TOM VARNDELL

'Tom Varndell' (born 16 September 1985 in Ashford, Kent) is an English rugby union footballer who plays on the wing for Leicester Tigers, England and England Sevens. He measures 1.92 m, 97 kg (6'3½", 214 lb), and claims he has been clocked at 10.8 seconds for the 100 metres in his socks on grass.^[1]
Tom began playing rugby aged 8 at Chinnor rugby club in Oxfordshire^[2] where he stayed until he 15 when he was invited by Dusty Hare, the former England full back, who was Leicester's Chief Scout, to train with them^[3]. He spent two years at the Tigers' den but left to take up a scholarship at Colston's Collegiate School in Bristol. Varndell returned to the Tigers in 2004, and made a quick impact in the Premiership. In his second appearance with the Tigers senior side, he recorded the fastest hat trick of tries in Premiership history, doing so in a 13-minute span against Worcester. He finished the 2005-06 Guinness Premiership regular season, top of the try list with 14.
Also in 2005, Varndell made his debut for both national teams within one week. On 26 November, he scored a try against Manu Samoa at Twickenham in his first full 15-man international. Then, on 1 and 2 December, he made his England Sevens debut in the Dubai Sevens, the first tournament in the 2005-06 World Sevens Series. Varndell was the tournament's leading try scorer as England claimed the title.
In 2006, Varndell was chosen in the England Saxons team for the 6 nations, but after impressive displays for both Leicester Tigers and England in the Rugby Sevens at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, he was awarded with a two starting places on the first team, development tour to Australia. For the Elite players squad in the 2006/2007 England Squad he was subsequently dropped and demoted back to the England Saxons side with new Leicester team mate, Jordan Crane.
In September of 2006, Varndell played for Leicester's feeder club, Bedford Blues, and scored a try on his debut against Exeter Chiefs.

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References

1. Five to watch James Standley
2. Varndell finds feet on fast track to the top Robert Kitson
3. Varndell a racing certainty Stephen Jones

External links

★ England Rugby profile

★ Leicester Tigers profile