| James Stannard | |
| Birth Date: | 1983 2, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Height: | 1.74 m |
| Weight: | 82kg (181lb) |
| School: | St Edmund's College, Ipswich |
| Relatives: | Melissa Wu (cousin) |
| Ru Position: | Scrum-half / Fly-half |
| Years1: | 2007 |
| Clubs1: | Perth Spirit |
| Apps1: | 3 |
| Points1: | 7 |
| Ru Currentclub: | Palmyra, WA; Eastwood, NSW |
| Super1: | Force |
| Super2: | Brumbies |
| Super3: | Force |
| Superyears1: | 2008 |
| Superyears2: | 2009–10 |
| Superyears3: | 2011–12 |
| Superapps1: | 10 |
| Superapps2: | 2 |
| Superapps3: | 19 |
| Superpoints1: | 5 |
| Superpoints2: | 0 |
| Superpoints3: | 79 |
| Super14update: | 14 April 2012 |
James Stannard (born 21 February 1983) is an Australian former rugby union footballer. He can play as a scrum-half or fly-half. He previously played for the Western Force and Brumbies Super Rugby.
Stannard was an Australia sevens player and was awarded the 2010 Australian Sevens Player of the Year award.[1] He competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[2]
Stannard is currently part of the coaching staff for the Women's Aussie 7s rugby team.[3]
On 30 March 2018, Stannard received a fractured skull in an altercation with a 23 year old English tourist, Sam Oliver. The two men had left a Sydney bar at 3am with the altercation ensuing outside a kebab shop. Stannard was knocked unconscious from a single punch during the incident and hit his head on the concrete floor. Following his head injury, Stannard has suffered from vertigo.[4]
In June 2018, Stannard was forced to retire from playing rugby due to the head injuries he received in the altercation.[5]
Sam Oliver claimed that he retaliated in self-defence after Stannard had approached him, made an offensive remark, and initially punched Oliver's left eye. In September 2018, following a two-and-a-half day hearing, Oliver was found not guilty of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm.[6]