Tom Prydie
Encyclopedia
Tom Prydie is a Welsh
rugby union
player. A fullback who can also play on the wing, Prydie is the youngest player in the history of Europe's top club competition in the sport, the Heineken Cup
, and the youngest player ever to represent the Wales national team
.
, a seaside resort near Bridgend
, Prydie primarily played football in his early childhood. However, Prydie represented his primary school, Nottage at under 11s rugby, within the Bridgend and District Schools' RU. He played for West Wales A (Under 11s) in their victory over East Wales at Virginia Park, Caerphilly RFC, on 10 April 2003. Prydie made his first ever appearance at the Millennium Stadium on 3 May 2003, when he represented Bridgend Schools' Under 11s v. Cardiff Schools' Under 11s, in the final of the DCThomas Cup.
, the director of coaching for the Ospreys regional team. Prydie was then fast-tracked through the Ospreys age-grade system, and by the end of the year was in the senior side. He made his Ospreys senior debut on 12 December 2009 as a second-half replacement in their Heineken Cup
match against Viadana. This made him the youngest player in Heineken Cup history at age , beating the previous record of Leicester Tigers
' Richard Governley by 16 days.
named for the 2010 Six Nations
despite playing just seven minutes for the Welsh region. Despite media speculation that Prydie would be named to the squad, he was still shocked at his selection. He was notified by a text message from Wales national coach Warren Gatland
only 20 minutes before the public announcement of the squad; he initially thought that the message was part of an elaborate practical joke by some of his Ospreys teammates. At the time of his selection, Prydie had never met or spoken to Gatland.
Prydie was named to the starting XV on the wing for Wales' final 2010 Six Nations match against Italy
and became the youngest cap
in Wales' rugby history. The previous youngest to play for Wales was Norman Biggs
, who was 18 years, 49 days old when he made his debut in 1888 against the New Zealand Natives. Prydie was old at the time of the Italy match on 20 March. Prydie, who was selected despite only two starts and 167 minutes played for the Ospreys senior side, also surpassed Mathew Tait
of England
as the youngest ever to play in the Six Nations
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
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...
player. A fullback who can also play on the wing, Prydie is the youngest player in the history of Europe's top club competition in the sport, 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,...
, and the youngest player ever to represent the Wales national team
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...
.
Early life
Born in PorthcawlPorthcawl
Porthcawl is a town on the south coast of Wales in the county borough of Bridgend, 25 miles west of the capital city, Cardiff and 19 miles southeast of Swansea...
, a seaside resort near Bridgend
Bridgend
Bridgend is a town in the Bridgend County Borough in Wales, west of the capital, Cardiff. The river crossed by the original bridge, which gave the town its name, is the River Ogmore but the River Ewenny also passes to the south of the town...
, Prydie primarily played football in his early childhood. However, Prydie represented his primary school, Nottage at under 11s rugby, within the Bridgend and District Schools' RU. He played for West Wales A (Under 11s) in their victory over East Wales at Virginia Park, Caerphilly RFC, on 10 April 2003. Prydie made his first ever appearance at the Millennium Stadium on 3 May 2003, when he represented Bridgend Schools' Under 11s v. Cardiff Schools' Under 11s, in the final of the DCThomas Cup.
Ospreys
His rise to prominence began in summer 2009, when he was noticed by Scott JohnsonScott Johnson (rugby coach)
Scott Johnson , is an Australian rugby union coach.-Playing career:Playing as a fly half or a centre, Johnson played for Parramatta Two Blues and Eastwood, and was captain of both the New South Wales Waratahs and Australian Under 21s...
, the director of coaching for the Ospreys regional team. Prydie was then fast-tracked through the Ospreys age-grade system, and by the end of the year was in the senior side. He made his Ospreys senior debut on 12 December 2009 as a second-half replacement in their Heineken Cup
2009–10 Heineken Cup pool stage
The pool stage of the 2009–10 Heineken Cup was the opening phase of the annual competition, in which 24 teams were arranged into six pools contesting of four teams each and then competed in a home-and-away double round robin...
match against Viadana. This made him the youngest player in Heineken Cup history at age , beating the previous record of 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...
' Richard Governley by 16 days.
International career
On 18 January 2010 Prydie, still aged 17, was a surprise inclusion in the 35-man Wales national squadWales 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...
named for the 2010 Six Nations
2010 Six Nations Championship
The 2010 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2010 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 11th series of the Six Nations Championship, an annual rugby union competition between the six major Northern Hemisphere rugby union national teams...
despite playing just seven minutes for the Welsh region. Despite media speculation that Prydie would be named to the squad, he was still shocked at his selection. He was notified by a text message from Wales national coach Warren Gatland
Warren Gatland
Warren David Gatland is a former New Zealand rugby footballer and the current head coach of the Wales national team.Gatland was born in Hamilton, New Zealand and educated at Hamilton Boys' High School and Waikato University...
only 20 minutes before the public announcement of the squad; he initially thought that the message was part of an elaborate practical joke by some of his Ospreys teammates. At the time of his selection, Prydie had never met or spoken to Gatland.
Prydie was named to the starting XV on the wing for Wales' final 2010 Six Nations match 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,...
and became the youngest cap
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...
in Wales' rugby history. The previous youngest to play for Wales was Norman Biggs
Norman Biggs
Norman Witchell Biggs was a Welsh international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Cardiff and county rugby for Glamorgan. Both Biggs and his brother Selwyn played international rugby for Wales, though they never played together in the same match for Wales...
, who was 18 years, 49 days old when he made his debut in 1888 against the New Zealand Natives. Prydie was old at the time of the Italy match on 20 March. Prydie, who was selected despite only two starts and 167 minutes played for the Ospreys senior side, also surpassed Mathew Tait
Mathew Tait
Mathew Tait is an English rugby union footballer. He is an outside centre, a fullback or wing...
of 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...
as the youngest ever to play in the Six 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....
.