Paul Gustard
Encyclopedia
Paul Gustard is a former rugby union
footballer who played for Leicester Tigers
, London Irish
and Saracens at flanker
. He was educated at the Royal Grammar School
in Newcastle and is the son of former Gosforth
favourite Steve Gustard, who was the clubs leading try scorer for several seasons in the late 1970s. Gustard joined the Tigers in the summer of 1997 following the England U21 tour to Australia where he had captained the side from his hometown club Blaydon
, and went on to make his debut against European heavyweights Toulouse
in the Heineken Cup
, which preceded his try scoring league debut against Sale
in October 1997. Gustard went on to make over 110 competitive appearances for the Tigers featuring in the famous Heineken Cup final versus Stade Francais, and being part of the squad where they won 4 Premiership titles in his 5 years at the club.
He left in 2002 to join London Irish
, and went on to make 98 appearances in 4 years for the Exiles, including a spell as the first team captain before he moved in 2006 to join London rivals Saracens, where he was part of a squad that were two of the clubs most successful years competing in 4 semi finals in 6 competitions, including the last minute loss to Munster
in the semi final of the Heineken Cup in 2008 under head coach Alan Gaffney
. Gustard went on to make 48 appearances for the Men in Black, before incoming head coach Eddie Jones offered him the role as an assistant first team coach. Following Jones departure of the club, Saracens appointed Brendan Venter
, the former Springbok centre, as Director of Rugby who made Gustard his defence and forwards coach.
Gustard had an injury blighted career, but managed to represent England at all levels and the Barbarians. He was in the England pre World Cup squad in 1999 of 36 before it finally got cut to 30 playing against the USA in August 1999.
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...
footballer who played 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...
, London Irish
London Irish
London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...
and Saracens at flanker
Flanker (rugby union)
A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
. He was educated at the Royal Grammar School
Royal Grammar School, Newcastle
Royal Grammar School Newcastle upon Tyne, known locally and often abbreviated as RGS, is a long-established co-educational, independent school in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It gained its Royal Charter under Queen Elizabeth I...
in Newcastle and is the son of former Gosforth
Gosforth
Gosforth is an area of Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom, to the north of the city centre. Gosforth constituted an urban district from 1895 to 1974, when it became part of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne. It has a population of 23,620...
favourite Steve Gustard, who was the clubs leading try scorer for several seasons in the late 1970s. Gustard joined the Tigers in the summer of 1997 following the England U21 tour to Australia where he had captained the side from his hometown club Blaydon
Blaydon
Blaydon-on-Tyne is a town in the North East of England in the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead. The former urban district, however, extends much further, its fourteen and a half square miles constituting the largest administrative district, after Newcastle, on Tyneside...
, and went on to make his debut against European heavyweights Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
in the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
, which preceded his try scoring league debut against 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...
in October 1997. Gustard went on to make over 110 competitive appearances for the Tigers featuring in the famous Heineken Cup final versus Stade Francais, and being part of the squad where they won 4 Premiership titles in his 5 years at the club.
He left in 2002 to join London Irish
London Irish
London Irish RFC is an English rugby union club based in Sunbury, Surrey, where the senior squad train, the youth teams and senior academy play home games, and the club maintain their administrative offices. The senior squad play home games at the Madejski Stadium in Reading and compete in the top...
, and went on to make 98 appearances in 4 years for the Exiles, including a spell as the first team captain before he moved in 2006 to join London rivals Saracens, where he was part of a squad that were two of the clubs most successful years competing in 4 semi finals in 6 competitions, including the last minute loss to Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
in the semi final of the Heineken Cup in 2008 under head coach Alan Gaffney
Alan Gaffney
Alan Gaffney is an Australian-born rugby coach, currently an assistant with the NSW Waratahs in the Super Rugby tournament.He is a former player who played over 200 games with the Randwick Rugby Club Sydney, of which he was elected a life member in 1993....
. Gustard went on to make 48 appearances for the Men in Black, before incoming head coach Eddie Jones offered him the role as an assistant first team coach. Following Jones departure of the club, Saracens appointed Brendan Venter
Brendan Venter
Brendan Venter is a former rugby union player who played at centre and also coached for London Irish. He is currently director of rugby at Saracens...
, the former Springbok centre, as Director of Rugby who made Gustard his defence and forwards coach.
Gustard had an injury blighted career, but managed to represent England at all levels and the Barbarians. He was in the England pre World Cup squad in 1999 of 36 before it finally got cut to 30 playing against the USA in August 1999.