Matt Perry (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Matthew Brendan Perry (born 27 January 1977 in Bath) was an English rugby union
rugby player who played full back for Bath
. He played internationally for England
and the British and Irish Lions
.
er, at Millfield School he captained a side including Adam Hollioake
, later an England international.
England coach Clive Woodward
, who had previously been backs' coach for Bath RFC
selected Perry for his first match in charge against Australia
in Autumn 1997. Perry played solidly; he preferred to run with the ball in hand rather than to kick it, and in so doing often managed to establish a target for his forwards.
In 1998, Perry went on England
's "Tour to Hell" of Australia
, New Zealand
and South Africa
. During the 76–0 defeat by Australia
, he played out of position at centre
.
Aged 23, Perry beat Jonathan Webb
's record to become England
's most capped full back with 35 caps in the position, a record that still stands today (2008). Perry went on the 2001 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, playing in all three tests. A back
injury and loss of form saw him dropped from the England
squad for Iain Balshaw
; he later made way for both Jason Robinson
and Josh Lewsey
. Perry made his last start for England in December 2000 when he played against South Africa
.
In 2004/5 he became a regular name on the Bath
team sheet again. However, a bulging disc
in his back resulted in spasms in his left leg, and he retired from playing rugby on 27 March 2007.
Perry now works for a management consultancy company based near Bath.
He shares his second name with to his father Brendan who was an outstanding fly half for Bath from 1960 to 1974 making 247 appearances. Grandfather Idris also played for Bath in the 1940s.
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...
rugby player who played full back for 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...
. He played internationally for 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...
and the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
.
Biography
A talented cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, at Millfield School he captained a side including Adam Hollioake
Adam Hollioake
Adam John Hollioake is a cricketing all-rounder who played for Surrey and England. He captained Surrey from 1997 until 2003, winning three County Championships, and led the England cricket team in One Day Internationals...
, later an England international.
England coach Clive Woodward
Clive Woodward
Sir Clive Ronald Woodward OBE is an English former rugby union player and coach. He was coach of the team from 1997 to 2004, managing them to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He is currently the British Olympic Association's Director of Elite Performance.-Early life:Woodward was born in Ely...
, who had previously been backs' coach for Bath RFC
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...
selected Perry for his first match in charge 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...
in Autumn 1997. Perry played solidly; he preferred to run with the ball in hand rather than to kick it, and in so doing often managed to establish a target for his forwards.
In 1998, Perry went on 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...
's "Tour to Hell" of 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...
, New Zealand
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
and South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
. During the 76–0 defeat by 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...
, he played out of position at centre
Rugby union positions
In the game rugby union, there are fifteen players on each team, comprising eight forwards and seven backs . Depending upon the competition, there may be up to eight replacement players. Early games consisted primarily of forwards that attacked plus a handful of "tends" that played back in defence...
.
Aged 23, Perry beat Jonathan Webb
Jonathan Webb
Jonathan Mark Webb is a former English rugby union footballer who represented England in 33 Test matches. He played for two clubs, first Bristol and then Bath where he played mainly at fullback. His career representing England lasted between 1987 and 1993, and he scored a total of 296 points for...
's record to become 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...
's most capped full back with 35 caps in the position, a record that still stands today (2008). Perry went on the 2001 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, playing in all three tests. A back
Human back
The human back is the large posterior area of the human body, rising from the top of the buttocks to the back of the neck and the shoulders. It is the surface opposite to the chest, its height being defined by the vertebral column and its breadth being supported by the ribcage and shoulders...
injury and loss of form saw him dropped from the 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...
squad for Iain Balshaw
Iain Balshaw
Iain Robert Balshaw, MBE is a rugby footballer who plays on the wing or at full back for Biarritz.-Early life:...
; he later made way for both Jason Robinson
Jason Robinson
Jason Thorpe Robinson OBE is an English former international rugby union and rugby league player of the 1990s and 2000s. Playing at wing or fullback, he won fifty-one rugby union international test caps in total for England, and in rugby league he won twelve caps for Great Britain and seven for...
and Josh Lewsey
Josh Lewsey
Owen Joshua Lewsey MBE is a former English rugby union footballer who played fullback, wing or centre for Wasps.-Career:...
. Perry made his last start for England in December 2000 when he played against South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
.
In 2004/5 he became a regular name on the 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...
team sheet again. However, a bulging disc
Intervertebral disc
Intervertebral discs lie between adjacent vertebrae in the spine. Each disc forms a cartilaginous joint to allow slight movement of the vertebrae, and acts as a ligament to hold the vertebrae together.-Structure:...
in his back resulted in spasms in his left leg, and he retired from playing rugby on 27 March 2007.
Perry now works for a management consultancy company based near Bath.
He shares his second name with to his father Brendan who was an outstanding fly half for Bath from 1960 to 1974 making 247 appearances. Grandfather Idris also played for Bath in the 1940s.