Tom Voyce
Encyclopedia
Thomas Michael Dunstan Voyce (born 5 January 1981 in Truro
, Cornwall
) is an English rugby union footballer
who plays at wing or fullback for Gloucester and England
.
, while playing for Gloucester Rugby, during the 1920s and was a member of the first double Grand Slam
winning team. He went on to become President of the RFU
in 1960–61.
Voyce was educated at Penair School
, Truro and then studied at King’s College, Taunton.
Outside the rugby field, Voyce is an Ambassador of the Wooden Spoon Society
.
, before going on to play for Truro RFC U15s and U16s.
where he worked his way through the club’s lower sides and into the Zurich Premiership
line up. At the same time he established himself in the England Under 21 side. He was selected for England
's 2001 tour to North America, where he won his first cap against the USA
.
for the 2003–04 season and quickly established himself as a first team regular. He played in 34 of his club’s 35 matches that season, scoring 15 tries in the process. In November 2004 he scored the quickest try in Premiership
history when he gathered a loose ball from kick off and crossed by the posts in 9.63 seconds against Harlequins
, beating Martin Corry's record by 14 seconds. Voyce was in the starting line up for the 2004 England
summer tour matches against New Zealand
in Auckland and Australia
in Brisbane.
In 2005 he marked his first Twickenham
Test appearance with two tries against Samoa.
Voyce was selected for every match of the 2006 Six Nations Championship
. Initially selected for the bench in England's opener against Wales
, Voyce quickly found himself on the pitch replacing injured Josh Lewsey
, also scoring a try in the process. This injury meant that Voyce secured the number 15 jersey for the next game against Italy
. However, Lewsey was soon fit again in time for the 3rd game, which meant that Voyce was once again relegated to the bench. After losing two games in a row, changes were made to the England squad meaning England regular Lewsey was dropped, opening up the fullback position for Voyce to start against Ireland
. Later that year, he played his last international to date against Australia, in Sydney. His performance in such game was – according to himself – quite poor, and this might have jeopardised his international career.
Truro
Truro is a city and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The city is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population recorded in the 2001 census of 17,431. Truro urban statistical area, which includes parts of surrounding parishes, has a 2001 census...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
) is an English rugby union footballer
Rugby union in England
Rugby union is one of the leading professional and recreational team sports in England. A popular myth is that Rugby was created in England in 1823, when William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it during a football match at Rugby School. In 1871 the RFU was formed by 21 clubs and the...
who plays at wing or fullback for Gloucester and 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...
.
Biography
Voyce’s great uncle, Thomas Anthony Voyce, won 27 caps for EnglandEngland 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...
, while playing for Gloucester Rugby, during the 1920s and was a member of the first double Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
winning team. He went on to become President of the RFU
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
in 1960–61.
Voyce was educated at Penair School
Penair School
Penair School is a secondary school in Truro, Cornwall, United Kingdom, for children aged 11–16. It is named after Penair House, a mansion built in the late 18th century by Rear-Admiral Robert Carthew Reynolds. It is currently reviewed as an outstanding school by government inspectors Ofsted. The...
, Truro and then studied at King’s College, Taunton.
Outside the rugby field, Voyce is an Ambassador of the Wooden Spoon Society
Wooden Spoon Society
Wooden Spoon is a children's charity founded in 1983, when the England rugby team received the Wooden Spoon in the 5 Nations. Spoon is dedicated to helping children and young people who are disadvantaged physically, mentally or socially by using sport as a method of improving lives while...
.
Career
He first showed promise playing mini rugby at Penryn RFC in his native CornwallCornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, before going on to play for Truro RFC U15s and U16s.
Bath 1997–2003
Having left Cornwall at 16, he eventually joined 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...
where he worked his way through the club’s lower sides and into the Zurich Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
line up. At the same time he established himself in the England Under 21 side. He was selected 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...
's 2001 tour to North America, where he won his first cap against the USA
United States national rugby union team
USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
.
Wasps 2003–2009
In 2003 he moved to London, to join WaspsLondon 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...
for the 2003–04 season and quickly established himself as a first team regular. He played in 34 of his club’s 35 matches that season, scoring 15 tries in the process. In November 2004 he scored the quickest try in Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
history when he gathered a loose ball from kick off and crossed by the posts in 9.63 seconds against Harlequins
Harlequin 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...
, beating Martin Corry's record by 14 seconds. Voyce was in the starting line up for the 2004 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...
summer tour matches against 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....
in Auckland and 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 Brisbane.
In 2005 he marked his first Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
Test appearance with two tries against Samoa.
Voyce was selected for every match of the 2006 Six Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
. Initially selected for the bench in England's opener against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, Voyce quickly found himself on the pitch replacing injured Josh Lewsey
Josh Lewsey
Owen Joshua Lewsey MBE is a former English rugby union footballer who played fullback, wing or centre for Wasps.-Career:...
, also scoring a try in the process. This injury meant that Voyce secured the number 15 jersey for the next game 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,...
. However, Lewsey was soon fit again in time for the 3rd game, which meant that Voyce was once again relegated to the bench. After losing two games in a row, changes were made to the England squad meaning England regular Lewsey was dropped, opening up the fullback position for Voyce to start against Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
. Later that year, he played his last international to date against Australia, in Sydney. His performance in such game was – according to himself – quite poor, and this might have jeopardised his international career.