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Mathew Tait

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Mathew Tait
Birth nameMathew James Murray Tait
Date of birth (1986-02-06) 6 February 1986 (age 38)
Place of birthShotley Bridge, Durham, England
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight90 kg (14 st 2 lb; 198 lb)
SchoolBarnard Castle School
UniversityNewcastle University
Notable relative(s)Alex Tait
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre, Fullback, Wing
Current team Leicester Tigers
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2004–08 Newcastle Falcons 87 (117)
2008–11 Sale Sharks 49 (35)
2011– Leicester Tigers 143 (50)
2004– Total 279 (202)
Correct as of 27 May 2018
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2005–10 England 36 (25)
Correct as of 30 June 2010

Medal record
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place 2006 Melbourne Rugby sevens
Rugby World Cup
Silver medal – second place 2007 Rugby union

Mathew James Murray Tait (born 6 February 1986)[1] is an English rugby union player who gained 38 caps for England between 2005–2010, including starting in the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final; he currently plays for Leicester Tigers in Premiership Rugby. He is considered a utility back appearing regularly at centre, fullback or wing. Tait made his England debut at 18 years old, at the time the second youngest England player selected since the second World War. He has appeared in over 250 professional club matches and has previously played for Newcastle Falcons and Sale Sharks before he joined Leicester in 2011.

Club career

Born 6 February 1986, in Shotley Bridge,[2] County Durham, Tait attended Barnard Castle School, where he was a member of the school 1st XV which appeared in the Daily Mail Cup Final for two successive seasons. The school has also produced England internationals Rob Andrew, Rory Underwood, and Tony Underwood.

Newcastle Falcons signed the centre on contract in April 2004 while he was still finishing his A levels, in which he achieved 3 A's.[3][4] In May 2004 he made his debut in an English Premiership game against London Irish and scored a try with his first touch of the ball.

On 3 May 2008 Tait agreed to a deal to leave the Falcons to sign for Sale Sharks. Tait was linked up with All-Black centre Luke McAlister. During the 2008-09 Guinness Premiership season Tait suffered several injuries and was experimented at full-back. However, as the season continued and entered its latter stages, Tait began to play at his preferred position of outside centre and put in performances that ensured he was selected for England again.

Tait's 2010/11 season was hampered by injury. Complications during knee surgery meant he was unable to play for Sale until late October, and he missed much of November when the problem flared up again. In January Tait suffered a dislocated shoulder during an Amlin Cup match against Cetransa El Salvador; the injury threatened to rule him out of the rest of the season and forced him out of the England Saxons squad.[5]

Tait is currently playing at Leicester Tigers where he signed ahead of the 2011-12 season.

International career

In 2002, he was capped as outside centre by England U16 then U18 and by England under 19 when he was still at school. This was where he was spotted by the National Academy manager, Brian Ashton, who selected him for the Junior National Academy in 2003–04. The then seventeen-year-old was fast-tracked into the Senior National Academy.

Tait has also played for England's rugby sevens team, he was a member of the side that won the Dubai Sevens in December 2004.

Tait gained media attention when Andy Robinson named him in the England starting XV for their opening 2005 Six Nations Championship game, against Wales on 5 February, which England lost 11–9. Tait failed to make an impact either in attack or defence and was the victim of two tackles from Gavin Henson before eventually being replaced. At just under 19 years of age, he was the second-youngest player to have played for England since World War II, with only his Newcastle teammate Jonny Wilkinson having played at a younger age. He was dropped after the game but later regained his place in the England squad, missing out on the first game of England's 2006 autumn campaign against New Zealand only through injury. He last played a full international for England in 2010.

During his absence from the test squad, Tait was a regular member of England's rugby sevens team. He starred at the sevens tournament in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, finishing as the tournament's top try-scorer, with nine tries, as he helped England to the silver medal.

In the 2007 Rugby World Cup he made a return to the England squad and was the youngest player in the squad.

Comments made about his performance and ability during and after the 2007 World Cup include Mike Catt hailing him as "the future of English rugby",[6] particularly praising his performance against Tonga. Others have said he is "the exemplar of the coming generation"[7] and that he "came of age in the final"[8]

In the 2008 Six Nations Championship he scored a try in England's 33–10 win over Ireland.

After an injury-ridden start to the 2008-09 Guinness Premiership season, Tait began to play at his preferred position of outside centre and put in performances that ensured he was selected for England for the tests against Argentina and Barbarians.

In July 2009 Tait was selected in Martin Johnson's 32-man elite squad for the second year, and was also selected for England's opening game against Wales in the 2010 Six Nations, again under Johnson's management, starting at outside centre. Another season filled with injuries meant Tait was not selected for the 2011 World Cup squad.

Personal life

In 2006, he started a Biomedical Science degree at Newcastle University,[9] reportedly so that he can qualify as a doctor quickly upon retirement.[10] After moving to Sale, he suspended his studies at the University.[11] He is currently training to become a pilot,[12] having expressed an interest in becoming a commercial pilot when he retires from rugby[citation needed].

References

  1. ^ "Mat Tair". Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  2. ^ Ackford, Paul (1 June 2008). "Matthew Tait must take pride of place". London: The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 October 2009.
  3. ^ Standley, James. (1 February 2005) Shooting Stars: Mathew Tait (England). BBC News. Retrieved on 2 June 2011.
  4. ^ Pupils go World Cup crazy in support of star old boy (From The Northern Echo). Thisisthenortheast.co.uk (17 October 2007). Retrieved on 2 June 2011.
  5. ^ Leigh, Neil (26 January 2011). injury woe for Tait "New injury woe for Tait". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 1 February 2011. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Mike Catt and Mathew Tait: Never mind the gap – Rugby Union, Rugby – The Independent Archived 21 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Sport.independent.co.uk (20 October 2007). Retrieved on 2 June 2011.
  7. ^ Baker, Andrew. (2 November 2007) Mathew Tait rugby's new role model. telegraph.co.uk. 2 June 2011. Retrieved on 2 June 2011.
  8. ^ During the week building up to the final I was asked: "Would it be harder watching from the stands if England win or if they lose?". BBC News (21 October 2007). Retrieved on 2 June 2011.
  9. ^ Where I'd rather be. guardian.co.uk. 25 November 2006. Retrieved on 2 June 2011.
  10. ^ Times Online article [dead link]
  11. ^ Kitson, Robert (6 September 2008). "Tait thrown back in at deep end with point to prove for Sale and England". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
  12. ^ Westerby, John (28 January 2010). "Mathew Tait and Dan Hipkiss take rough road to centre stage". The Times. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
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