- Joe Worsley
Rugger
name = Joe Worsley
caption =
birthname = Joseph Paul Richard Worsley
nickname = Melon Head
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1977|6|14|df=yes
placeofbirth =London ,England
dateofdeath =
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height = 6 ft 4 in (1.95 m)
weight = 17 st 5 lbs (110 kg)
ru_position = Flanker
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ru_nationalteam = England
ru_nationalyears = 1999-
ru_nationalcaps = 69
ru_nationalpoints = (45)
ru_ntupdate = 13 Sept 2006
ru_clubyears = 1993-
ru_proclubs =London Wasps
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university = Brunel UniversityJoseph Paul Richard Worsley MBE (born
14 June 1977 inLondon ) is an Englishrugby union player who plays flanker for Wasps and England.Biography
Worsley was educated at
Hitchin Boys' School andBrunel University and joinedLondon Wasps at the age of 16 fromWelwyn RFC . He became the youngest player to represent England U21s, after being a member of the England Schools 18 Group Grand Slam team in1994 -95.His ability to play any of the three back row positions earned him a place in the England World Cup Squad in
1999 as a bench replacement. He won his first cap against Tonga at the World Cup, then came on as a replacement against both Scotland and Italy during England's Six Nations Championship matches in2000 . He won two more caps as a replacement in that summer’s Tests against South Africa in Pretoria and Bloemfontein. He enjoyed a successful tour to North America in the summer of2001 , fillingLawrence Dallaglio ’s number 8 position and scoring against both Canada and the United States.He continued in the back row for England’s 2001 Investec Challenge matches, when he turned in two outstanding performances against Australia and South Africa. He also replaced Richard Hill in both of England’s 2003 tour matches against New Zealand and Australia.
His
2002 /2003 season started well, and Worsley won the Man of The Match award against Saracens in September. However, ahamstring injury, forced him out of the England Autumn Internationals and six weeks of theZurich Premiership .He scored England’s second try in their win over Wales at Cardiff in 2003, just eight days after scoring against France A for England A at Northampton, and being voted man of the match.
Worsley was a member of England’s victorious Rugby World Cup squad in 2003, coming on during the pool match against South Africa and starting against both Samoa and Uruguay.
In
2004 he played against Italy, Ireland and France in the Six Nations Championship, as well as coming off the bench against Wales to score a match winning try. Worsley played powerfully against both South Africa and Australia in November2004 . He started in the back row, now an automatic choice after former England captainLawrence Dallaglio retired from England duty two months earlier.He was a member of the
London Wasps side that won both theZurich Premiership final and the Heineken European Cup Final in2004 and he played well on the summer tour to New Zealand and Australia.He missed out on England's entire 2005 Autumn test series due to a knee injury but regained full fitness in time for the 2006 Six nations championship.
Worsley participated in the
2007 Rugby World Cup . He made a "try-saving tap-tackle" which prevented Vincent Clerc of France from scoring a probable match-winning try late in the semi-final (13th October). Worsley toured New Zealand in June 2008 coming on as a substitute in both test matchesCharitable work
He is an Honorary President of the rugby charity Wooden Spoon improving the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in Britain and Ireland.
He has also started actively participating in Rugby classes for the Alex Boys academy, helping disadvantaged children learn Rugby of which he is a keen advocate.
External links
* [http://www.england-rugby.com/englandrugby/index.cfm?fuseaction=News.News_Detail&storyid=4200 England profile]
* [http://www.wasps.co.uk/playerdisplaySS.ink?skip=33&season=07/08&seasonl=2007/2008&playertype=P Wasps Profile]
* [http://statistics.scrum.com/rugby_stats_05.asp?ID=EWO18 Profile at scrum.com]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=1309 Joe Worsley photo 1 by sportingheroes.net]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=1926 Joe Worsley photo 2 by sportingheroes.net]
* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=2325 Joe Worsley photo 3 by sportingheroes.net]
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