Nick Wood (rugby union)

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Nick Wood
Birth nameNicholas David Wood
Date of birth (1983-01-09) 9 January 1983 (age 41)
Place of birthSwindon, Wiltshire, England
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight112 kg (17 st 9 lb)[1]
SchoolRadley College
UniversityBrasenose College, Oxford
Rugby union career
Position(s) Prop
Youth career
Gloucester Academy
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2003–2016 Gloucester Rugby 278 (50)
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2006–2010 England Saxons 5 (0)

Nick Wood (born 9 January 1983, Swindon) is a former English rugby union footballer, who played in the Aviva Premiership for Gloucester Rugby. He played as a loosehead prop.

Early life[edit]

Wood attended Radley College before joining Gloucester Rugby through their academy.

After Radley, Wood read Modern Languages at Brasenose College, Oxford.

Club career[edit]

The loose-head prop was a regular on the bench during the 2003/04 campaign and made a handful of starts during the World Cup period. After a couple of consistent seasons, Wood is a regular in the first team. He made 20 starts and 6 substitute appearances during the 2006–07 season for Gloucester Rugby and he scored 1 try against Harlequins at Kingsholm.[2] Wood played in the League final that season, losing to the Leicester Tigers.[3]

On 12 January 2010, Wood signed a new contract with Gloucester Rugby to keep him at the club until at least 2013.[4] On 2 April 2013, it was announced that he had signed a three-year contract extension to keep him at Gloucester until the end of the 2015–16 season.[5]

Nick retired at the end of the 2015/6 season, after making 278 appearances for Gloucester (a club record in the professional era). He is currently Master in charge of Rugby at Radley College, Oxfordshire.

International career[edit]

His performances for Gloucester Rugby earned him a call-up to the England U21s and he was an ever-present during their successful Six Nations,[6] as well as being a regular during the U21s World Championship.[7] In March 2006, Wood made his debut for the England Saxons, against Ireland A.[8]

Wood was called up to the England squad for their tour of South Africa in May 2007.[9] Wood was in line to start the first test in Bloemfontein but he had to pull out through illness thus delaying his England debut.[10] He was called into the England Saxons side that defeated Ireland A on 1 February 2008.[11] He was ultimately never capped for the senior team.

In the summer of 2009, Wood played for England against the Barbarians.[12]

In the summer of 2010, Wood was selected for England Saxons to play in the Churchill Cup. On 9 June, he started in the game against Russia where, unfortunately, he was replaced in the second half due to injury.

Personal life[edit]

He is married to Kate Wood, they wed in July 2010.

They have three children together, Oscar born in October 2013, Alice born in June 2016 and Effie born in November 2018.

Now a fully qualified referee with the RFU, he has referred and been touch judge in Premiership games.From Premiership Rugby web site.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Aviva Premiership Rugby - Gloucester Rugby". Premier Rugby. Archived from the original on 16 June 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  2. ^ "Gloucester 34–25 Harlequins". BBC Sport. 17 March 2007. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  3. ^ "Premiership final". BBC Sport. 12 May 2007. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  4. ^ "New deal for Gloucester prop Nick Wood". BBC Sport. 12 January 2010. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  5. ^ "Gloucester: Nick Wood among nine to agree new contract". BBC. 2 April 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  6. ^ "England U21s Squad". Gloucester Rugby. 11 March 2004. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  7. ^ "Four changes in young England squad". ESPN Scrum. 4 June 2004. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  8. ^ "England A 18–33 Ireland A". BBC Sport. 17 March 2006. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  9. ^ "England hand out three new caps". BBC Sport. 22 May 2007. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  10. ^ "Stevens and Scarbrough called up as record-breaker Yates replaces injured Wood". Rugby Football Union. 25 May 2007. Archived from the original on 24 September 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  11. ^ "Varndell shines in Saxons victory". BBC Sport. 2 February 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
  12. ^ "England 26–33 Barbarians". BBC Sport. 30 May 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2010.

External links[edit]