Dan Cole (rugby union)
Encyclopedia
Dan Cole is an English
rugby union
player who plays at prop for Leicester Tigers
in the Aviva Premiership.
. Most of the 2007–08 season
was spent on loan to Bedford Blues
and it was the beginning of the 2008–09 season before Cole played for the first team again. Cole was involved in most of the games in the first half of the season. In January 2009, Cole was loaned to Nottingham R.F.C.
Cole played in the final of the 2008–09 Guinness Premiership.
Through injury to Leicester tight-heads Julian White
and Martin Castrogiovanni
, Cole achieved a run of games during the 2009–10 season
which saw him gain notoriety as man-of-the-match against London Wasps
. In February 2010, Cole signed a new contract.
The Tigers went on to win the 2009-10 Guinness Premiership final 33–27 against Saracens
, where Cole came on as a replacement for Castrogiovanni.
, against .
Cole started in all three games at the 2009 Churchill Cup
, including the final against Ireland A
.
He was promoted to the Senior Squad for the 2010 Six Nations Championship
as injury cover for Tigers squadmate Julian White
and made his senior England debut as a replacement for Dave Wilson in England's 30–17 win over on 6 February 2010. He played in all subsequent games in the 2010 Six Nations, even scoring his first international try in what was also his first home start against , and began to cement his place as England's first-choice tighthead.
He was taken on the summer tour to , and played in both matches. Although England lost the first game, Cole put in a strong performance which saw the England scrum gain an unprecedented two penalty tries. The following Test saw England beat Australia 20–21. Cole had a cut to the head within the first five minutes of the game, and needed to be continually substituted for blood injury, but pressed on, despite his left eye closing up almost completely. Captain and Tigers team-mate Lewis Moody
commented on how the team were inspired by Cole's perseverance.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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 who plays at prop for Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
in the Aviva Premiership.
Club career
Cole's first team début came in the October 2007 EDF Energy Cup pool match against BathBath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
. Most of the 2007–08 season
National Division One 2007-08
Leeds Carnegie joined National Division One, having been relegated from the Guinness Premiership after the 2007-08 season. Otley and Manchester were promoted from National Division Two....
was spent on loan to Bedford Blues
Bedford Blues
Bedford Blues is a rugby union club in the town of Bedford, England, currently playing in The RFU Championship. Bedford is one of the largest towns in England without a league football club, and one of the few towns in England where the rugby club is better supported than the football team. The...
and it was the beginning of the 2008–09 season before Cole played for the first team again. Cole was involved in most of the games in the first half of the season. In January 2009, Cole was loaned to Nottingham R.F.C.
Nottingham R.F.C.
Nottingham Rugby Football Club are a rugby union club based in Nottingham, England. The club's first team currently play in the Championship, the second tier of English Rugby....
Cole played in the final of the 2008–09 Guinness Premiership.
Through injury to Leicester tight-heads Julian White
Julian White
Julian White MBE is an English rugby union footballer who plays prop for Leicester Tigers and England.White is regarded as one of the most powerful forwards in the game...
and Martin Castrogiovanni
Martin Castrogiovanni
Martín Leandro Castrogiovanni is an Italian Argentine rugby union footballer. He played for Ghial Calvisano, with whom he won the Italian championship in 2005. He has since signed a new contract with Leicester Tigers, and after a successful 2006/07 season with them was named Guinness Premiership...
, Cole achieved a run of games during the 2009–10 season
2009–10 Guinness Premiership
The 2009–10 Guinness Premiership was the 23rd season of the top flight of the English domestic rugby union competitions, played between September 2009 and May 2010...
which saw him gain notoriety as man-of-the-match against London Wasps
London Wasps
London Wasps is an English professional rugby union team. The men's first team, which forms London Wasps, was derived from Wasps Football Club who were formed in 1867 at the now defunct Eton and Middlesex Tavern in North London, at the turn of professionalism in 1999...
. In February 2010, Cole signed a new contract.
The Tigers went on to win the 2009-10 Guinness Premiership final 33–27 against Saracens
Saracens F.C.
Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
, where Cole came on as a replacement for Castrogiovanni.
International career
Having played for England at under-18, under-19 and under-20 Cole was selected in January 2009 to make his debut for the England SaxonsEngland Saxons
England Saxons is the current name of England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England A...
, against .
Cole started in all three games at the 2009 Churchill Cup
2009 Churchill Cup
The 2009 Churchill Cup took place between June 6 and June 21, 2009, in the seventh year of the tournament.For the first time in the tournament's history, all rounds were held in the United States in an effort to reduce the cost of the tournament after the discontinued sponsorship by Barclays and to...
, including the final against Ireland A
Ireland A national rugby union team
The Ireland Wolfhounds are the second national rugby union team behind the Irish national side. They have previously competed in the Churchill Cup together with the England Saxons and the full national teams of Canada and the United States as well as selection of other nations' 1st, 2nd and 3rd...
.
He was promoted to the Senior Squad for the 2010 Six Nations Championship
2010 Six Nations Championship
The 2010 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2010 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 11th series of the Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition between the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
as injury cover for Tigers squadmate Julian White
Julian White
Julian White MBE is an English rugby union footballer who plays prop for Leicester Tigers and England.White is regarded as one of the most powerful forwards in the game...
and made his senior England debut as a replacement for Dave Wilson in England's 30–17 win over on 6 February 2010. He played in all subsequent games in the 2010 Six Nations, even scoring his first international try in what was also his first home start against , and began to cement his place as England's first-choice tighthead.
He was taken on the summer tour to , and played in both matches. Although England lost the first game, Cole put in a strong performance which saw the England scrum gain an unprecedented two penalty tries. The following Test saw England beat Australia 20–21. Cole had a cut to the head within the first five minutes of the game, and needed to be continually substituted for blood injury, but pressed on, despite his left eye closing up almost completely. Captain and Tigers team-mate Lewis Moody
Lewis Moody
Lewis Walton Moody MBE is an English rugby union rugby player who currently plays for Bath Rugby and was part of the 2003 World Cup winning side. He is renowned for his commitment to the physical aspects of the game....
commented on how the team were inspired by Cole's perseverance.