Aadel Kardooni is a British-Iranian former professional rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 player.

He is the first and only Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

ian rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 player to ever play professionally.

Playing career

Iranian born Aadel left his homeland to avoid national service, and eventually wound up in Leicester where he became Tigers' long-serving scrum half. A very agile scrum half with a bullet pass, Aadel was a regular in the Midlands and England A squads but a full cap eluded him throughout his career. Aadel could always be relied on throughout the early to mid nineties but struggled when the game became professional, and slipped down the pecking order behind Austin Healey

Austin Healey

Austin Sean Healey is a former English rugby union player, who played as a utility back for Leicester Tigers, and has represented the England national rugby union team and the British Lions....

 and Jamie Hamilton

Jamie Hamilton

Jamie Hamilton may refer to:*Jamie Hamilton , British book publisher, rower and Olympic medalist*Jamie Hamilton , Northern Irish motorcycle racer* Jamie Lee Hamilton , Canadian politician...

before moving on to pastures new. His last appearance in a Tigers shirt was as a late substitution in the Pilkington Cup final triumph over Sale in 1997.