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Tom Curry (rugby union)

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Tom Curry
Full nameThomas Michael Curry
Date of birth (1998-06-15) 15 June 1998 (age 26)
Place of birthHounslow, England
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Weight110 kg (243 lb; 17 st 5 lb)[1]
SchoolBishop Heber High School
Oundle School
Notable relative(s)Ben Curry (brother)
John Olver (uncle)
Sam Olver (cousin)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker, Number 8
Current team Sale Sharks
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016– Sale Sharks 102 (35)
Correct as of 3 November 2024
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016 England U18 8 (5)
2017 England U20 3 (5)
2017– England 55 (20)
2021 British & Irish Lions 3 (0)
Correct as of 3 November 2024
Medal record
Men's Rugby union
Representing  England
Rugby World Cup
Silver medal – second place 2019 Japan Squad
Bronze medal – third place 2023 France Squad

Thomas Michael Curry (born 15 June 1998) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks and the England national team.[2][3]

Club career

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Curry played for Crewe & Nantwich in the early stages of his amateur career where he was coached by his father.[4] Curry made his professional debut against Scarlets on 15 October 2016 in the European Champions Cup, becoming the fourth-youngest English player and youngest Sale Sharks player to have played in the competition.[5] He scored on his Premiership Rugby debut on 30 October 2016, becoming the third-youngest scorer in the competition.[6] At the end of the 2016-17 season, he was named a joint recipient of Sale Sharks' Young Player of the Season award, sharing the award with his brother Ben.[7] He captained Sale in their semi-final defeat to Exeter Chiefs in the 2020-21 season, his first playoff appearance for the club.[8]

In the 2021-22 season, Curry made 11 appearances for Sale.[9] He started Sale's Champion's Cup quarter final loss to Racing 92.[10]

In the 2022-23 season, Curry scored a try in Sale's second round win over Bath Rugby.[11] He then scored against defending champions Leicester Tigers at Welford Road in round five.[12] Curry scored his first try in the Champions Cup in a 39-0 win against Ulster on 11 December 2022.[13]

In November 2023, Curry underwent a hip operation which ruled him out of the entire 2023-24 Premiership Rugby season, along with the 2024 Six Nations.[3]

International career

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Curry was named in the England U20 squad for the 2016/17 season on 14 October 2016, having previously represented England U18.[14] Curry was part of the England U20 squad that won a Grand Slam in the 2017 Six Nations Under 20 Championship

England

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Curry was called up to the senior England squad by Eddie Jones for their 2017 summer tour of Argentina.[15] In his first England appearance against the Barbarians on 28 May 2017 he was named Man of the Match.[16] The match against the Barbarians was a 'non-test' fixture, so he did not receive an official cap. Curry made his first capped appearance for England at flanker in the first test against Argentina in June 2017.[17] He became the youngest player to start at flanker for England,[18] and the youngest England forward since 1912.[19]

Curry was named in England's 2019 Six Nations Squad and started at No 7 in all of England's games. He scored tries in the matches against Wales and Scotland. He started at 6 for the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.[20] With England, Curry has won the Six Nations Championship and the Autumn Nations cup, both in 2020.

Curry was part of the squad for the November 2021 Autumn Nations Series.[21] He was named as a vice captain for the test series, along with fellow squad members Courtney Lawes and Ellis Genge. Curry started the first match of the series, against Tonga, at Number 8. He went on to start both of England's victories over Australia and South Africa.[22][23]

On 18 January 2022 Curry was named as part of Jones' 36 man squad for the 2022 Six Nations Championship.[24] Curry was named to captain the side from openside flanker in the opening match at Murrayfield, becoming England's youngest captain since 1988.[25] England lost the match 17-20.[26] He also started in England's subsequent victories over Italy and Wales.[27][28] He suffered a concussion against Wales and exited the game at half time but passed the return to play protocols and was declared fit to start against Ireland.[29] Curry lasted only 14 minutes against Ireland before suffering a hamstring injury which also ruled him out for the final game of the tournament against France.[30][31] England lost to Ireland and France, finishing the 2022 Six Nations in 3rd place with only two victories.[32]

On 6 June 2022 Curry was named as part of the training squad for England's fixture against the Barbarians and subsequent tour to Australia.[33] Curry was named as captain for the game against the Barbarians at Twickenham.[34] England were beaten by the Barbarians 52-21, with the Barbarians spending the majority of the match with 14 men.[35] He was named in England's squad for the 2022 England rugby union tour of Australia on 20 June.[36] Curry started the first test match of the tour at openside flanker but suffered a concussion during the match and was replaced at half time. As a result of this he was ruled out of the rest of the test match series, which England would go on to win 2-1.[37][38]

On 26 September 2022 Curry was named as part of an England squad for a three-day training camp prior to England's end-of-year international fixtures.[39] He started all four of England's test matches at openside flanker, receiving a yellow card in England's final match against South Africa.[40]

Curry suffered a hamstring tear while on club duty with Sale which ruled him out of the first two games of the 2023 Six Nations.[41]

On 7 August 2023, Curry was named as part of the England squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.[42] In the opening Pool D match against Argentina, Curry became the first England player to be shown a red card in a Rugby World Cup. In the third minute of play he was shown a yellow card after making head-on-head contact with Juan Cruz Mallía, and this was subsequently upgraded to red under the ‘bunker’ review system.[43] He was subsequently forced to miss England's next two matches in the World Cup, against Japan and Chile.[44]

In October 2024, coach Steve Borthwick included him alongside 16 players in the Rugby Football Union pioneering the Elite Player Squad initiative in England.[45]

British and Irish Lions

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Curry was picked in the 37-man squad for the British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa in the summer of 2021.[46] He made his debut for the Lions in the first of two tour matches against the Cell C Sharks.[47] Three days later Curry appeared off the bench in the second match against the Sharks, scoring his only try of the tour.[48] His last appearance before the test series was in the Lions' first loss of the tour against South Africa 'A'.[49] Curry started all three tests against South Africa at openside flanker, with South Africa going on to win the test series 2-1[50]

Personal life

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Curry is the twin brother of Sale Sharks flanker Ben Curry, son of Bishop Heber High School, head teacher David Curry, nephew of former England hooker John Olver and cousin of former Northampton Saints and current Doncaster Knights fly-half Sam Olver.[51] John Olver also taught at Oundle School, where Curry was educated for sixth form (age 16-18).[52]

Career statistics

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List of international tries

[edit]
As of 28 September 2022 [53]
Try Opposing team Location Venue Competition Date Result Score
1  Wales Cardiff, Wales Millennium Stadium 2019 Six Nations 23 February 2019 Loss 13 – 21
2  Scotland London, England Twickenham Stadium 2019 Six Nations 16 March 2019 Draw 38 – 38
3  Ireland London, England Twickenham Stadium 2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up 24 August 2019 Win 57 – 15
4  Italy Rome, Italy Stadio Olimpico 2020 Six Nations 31 October 2020 Win 34 – 5

Honours

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Tom Curry player profile". rugbyworldcup.com. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Tom Curry". Englandrugby.com. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Squad Player - Premiership Rugby - Tom Curry". web page. Premier Rugby. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  4. ^ "Crewe & Nantwich RUFC made Tom Curry an England star, says dad". Nantwich News. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Curry becomes youngest Sharks player to play in elite European competition". web page. Sale Sharks. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  6. ^ "Sale Sharks' Tom Curry speeds into the record books". web page. Sale Sharks. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  7. ^ "2016-17 Aviva Premiership End of Season Awards". web page. Ruck.co.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  8. ^ "Exeter beat Sale to book Quins final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  9. ^ "Tom CURRY profile and stats". all.rugby. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  10. ^ "Racing 92 beat Sale to reach Champions Cup semis". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  11. ^ "Sale get bonus-point win at Bath despite red card". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  12. ^ "Sale Sharks win at champions Leicester to go top". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  13. ^ "Sale thump Ulster in bonus-point Champions Cup win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  14. ^ "England U20 2016/17 elite player squad announced". web page. England Rugby. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  15. ^ "England v Argentina: Dylan Hartley, Joe Launchbury & George Ford in squad". BBC Sport. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  16. ^ "England beat Barbarians at Twickenham". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  17. ^ Standley, James. "England beat Argentina thanks to Denny Solomona's late try". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  18. ^ "Argentina 34-38 England". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  19. ^ [1] [dead link]
  20. ^ "2019 Rugby World Cup Final: England v South Africa". Rugby World. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  21. ^ "Quirke in but big names left out". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  22. ^ "England see off Australia at Twickenham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  23. ^ "England clinch dramatic win over Boks". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  24. ^ "Uncapped Barbeary in England squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  25. ^ "Curry leads England against Scotland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  26. ^ "Scotland retain the Calcutta Cup with tense England victory". Six Nations Rugby. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  27. ^ "George at the double as England down Italy in Rome". Six Nations Rugby. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  28. ^ "Smith kicks England to victory after Wales fightback". Six Nations Rugby. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  29. ^ "England's Itoje fit to face Ireland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  30. ^ "Ireland see off brave 14-man England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  31. ^ Rucker, Rugby (22 March 2022). "Sale Sharks issue disappointing injury update on Tom Curry". Ruck. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  32. ^ "Dupont strikes to seal Grand Slam glory for France". Six Nations Rugby. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  33. ^ "Five Falcons named in England training squad". Newcastlefalcons.co.uk. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  34. ^ "Uncapped Freeman in England team to face Baa-Baas". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  35. ^ "England v Barbarians - Rugby Union". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  36. ^ "Billy Vunipola and Care named in England squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  37. ^ "Curry out of Australia tour with concussion". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  38. ^ "England win to seize series victory over Wallabies". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  39. ^ "Care out of England training squad as Tizard called up". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
  40. ^ "England frustrated and well beaten by South Africa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  41. ^ "England's Curry to miss start of Six Nations". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  42. ^ "England Squad announced for Rugby World Cup 2023". England Rugby. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  43. ^ "George Ford kicks 14-man England to superb Rugby World Cup victory". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  44. ^ "Tom Curry: England back row to miss two games after Rugby World Cup red card". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  45. ^ "England: Steve Borthwick names 17 players to receive new RFU deals". BBC Sport. 25 October 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  46. ^ "Lions pick Simmonds but no Billy Vunipola". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  47. ^ "Cell C Sharks v The British & Irish Lions". British & Irish Lions. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  48. ^ "Cell C Sharks v The British & Irish Lions". British & Irish Lions. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  49. ^ "South Africa A inflict Lions first loss". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  50. ^ "Lions suffer agonising late series loss". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  51. ^ "Meet the Curry brothers:England's terrific twins". web page. England Rugby. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  52. ^ "Spicing Up England's Squad |". Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  53. ^ "Tom Curry". En.espn.co.uk. 7 July 2019.
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