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Phil Vickery (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Philip John Vickery MBE
(born 14 March 1976) is a former English rugby union tighthead prop and member of the England squad
. He was a member of England's World Cup winning squad in 2003, playing in all seven matches in the tournament, and is a former England captain. Vickery ended his club rugby career at Wasps
, joining the London side in 2006 after eleven years with Gloucester. Given the nickname "Raging Bull", he played in three Rugby World Cups, including as England captain in the 2007 tournament, and toured Australia and South Africa with the British and Irish Lions
.
parents in Barnstaple
, Devon
, England and says he is proud to be a Cornishman and an Englishman
. Educated at Budehaven School, his interest in sport developed as a youngster, and by age 12 he started playing rugby. By the age of 16 he gained his first National Representative honour, being picked for the England Schools U16s group.
Vickery left school age 16 and worked as a herdsman on his parents' farm. He remains a qualified cattle inseminator.
Vickery has an Oriental tattoo
on his left shoulder which roughly translates to "I'll fight you to the death", and a bulldog tattoo on his right.
His representative career went from strength to strength, with appearances for England U21s and Colts in the 1996–97 season.
In April 2006 he announced he was quitting Gloucester Rugby after 11 years and signed for Wasps
in a 3 year deal. Vickery made his Wasps
debut in their 23 – 13 win over London Irish
on 8 October 2006.
On 28 October 2010, Vickery was forced to retire from rugby after suffering from several neck injuries. He played his last game at Kingsholm against Gloucester on 25 September, which is where he started his career.
against Wales at Twickenham in the Five Nations tournament, a match England won 60–26. It was the completion of a rapid rise through the England set-up, after only 34 first team games for his club and just 81 days after his England A debut.
The Tour from Hell
Summer 1998 saw Vickery taking part in the tour of the Southern Hemisphere
, part of an England squad which had been severely weakened by injury and player unavailability. In the space of a month, England were soundly defeated by Australia
(76–0 in Brisbane on 6 June), twice by New Zealand (64–22 in Dunedin on 20 June and 40–10 in Auckland on 27 June) and finally by South Africa
(18–0 in Cape Town on 4 July). There were also losses to New Zealand 'A', New Zealand Rugby Academy, and New Zealand Māori
.
The tour had benefits for some players, bringing through future stars of the England side such as Vickery himself, Jonny Wilkinson
, Danny Grewcock
, Graham Rowntree
, Austin Healey
, Matt Dawson
and Matt Perry, others effectively had their international careers ended. Steve Ravenscroft
, Rob Fidler, Jos Baxendell
, Spencer Brown and Tom Beim
each gained two caps on the tour – and have not played for England since. Richard Pool-Jones, Scott Benton, Dominic Chapman and Stuart Potter
only played once for England, on the Tour From Hell.
Vickery recovered from a neck injury in April 1999 and played in that year’s Rugby World Cup
. A shoulder injury, however, kept him out of the 2000 South Africa tour. Vickery toured Australia with the British and Irish Lions
in 2001 and played in all three tests.
Vickery was appointed captain of the England squad that toured Argentina
in 2002. With many of the top players rested, Vickery led the side to victory against The Pumas
in Buenos Aires
.
Vickery missed the 2003 Six Nations
tournament because of a back injury, but having returned to the team he did well for England on the road to the 2003 World Cup
. He played in all seven games in the tournament and captained the side against Uruguay. He scored his first international try when he came off the bench against Samoa in England’s third game of the tournament.
A rib injury prevented him from captaining the non capped match against the New Zealand Barbarians
in December 2003. Although he took a full part in the 2004 Six Nations
, another back operation in May ruled him out of the summer tour to New Zealand and Australia. He returned to rugby only in late October 2004.
Making his international comeback, he came on as a replacement against South Africa for the first Autumn Test between the two sides on 18 November 2006. After playing well, he drove over to score the winning try, which was converted by Andy Goode
, and England won their first game since February that year.
He was selected on January 2 by new England Head Coach Brian Ashton
to captain the side during the 2007 Six Nations and 2007 Rugby World Cup
. He was one of only four players to have started both the 2003 and 2007 RWC Finals, the other three being Jonny Wilkinson
, Jason Robinson
and Ben Kay
.
Also, on January 8, 2008 he was selected in the squad for the 2008 Six Nations Championship
by Brian Ashton. He played every game except for the 23–19 win over Italy which he missed through injury.
He was a co-commentator for ITV
's coverage of the 2011 Rugby World Cup
.
Phil won the 2011 series of Celebrity Masterchef beating Kirsty Wark
and Nick Pickard
in the final.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 14 March 1976) is a former English rugby union tighthead prop and member of the England squad
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...
. He was a member of England's World Cup winning squad in 2003, playing in all seven matches in the tournament, and is a former England captain. Vickery ended his club rugby career at Wasps
London 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...
, joining the London side in 2006 after eleven years with Gloucester. Given the nickname "Raging Bull", he played in three Rugby World Cups, including as England captain in the 2007 tournament, and toured Australia and South Africa with 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...
.
Early years
The son of a dairy farmer, Vickery was born to CornishCornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
parents in Barnstaple
Barnstaple
Barnstaple is a town and civil parish in the local government district of North Devon in the county of Devon, England, UK. It lies west southwest of Bristol, north of Plymouth and northwest of the county town of Exeter. The old spelling Barnstable is now obsolete.It is the main town of the...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England and says he is proud to be a Cornishman and an Englishman
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...
. Educated at Budehaven School, his interest in sport developed as a youngster, and by age 12 he started playing rugby. By the age of 16 he gained his first National Representative honour, being picked for the England Schools U16s group.
Vickery left school age 16 and worked as a herdsman on his parents' farm. He remains a qualified cattle inseminator.
Vickery has an Oriental tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
on his left shoulder which roughly translates to "I'll fight you to the death", and a bulldog tattoo on his right.
Career
He started with the Cornish club Bude, then moved to Redruth, during which time he first appeared in an England Colts side. In 1995, England 'A' coach Richard Hill persuaded the 19 year old Vickery to join Gloucester Rugby, where he became known as "The Raging Bull".His representative career went from strength to strength, with appearances for England U21s and Colts in the 1996–97 season.
In April 2006 he announced he was quitting Gloucester Rugby after 11 years and signed for Wasps
London 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...
in a 3 year deal. Vickery made his Wasps
London 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...
debut in their 23 – 13 win over 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...
on 8 October 2006.
On 28 October 2010, Vickery was forced to retire from rugby after suffering from several neck injuries. He played his last game at Kingsholm against Gloucester on 25 September, which is where he started his career.
Representative career
Vickery made his England debut against Wales aged 21 on 21 February 1998, coming off the bench to replace Darren GarforthDarren Garforth
Darren Garforth is a former international rugby union footballer who played tighthead prop for Leicester Tigers and England....
against Wales at Twickenham in the Five Nations tournament, a match England won 60–26. It was the completion of a rapid rise through the England set-up, after only 34 first team games for his club and just 81 days after his England A debut.
The Tour from Hell
Summer 1998 saw Vickery taking part in the tour of the Southern Hemisphere
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:...
, part of an England squad which had been severely weakened by injury and player unavailability. In the space of a month, England were soundly defeated 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...
(76–0 in Brisbane on 6 June), twice by New Zealand (64–22 in Dunedin on 20 June and 40–10 in Auckland on 27 June) and finally by 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...
(18–0 in Cape Town on 4 July). There were also losses to New Zealand 'A', New Zealand Rugby Academy, and New Zealand Māori
New Zealand Maori rugby union team
New Zealand Māori is a rugby union team that traditionally plays teams touring New Zealand. A prerequisite for playing in this team is that the player is to have Māori whakapapa or genealogy. In the past this rule was not strictly applied. In the past non-Māori players who looked Māori were often...
.
The tour had benefits for some players, bringing through future stars of the England side such as Vickery himself, Jonny Wilkinson
Jonny Wilkinson
Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players...
, Danny Grewcock
Danny Grewcock
Daniel Jonathan Grewcock MBE is a retired English rugby union rugby lock who played for Bath, England and the British and Irish Lions...
, Graham Rowntree
Graham Rowntree
Graham Christopher Rowntree is a former English rugby union player. He played loosehead prop for Leicester Tigers and England. He was capped 54 times for England, despite having to compete for his position with the world's second most capped player, Jason Leonard.Rowntree was born in...
, Austin Healey
Austin Healey
Austin Sean Healey is a former English rugby union player, who played as a utility back for Leicester Tigers, and has represented the England national rugby union team and the British Lions....
, Matt Dawson
Matt Dawson
Matthew James Sutherland "Daws" Dawson, MBE is a retired English rugby union player who played scrum half for Wasps and Northampton Saints. During his international career he toured with the British and Irish Lions three times and was part of England's 2003 Rugby World Cup winning side...
and Matt Perry, others effectively had their international careers ended. Steve Ravenscroft
Steve Ravenscroft
Stephen Charles Wood Ravenscroft is an English former rugby union footballer who played at centre for Saracens and London Welsh....
, Rob Fidler, Jos Baxendell
Jos Baxendell
Jos Baxendell is a former Sale Sharks rugby union player, now coach. He played in two full tests for England, both in 1998.-References:...
, Spencer Brown and Tom Beim
Tom Beim
Tom Beim is a former rugby union footballer, who played on the wing for Sale, Gloucester, Viadana, Pertemps Bees, the Barbarians and England.-Club Rugby:...
each gained two caps on the tour – and have not played for England since. Richard Pool-Jones, Scott Benton, Dominic Chapman and Stuart Potter
Stuart Potter
Stuart Potter is a former rugby union footballer who played centre for Leicester Tigers, where 1994 league winning side and the 1997 Pilkington Cup-winning side....
only played once for England, on the Tour From Hell.
Vickery recovered from a neck injury in April 1999 and played in that year’s Rugby World Cup
1999 Rugby World Cup
The 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
. A shoulder injury, however, kept him out of the 2000 South Africa tour. Vickery toured Australia with 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...
in 2001 and played in all three tests.
Vickery was appointed captain of the England squad that toured Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
in 2002. With many of the top players rested, Vickery led the side to victory against The Pumas
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...
in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
.
Vickery missed the 2003 Six Nations
2003 Six Nations Championship
The 2003 Six Nations Championship was the fourth series of the Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-ninth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
tournament because of a back injury, but having returned to the team he did well for England on the road to the 2003 World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
. He played in all seven games in the tournament and captained the side against Uruguay. He scored his first international try when he came off the bench against Samoa in England’s third game of the tournament.
A rib injury prevented him from captaining the non capped match against the New Zealand Barbarians
New Zealand Barbarians
The New Zealand Barbarians, nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", are an invitational rugby union team which have been a major part of New Zealand rugby since they were founded in 1937. They are based on the concept of Barbarian F.C...
in December 2003. Although he took a full part in the 2004 Six Nations
2004 Six Nations Championship
The 2004 Six Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-tenth series of the northern...
, another back operation in May ruled him out of the summer tour to New Zealand and Australia. He returned to rugby only in late October 2004.
Making his international comeback, he came on as a replacement against South Africa for the first Autumn Test between the two sides on 18 November 2006. After playing well, he drove over to score the winning try, which was converted by Andy Goode
Andy Goode
Andrew James Goode is a rugby union footballer who plays fly-half for Worcester and England.-Career:...
, and England won their first game since February that year.
He was selected on January 2 by new England Head Coach Brian Ashton
Brian Ashton (rugby player)
William Brian Ashton MBE is a former rugby union player and the former Head Coach of the England and Ireland national rugby union teams.-Biography:...
to captain the side during the 2007 Six Nations and 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
. He was one of only four players to have started both the 2003 and 2007 RWC Finals, the other three being Jonny Wilkinson
Jonny Wilkinson
Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players...
, 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 Ben Kay
Ben Kay
Benedict James Kay MBE is a retired English international rugby union footballer who played Second row forward for Leicester Tigers and .-Background:...
.
Also, on January 8, 2008 he was selected in the squad for the 2008 Six Nations Championship
2008 Six Nations Championship
The 2008 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2008 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the ninth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 114th...
by Brian Ashton. He played every game except for the 23–19 win over Italy which he missed through injury.
Personal life
His wife is called Kate and they have two children Megan and Harrison.He was a co-commentator for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's coverage of the 2011 Rugby World Cup
2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
.
Phil won the 2011 series of Celebrity Masterchef beating Kirsty Wark
Kirsty Wark
Kirsteen Anne Wark is a British journalist and television presenter best known for fronting the BBC Two's news and current affairs programme Newsnight since 1993, and its weekly arts annexe Newsnight Review which is now relaunched as "The Review Show".-Biography:Wark was born in Dumfries to Jimmy...
and Nick Pickard
Nick Pickard
Nicholas "Nick" Pickard is an English actor, best known for his role as Tony Hutchinson on soap opera Hollyoaks.He is currently the longest serving cast member and appeared in the very first episode in 1995...
in the final.