Tom Curry (rugby union)

Thomas Michael Curry (born (1998-06-15)15 June 1998) is an English rugby union player, currently playing with the Sale Sharks. He plays primarily as a flanker but has also been capped at Number 8 for England.

Tom Curry
Birth nameThomas Michael Curry
Date of birth (1998-06-15) 15 June 1998
Place of birthHounslow, England
Height1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Weight110 kg (17 st 5 lb; 240 lb)[2][3]
SchoolBishop Heber High School
Oundle School
Notable relative(s)Ben Curry (twin brother)
John Olver (uncle)
Sam Olver (cousin)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker, Number 8
Current team Sale Sharks
Youth career
– Crewe & Nantwich RUFC
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016–
2016		 Sale Sharks
→ Sale FC (loan)		 75
5		 (15)
(5)
Correct as of 24 June 2021
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016
2017
2017–
2021		 England U18
England U20
England
British & Irish Lions		 8
3
35
3		 (5)
(5)
(20)
(0)
Correct as of 7 November 2021

Club career

Curry played for Crewe & Nantwich in the early stages of his amateur career where he was coached by his father as well as local cult hero Bobby Walsh.[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]

International career

Curry was named in the England U20 squad for the 2016/17 season on 14 October 2016, having previously represented England U18.[9] Curry was part of the England U20 squad that won a Grand Slam in the 2017 Six Nations Under 20 Championship

England national team

Curry was called up to the senior England squad by Eddie Jones for their 2017 summer tour of Argentina.[10] In his first England appearance against the Barbarians on 28 May 2017 he was named Man of the Match.[11] 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.[12] He became the youngest player to start at flanker for England,[13] and the youngest England forward since 1912.[14]

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.[15] 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.[16] 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.[17][18]

On 18 January 2022 Curry was named as part of Jones' 36 man squad for the 2022 Six Nations Championship.[19] Curry was named to captain the side from openside flanker in the opening match at Murrayfield, becoming England's youngest captain since 1988.[20]

British and Irish Lions

Curry was picked in the 37-man squad for the British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa in the summer of 2021.[21] He made his debut for the Lions in the first of two tour matches against the Cell C Sharks.[22] Three days later Curry appeared off the bench in the second match against the Sharks, scoring his only try of the tour.[23] His last appearance before the test series was in the Lions' first loss of the tour against South Africa 'A'.[24] Curry started all three tests against South Africa at openside flanker, with South Africa going on to win the test series 2-1[25]

International tries
As of 28 November 2020 [26]
TryOpposing teamLocationVenueCompetitionDateResultScore
1 WalesCardiff, WalesMillennium Stadium2019 Six Nations23 February 2019Loss13 – 21
2 ScotlandLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2019 Six Nations16 March 2019Draw38 – 38
3 IrelandLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up24 August 2019Win57 – 15
4 ItalyRome, ItalyStadio Olimpico2020 Six Nations31 October 2020Win34 – 5

Personal life

Curry is the twin brother of Sale Sharks flanker Ben Curry, son of Bishop Heber High School Head Teacher David Curry and nephew of former England hooker John Olver and cousin of former Northampton Saints and current Doncaster Knights fly-half Sam Olver.[27] John Olver also taught at Oundle School, where Curry was educated for sixth form (age 16-18).[28]

References
  1. "Tom Curry". Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  2. "Tom Curry". Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  3. "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. "England U20 2016/17 elite player squad announced". web page. England Rugby. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  10. "England v Argentina: Dylan Hartley, Joe Launchbury & George Ford in squad". BBC Sport. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  11. "England vs Barbarians match report".
  12. Standley, James. "England beat Argentina thanks to Denny Solomona's late try". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  13. "England vs Argentina Team".
  14. "England's youngest rugby players by position".
  15. "2019 Rugby World Cup Final: England v South Africa". Rugby World. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  16. "Quirke in but big names left out". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  17. "England see off Australia at Twickenham". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  18. "England clinch dramatic win over Boks". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  19. "Uncapped Barbeary in England squad". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  20. "Curry leads England against Scotland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  21. "Lions pick Simmonds but no Billy Vunipola". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  22. "Cell C Sharks v The British & Irish Lions". British & Irish Lions. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  23. "Cell C Sharks v The British & Irish Lions". British & Irish Lions. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  24. "South Africa A inflict Lions first loss". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  25. "Lions suffer agonising late series loss". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  26. "Tom Curry". 7 July 2019.
  27. "Meet the Curry brothers:England's terrific twins". web page. England Rugby. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
  28. "Spicing Up England's Squad |". Archived from the original on 17 October 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
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