequin Rugby Club in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.[1][2] Canham was educated at Brighton Grammar School,[6] and was in the school's First XV for 2018 and was the schools First XV vice-captain in 2019.[7]

Josh is the brother of Australian Olympic rower Ben Canham.[6]

Career

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In mid-2020, Canham moved to Sydney to play for Eastwood in Sydney's Shute Shield club competition.[8] After arriving on 18 July 2020, Canham underwent two weeks of self-isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic before he began training.[8] In 2020 Canham had played for Eastwood's lower grades,[9] 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."[9] 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.[10] Canham eventually made two appearances for Eastwood[11] in the shortened Shute Shield season and was called-up to the second Australia U20 camp in May.[12] In June 2021, Canham was named in the Australia U20 squad ahead of the 2021 Oceania Rugby U20 Championship.[13] 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.[14] 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.[15] 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.[16][17][18]

Rebels

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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.[19][20] Originally being deployed as a loosehead lock, Canham made one substitution in the back row in 2022.[19][21] In 2023, Canham transitioned once again, to the tighthead lock position, where he started in nine of his ten appearances for the Rebels.[19]

Following consistent performances across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Canham featured in fifteen matches for the Rebels in 2024,[19] including a quarter-final knockout against the Hurricanes,[22] before receiving a call-up to the Wallabies squad.[23] In June 2024, The Sydney Morning Herald described Canham as 'terrific' and noted that his lineout work had reached the 'next level'.[24] This was, however, the final season for the Rebels. They were cut from the Super Rugby competition at the conclusion of the 2024 campaign.[25][26]

In his final year at the Rebels, Canham, who has a British passport, was offered deals from the Northampton Saints in the English Premiership and Japan.[6]

Reds

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At the conclusion of the 2024 season, Canham was announced by the Queensland Reds as a new signing.[27][28] Canham signed a two-year deal with the Reds, and was joined by five former Rebels teammates as the team had been axed from the competition.

Canham started his first match for the Reds in 2025 in their second round win at home against the Moana Pasifika.[19] Canham, in the second row alongside Ryan Smith,[29] played 54 minutes before being replaced by Angus Blyth.[30] The Reds scored eight tries in a 20-point win.[31] For the vast majority of the season, Canham played alongside Smith in the second row, although by round eight had regular minutes with Australian Test lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto.[19] Toward the latter end of the 2025 season, Canham was touted as "arguably... the most consistent [Lock] in 2025", which was "boding well for his Wallabies hopes."[32] His athleticism was also cited as a major strength of his,[32] with his "cleaning at the ruck" and work rate also being impressive.[33] Canham made 14 appearances for the Reds in the 2025 Super Rugby season, scoring one try, as they were knocked out in the qualifying finals to the Crusaders.[34]

In late June 2025, Canham was named as the Reds' starting blindside lock next to Lukhan Salakaia-Loto at openside lock in their tour match against the British & Irish Lions.[35] Canham was one of eleven Test players in the Reds matchday squad. Despite losing by forty points, Canham impressed in the match, making eleven tackles.[36]

In 2026, Canham played in the Reds' opening three matches. He suffered an unspecified injury late in their fourth round match against the ACT Brumbies,[37] which was later revealed to be a hamstring injury.[38] Canham did not return to the Reds' matchday squad until round fifteen against the Moana Pasifika, where he scored his first try of the season.[39] The Reds made the finals for the fifth straight season, however were knocked out in the qualifying finals to the Chiefs in Hamilton.[40]

International career

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Being born in the United States to English parents, Canham is eligible to represent the United States, Australia or England 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.[10][12][13] 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.[23] Canham made his international debut for Australia on 7 September 2024, coming on as a substitute in the 66th minute for Nick Frost.[41] Australia lost 67–27 in Santa Fe.[42] 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.[43][44]

In mid-2025, Canham made another appearance for the Australia A team against Japan XV.[19] In the match, which Australia A won with a score of 71–7 in Osaka, Japan, Canham stole five Japanese lineout balls, and scored a try assist late in the match.[45] He was recalled into the Australia senior squad following the match for their 2025 Spring Tour. After making his second Test cap for Australia, Canham suffered a concussion in the first twenty minutes of Australia's match against Japan in Tokyo and did not return.[46]

On 4 July 2026, Canham scored his first try for Australia in a 31–33 loss to Ireland in the 2026 Nations Championship.[47] Two weeks later, on 18 July, Canham became the first Wallabies lock to score a Test hat-trick of tries in Australia's match against Italy. Australia won 57–10.[48] In the first Test against Japan in the 2026 Australia–Japan Test Series, the Wallabies won by three points in Osaka despite poor kicking, tackling and various other mistakes.[49] Canham however was a standout player, starting at lock in his fourth straight successive start for the team, winning five lineouts, including one crucial steal.[50]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of 30 July 2026.[19][51][52]
Statistics by club, season and competition
Club Season League
DivisionAppsTriesPoints
Rebels 2022 Super Rugby Pacific 1015
2023 1000
2024 1415
Total 34210
Reds 2025 Super Rugby Pacific 16[a]210
2026 615
Total 22315
Career total 56525

International

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As of 30 July 2026.[19][51][52]
Statistics by team and year
Team Year Statistic
AppsTriesPoints
Australia A 2024 100
2025 100
Total 200
Australia 2024 100
2025 100
2026 3420
Total 5420

International tries

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List of international tries scored by Josh Canham[19][52]
No. Opponent Location Competition Date Result Ref.
1  Ireland Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney 2026 Nations Championship 4 July 2026 31–33 [53]
2  Italy Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth 18 July 2026 57–10 [48]
3
4

Notes

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  1. ↑ Two matches were played in the Reds' post-season tour matches: one against the British & Irish Lions on their 2025 tour series, and one against Tonga.

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Josh Canham – Wallabies". wallabies.rugby. Rugby Australia. Archived from the original on 13 April 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 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. 1 2 "Rebels Squad". Melbourne Rebels. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  5. ↑ "Melbourne Rebels Round 3 Team Announcement" (Press release). Melbourne Rebels. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Payten, Iain (7 August 2026). "Hoop dreams: How growing up on a court turned Josh into a Wallabies 'baller'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. 1 2 "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.
  9. 1 2 Cook, Paul (8 April 2021). "2021: The Big Kick-Off – Eastwood". Behind The Ruck. Archived from the original on 8 April 2021.
  10. 1 2 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.
  11. ↑ "Josh Canham – It's Rugby". itsrugby.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  12. 1 2 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.
  13. 1 2 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.
  14. ↑ "2021 Oceania Rugby U20 Championship Postponed". oceania.rugby. Oceania Rugby. 2 July 2021. Archived from the original on 19 October 2021.
  15. ↑ 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.
  16. ↑ "Allsports Physiotherapy Hospital Challenge Cup – GPS 1st Grade Men vs Bond University 1st Grade Men". xplorer.rugby. Queensland Premier Rugby. Archived from the original on 13 April 2025. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  17. ↑ "Allsports Physiotherapy Hospital Challenge Cup – Bond University 1st Grade Men vs UQ 1st Grade Men". xplorer.rugby. Queensland Premier Rugby.
  18. ↑ "Allsports Physiotherapy Hospital Challenge Cup – Wests 1st Grade Men vs Bond University 1st Grade Men". xplorer.rugby. Queensland Premier Rugby. Archived from the original on 13 April 2025. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Josh Canham, Lock – All Rugby". all.rugby. All Rugby. Archived from the original on 7 February 2025.
  20. ↑ Hinton, Marc (8 May 2022). "Rieko Ioane says Blues embraced their identity in 11-try Super Rugby Pacific romp". Stuff. Stuff Ltd. Archived from the original on 13 April 2025. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  21. ↑ "Match Centre: Hurricanes 45–22 Rebels". super.rugby. SANZAAR. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022.
  22. ↑ "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.
  23. 1 2 "Wallabies squad confirmed for tour of Argentina". wallabies.rugby. Rugby Australia. 20 August 2024. Archived from the original on 20 August 2024.
  24. ↑ 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.
  25. ↑ "Financially-stricken Melbourne Rebels axed from Super Rugby Pacific". Guardian Australia. 30 May 2024.
  26. ↑ Pentony, Luke (30 May 2024). "Melbourne Rebels' axing comes as no surprise but the ramifications may not be felt for some time". ABC News.
  27. ↑ Worthington, Sam (26 June 2024). "'Huge potential': Reds land offload king from Rebels in Super Rugby Pacific signing coup". Nine's Wide World of Sport. Nine Entertainment. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024.
  28. ↑ "Canham's Reds move confirmed after Rebels' demise". ESPN. 26 June 2024. Archived from the original on 29 July 2024.
  29. ↑ "Super Rugby teams round 2: Noah ruled out, Wallaby set for debut, Reds bank on Mass destruction". The Roar. 19 February 2025.
  30. ↑ "Match Report: Reds–Moana Pasifika | All Rugby". All Rugby.
  31. ↑ "Impressive Reds open season in style with Super win". super.rugby. SANZAAR. 21 February 2025.
  32. 1 2 Williamson, Nathan (29 May 2025). "Lions Watch: Breaking down the Wallabies' lock options for the British & Irish Lions series". Rugby.com.au.
  33. ↑ Ferguson, John (6 June 2025). "Wallabies depth chart: Ranking every player who could face the Lions". RugbyPass.
  34. ↑ "'30-love': Crusaders end Reds' season as imposing finals record continues". super.rugby. SANZAAR. 6 June 2025.
  35. ↑ "Nine Wallabies named for Reds to face Lions". ESPN. 29 June 2025.
  36. ↑ Morton, Finn (2 July 2025). "Queensland Reds player ratings vs British & Irish Lions | 2025 Lions series". RugbyPass. Lang Park, Brisbane.
  37. ↑ Tucker, Jim (7 March 2026). "A Carter Gordon Try Completes Stunning Reds Win at the Death in Canberra". reds.rugby. Queensland Rugby Union.
  38. ↑ Wenzel, Murray (22 May 2026). "Cavalry returns as Reds prepare for emotional Pasifika". Illawarra Mercury.
  39. ↑ "Reds survive Moana Pasifika scare as Campbell delivers winner". super.rugby. SANZAAR. 23 May 2026.
  40. ↑ Worthington, Sam (6 June 2026). "Star hospitalised as last Aussie team crashes out of finals". Nine.com.au.
  41. ↑ 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.
  42. ↑ "Argentina condemn Australia to biggest Test defeat". BBC Sport. BBC. 7 September 2024. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024.
  43. ↑ 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.
  44. ↑ "'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.
  45. ↑ Williamson, Nathan (20 October 2025). "Standout Australia A performance powering Canham's push for Wallabies recall". Rugby.com.au.
  46. ↑ Fontaine, Angus (25 October 2025). "Wallabies dig deep to get revenge on Eddie Jones in gritty win over Japan". The Guardian.
  47. ↑ "Heartbreak in Sydney as Ireland steal win at the death". ESPN. Archived from the original on 5 July 2026. Retrieved 7 July 2026.
  48. 1 2 Pentony, Luke. "Wallabies thrash Italy 57–10 as Joe Schmidt era ends in triumph". ABC News. Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  49. ↑ Drennan, Jonathan; Payten, Iain (8 August 2026). "'We found a way': Wallabies defy heat, red card to get home over Eddie's Japan". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  50. ↑ Drennan, Jonathan (8 August 2026). "Wallabies player ratings: How the men in gold performed against Japan". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
  51. 1 2 "Player Statistics". It's Rugby. Archived from the original on 4 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  52. 1 2 3 "Josh Canham Career Stats | Rugby Database". rugbydatabase.com.au. Rugby Database.
  53. ↑ Gallan, Daniel (4 July 2026). "Australia 31–33 Ireland: Nations Championship rugby union international – as it happened". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 5 July 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
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