Duncan Bell
Encyclopedia
Duncan Stuart Crampton Bell (born October 1, 1974 in Kings Lynn, Norfolk) is an English
rugby union
player currently playing for Bath Rugby
in the Aviva Premiership at the position of prop. Educated at Colston's Collegiate School
, Bristol
, he is an England
international with five caps
.
Born in Norfolk
, Bell was raised in the South Gloucestershire
village of Hawkesbury Upton
. He attended Colston's Collegiate School
with Chris Taylor the Gloucestershire
cricketer with whom he shares a great friendship. Bell first played rugby for Bath Minis and later for Bristol U17's and colts whilst attending Colstons Collegiate school.
, but was unable to win a professional contract. Bell then spent a season with Ebbw Vale
, prior to a four year spell with Sale
.
He made the move to Pontypridd
in 2001. During his time at the Club, Bell won the 2002 Principality Cup
and was a finalist in the 2002 Parker Pen Shield
.
In 2003, Bell moved to Bath
. Bell played in the final of the 2007-08 European Challenge Cup
, as Bath defeated the Worcester Warriors.
. Bell was named on the bench to face Australia
, but did not take the field.
Bell was selected for England A
in a fixture against France A
in 2004, which he snubbed in favour of representing Wales in the future. Due to regulations, Bell was not allowed to join the Welsh summer tour of Argentina, later that year the IRB
confirmed he could not represent Wales.
In 2005, Bell played for England A
against France A
. He was subsequently called up for the senior squad to compete in the 2005 Six Nations
, making his England
debut against Italy
. Bell played in the following fixture against Scotland
. Bell was also a member of the 2006 summer tour of Australia
.
Due to injuries, Bell was selected for the 2009 Autumn Internationals
. Bell featured in all three games, against Australia
, Argentina
and New Zealand.
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 currently playing for Bath Rugby
Bath 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...
in the Aviva Premiership at the position of prop. Educated at Colston's Collegiate School
Colston's Collegiate School
Colston's School is an independent school in Bristol, England and is a member of the The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
, Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, he is an England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
international with five caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
.
Born in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, Bell was raised in the South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire is a unitary district in the ceremonial county of Gloucestershire, in South West England.-History:The district was created in 1996, when the county of Avon was abolished, by the merger of former area of the districts of Kingswood and Northavon...
village of Hawkesbury Upton
Hawkesbury Upton
Hawkesbury Upton is a village in South Gloucestershire, England, east of the much smaller Hawkesbury. It lies north of Horton, east of Dunkirk and south of Alderley and Hillesley. The "Somerset Monument" is on the Cotswold Edge nearby....
. He attended Colston's Collegiate School
Colston's Collegiate School
Colston's School is an independent school in Bristol, England and is a member of the The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
with Chris Taylor the Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
cricketer with whom he shares a great friendship. Bell first played rugby for Bath Minis and later for Bristol U17's and colts whilst attending Colstons Collegiate school.
Club career
Bell had joined NEC HarlequinsHarlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
, but was unable to win a professional contract. Bell then spent a season with Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale RFC
Ebbw Vale Rugby Football Club is a Welsh Rugby Union Club based in the town of Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, South Wales. The club currently play in the WRU Division One East and the SWALEC Cup. It also acts as a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons....
, prior to a four year spell with Sale
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
.
He made the move to Pontypridd
Pontypridd RFC
Pontypridd Rugby Football Club, known as Ponty, are a rugby union team from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, currently playing in the British and Irish Cup, Principality Premiership, and are the current SWALEC Cup champions....
in 2001. During his time at the Club, Bell won the 2002 Principality Cup
WRU Challenge Cup
The WRU Challenge Cup , or its full name of the Welsh Rugby Union Challenge Cup, is Wales' premier knockout rugby union competition and is organised by the Welsh Rugby Union....
and was a finalist in the 2002 Parker Pen Shield
2001-02 European Challenge Cup
The 2001–02 Parker Pen Shield was the sixth year of the European Challenge Cup, the second tier rugby union cup competition below the Heineken Cup...
.
In 2003, Bell moved to Bath
Bath 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...
. Bell played in the final of the 2007-08 European Challenge Cup
2007-08 European Challenge Cup
The 2007–08 European Challenge Cup was the 12th year of the European Challenge Cup, the second tier rugby union cup competition below the Heineken Cup. The tournament was held between November 2007 and May 2008.-Pool 1:-Pool 2:-Pool 3:-Pool 4:...
, as Bath defeated the Worcester Warriors.
International career
Bell was first called up to the England squad in 1998 on the so-called "Tour of Hell"1998 England rugby union tour of Australasia and South Africa
-Matches:The tour is often referred to in rugby culture as 'The Tour of Hell' due to the number of heavy defeats suffered by the England team-Full Back:Tim Stimpson, Matt Perry, Nick Beal, Paul Sampson-Three-Quarters:...
. Bell was named on the bench to face Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
, but did not take the field.
Bell was selected for England A
England 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...
in a fixture against France A
France A national rugby union team
The France A national rugby union team, known previously as France XV national rugby union team and France B national rugby union team, are the second national rugby union team behind the French national side.-History:...
in 2004, which he snubbed in favour of representing Wales in the future. Due to regulations, Bell was not allowed to join the Welsh summer tour of Argentina, later that year the IRB
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
confirmed he could not represent Wales.
In 2005, Bell played for England A
England 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 France A
France A national rugby union team
The France A national rugby union team, known previously as France XV national rugby union team and France B national rugby union team, are the second national rugby union team behind the French national side.-History:...
. He was subsequently called up for the senior squad to compete in the 2005 Six Nations
2005 Six Nations Championship
The 2005 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the sixth series of the Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
, making his England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
debut against Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
. Bell played in the following fixture against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
. Bell was also a member of the 2006 summer tour of Australia
2006 England rugby union tour of Australia
-Matches:-Backs:I Balshaw , M Van Gisbergen , J Simpson-Daniel , T Varndell , T Voyce , J Noon , M Tait , S Abbott , M Catt , O Barkley , A Goode , S Bemand , P Richards , N Walshe .-Forwards:G Chuter , L Mears , A Titterrell , T...
.
Due to injuries, Bell was selected for the 2009 Autumn Internationals
2009 end of year rugby tests
The 2009 end of year rugby tests, also known as the Autumn internationals in the Northern Hemisphere, saw Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina, tour the northern hemisphere....
. Bell featured in all three games, against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
, Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
and New Zealand.