Tony Underwood
Encyclopedia
Tony Underwood is a former English
rugby union
footballer who played as a wing three-quarter back
. He is of Chinese
-English
parentage.
His rugby talent was first nurtured at Barnard Castle School
. Following his elder brother Rory
, he played for Leicester Tigers
and England. Tony had another brother called Gary, who played at under 21 level for England. He made his England debut in October 1992 against Canada
, and went on to win a total of 27 English caps
. Tony and Rory were the first brothers to play for England together since Harold and Arthur Wheatley in England's 1937 6-3 win over Scotland
, and partnered in the 1995 Five Nations
Grand Slam win.
He played in the Rugby World Cup in 1995, although arguably his most memorable moment in that tournament was when his opposite number, Jonah Lomu
, literally ran a ring around him, before powering straight over the tackle of full back Mike Catt
to score what would be one of his four tries in that game. In 1995, he left Leicester
for Newcastle Falcons
. His last cap for England came in December 1998 against South Africa where he was replaced early; England went on to win. He would later star in a famous Pizza Hut
advert alongside Lomu.
He is now retired from international rugby, and has become a long-haul pilot for Virgin Atlantic. He was seen on ITV's Airline training to be a pilot, finally graduating as a pilot, and completing his first flight with EasyJet
from London Luton Airport
to Zurich. He lives in Évian-les-Bains
in France, close to the Swiss border and within easy access to the airport of Geneva. He is married, with two daughters.
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...
footballer who played as a wing three-quarter back
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...
. He is of Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
-English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
parentage.
His rugby talent was first nurtured at Barnard Castle School
Barnard Castle School
Barnard Castle School , is a co-educational independent day and boarding school situated in the market town of Barnard Castle, in the North East of England. It was founded in 1883 as the North Eastern County School, with the name changed to the current one in 1924, and to this day is generally...
. Following his elder brother Rory
Rory Underwood
Rory Underwood MBE is a former English rugby union footballer who played wing for, most notably, Leicester Tigers and Bedford. He represented England and the British Lions and is a former Royal Air Force pilot....
, he 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...
and England. Tony had another brother called Gary, who played at under 21 level for England. He made his England debut in October 1992 against Canada
Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
, and went on to win a total of 27 English 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...
. Tony and Rory were the first brothers to play for England together since Harold and Arthur Wheatley in England's 1937 6-3 win over 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...
, and partnered in the 1995 Five Nations
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....
Grand Slam win.
He played in the Rugby World Cup in 1995, although arguably his most memorable moment in that tournament was when his opposite number, Jonah Lomu
Jonah Lomu
Jonah Tali Lomu, MNZM is a New Zealand rugby union player. He had sixty-three caps as an All Black after debuting in 1994. He is generally regarded as the first true global superstar of rugby union. He has had a huge impact on the game...
, literally ran a ring around him, before powering straight over the tackle of full back Mike Catt
Mike Catt
Michael John "Mike" Catt OBE is a South African-born former English rugby union footballer who played for London Irish and Bath. He earned 75 international caps for England and played in three World Cup Finals, in 1995, 2003 and 2007...
to score what would be one of his four tries in that game. In 1995, he left Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
for Newcastle Falcons
Newcastle Falcons
The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in...
. His last cap for England came in December 1998 against South Africa where he was replaced early; England went on to win. He would later star in a famous Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
advert alongside Lomu.
He is now retired from international rugby, and has become a long-haul pilot for Virgin Atlantic. He was seen on ITV's Airline training to be a pilot, finally graduating as a pilot, and completing his first flight with EasyJet
EasyJet
EasyJet Airline Company Limited is a British airline headquartered at London Luton Airport. It carries more passengers than any other United Kingdom-based airline, operating domestic and international scheduled services on 500 routes between 118 European, North African, and West Asian airports...
from London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport
London Luton Airport is an international airport located east of the town centre in the Borough of Luton in Bedfordshire, England and is north of Central London. The airport is from Junction 10a of the M1 motorway...
to Zurich. He lives in Évian-les-Bains
Évian-les-Bains
Évian-les-Bains or Évian is a commune in the northern part of the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France...
in France, close to the Swiss border and within easy access to the airport of Geneva. He is married, with two daughters.