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Tom Prydie

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Tom Prydie
Birth nameTom Prydie
Date of birth (1992-02-23) 23 February 1992 (age 32)
Place of birthPorthcawl, Wales
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight15 st 3 lb (97 kg; 213 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing
Fullback
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
– Porthcawl ()
– Bridgend Athletic ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2009–2012 Ospreys 12 (22)
→ 2011-2012 Wasps 6 (0)
2012–2017 Dragons 93 (447)
2017-2021 Scarlets ()
2021-2022 Bath 3 (0)
Correct as of 31 January 2022
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2012 Wales U20 3 (0)
2010–2018 Wales 7 (10)
Correct as of 8 December 2021
National sevens team
Years Team Comps
2011–2012 Wales

Tom Prydie (born 23 February 1992) is a Welsh rugby union player. A fullback who can also play on the wing, Prydie is the youngest player ever to represent the Wales national team[1] and the youngest player in the history of Europe's top rugby union club competition, the Heineken Cup.

Early life

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Born in Porthcawl,[2] a seaside resort near Bridgend, Prydie primarily played football in his early childhood. He represented his primary school, Nottage, at under 11s rugby, within the Bridgend and District Schools' RU. He played for West Wales A (Under 11s) in their victory over East Wales at Virginia Park, Caerphilly RFC, on 10 April 2003. [citation needed]

He made his first ever appearance at the Millennium Stadium on 3 May 2003, when he represented Bridgend Schools' Under 11s v. Cardiff Schools' Under 11s, in the final of the DCThomas Cup.[3]

Club career

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His rise to prominence began in summer 2009, when he was noticed by Scott Johnson, the director of coaching for the Ospreys regional team. Prydie was then fast-tracked through the Ospreys age-grade system, and by the end of the year was in the senior side. He made his Ospreys senior debut on 12 December 2009 as a second-half replacement in their Heineken Cup match against Viadana. This made him the youngest player in Heineken Cup history at age 17 years, 292 days, beating the previous record of Leicester Tigers' Richard Governley by 16 days.[2][4]

In January 2012 it was announced he along with Leicester's Lee Robinson would be joining London Wasps until the end of the season to cover injured duo Christian Wade and Tom Varndell[5]

In May 2012 Prydie joined Newport Gwent Dragons[6] He was released at the end of the 2016–17 season.

In May 2017, he left Dragons to join rivals Scarlets ahead of the 2017-18 season.[7]

On 7 December 2021, after his release from Scarlets, Prydie has signed a short-term deal with English Premiership side Bath for the 2021-22 season.[8]

International career

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On 18 January 2010 Prydie, aged 17, was a surprise inclusion in the 35-man Wales national squad named for the 2010 Six Nations despite playing just seven minutes for the Welsh region the Ospreys.[9] Despite media speculation that Prydie would be named in the squad, he was still shocked at his selection. He was notified by a text message from Wales national coach Warren Gatland only 20 minutes before the public announcement of the squad; he initially thought that the message was part of an elaborate practical joke by some of his Ospreys teammates. At the time of his selection, Prydie had never met or spoken to Gatland.[10]

Prydie was named on the wing in the starting team for Wales' final 2010 Six Nations match against Italy and became the youngest cap in Wales' rugby history.[1] The previous youngest to play for Wales was Norman Biggs, who was 18 years, 49 days old when he made his debut in 1888 against the New Zealand Natives. Prydie was 18 years, 25 days old at the time of the Italy match on 20 March.[11] Prydie, who by the time of the Italy match had made only two starts and played 167 minutes for the Ospreys senior side, also surpassed Mathew Tait of England as the youngest ever to play in the Six Nations.[1]

In June 2010 Prydie became Wales youngest try scorer at 18 years and 102 days against South Africa, overtaking the record set by Tom Pearson in 1891.

In 2012 Prydie made his debut for the Wales under-20 team in the Junior World Championships, two years after making his debut for the Wales senior team.

In May 2013 he was selected in the Wales national rugby union team 32-man training squad for the summer 2013 tour to Japan.[12] His appearance in the second test that year would be his last international appearance for Wales for five years before a surprise recall into the squad in for the 2018 June rugby union tests[13] where he made a further two appearances against South Africa and Argentina.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Tom Prydie to become Wales' youngest Test player". BBC Sport. 16 March 2010. Retrieved 17 March 2010.
  2. ^ a b Clutton, Graham (18 December 2009). "Tom Prydie eyes big future with Ospreys and Wales". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  3. ^ "Rhys rumbles over for share of the cup". WalesOnline. 4 May 2003. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  4. ^ The Guardian.co.uk article incorrectly gives Prydie's age at the time of the match as 17 years, 293 days.
  5. ^ "Wasps make double winger signing". BBC News.
  6. ^ Prydie joins Dragons
  7. ^ "Scarlets: Prydie, Hughes and Asquith sign new deals". BBC Sport. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  8. ^ "Bath: Tom Prydie and Jordan Venter join injury-hit Premiership club". BBC Sport. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  9. ^ "Mike Phillips and Dwayne Peel left out of Wales squad". BBC Sport. 19 January 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  10. ^ Roberts, Gareth (20 January 2010). "Wales and Ospreys teenager Tom Prydie's call-up shock". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  11. ^ "Tom Prydie could become Wales' youngest cap". BBC Sport. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 22 January 2010.
  12. ^ Wales squad
  13. ^ Wales Summer Tour
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