David Tait
| Full name | David Andrews Tait | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 5 October 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Sale, Greater Manchester | ||
| Date of death | 12 December 2012 (aged 25) | ||
| Place of death | Kowloon, Hong Kong | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||
| Weight | 105 kg (16 st 7 lb) | ||
| School | Sale Grammar School[1] | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Current status | |||
| Current team | Sale Sharks | ||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Number Eight, Flanker | ||
| Youth clubs | |||
| Broughton Park Rugby Union F.C Altrincham Kersal | |||
| Professional / senior clubs | |||
| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2005–2010 | Sale Sharks | 28 | (0) |
| Sevens national teams | |||
| Years | Club / team | Comps | |
| 2009–2010 | Scotland | Dubai | |
David Tait (5 October 1987 – 12 December 2012)[2] was a professional rugby union player for Sale Sharks in the Guinness Premiership.
Career
Tait played as a Number 8, although he could also operate as a Flanker. He also represented Scotland at rugby sevens. Tait made his Sale debut in a Powergen Cup match against Llanelli Scarlets.[3] He "left the club in 2010 after suffering persistent injuries, having made just 40 appearances".[2]
Tait represented the England Under 20 team.[4] He was called up to the England sevens training squad for the 2008–09 IRB Sevens World Series.[5] However, Tait did not represent England and later competed for Scotland at the 2009 Dubai Sevens.[6]
In November 2011, Tait started a career at KPMG Hong Kong in the Corporate Finance team. While there, he also became captain for the Kowloon RFC first fifteen.[7] He went on to lead the first team to their first Hong Kong Premiership League title in 30 years, during the 2011–2012 season.
Personal life
Tait was born in Sale, Greater Manchester, England, where he attended Sale Grammar School.[1] Later he attended Sedbergh School and took a history degree at Manchester University. He was of Scottish descent on his father's side.[8] His father Campbell Tait, a judge, hanged himself in 2004.[9][10]
Death
Tait died in an apparent suicide after falling from the roof of the Harbourview Horizon apartment block in Hung Hom, Hong Kong, on 12 December 2012.[7][11] The Hong Kong national rugby union team wore black armbands during the 2012 Cup of Nations in his memory.[7]
References
- 1 2 Dixon, Jenny (4 July 2008). "Kiwis tutor Tait". The Advertiser. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
- 1 2 "Former Sale Sharks rugby player David Tait dies in fall". BBC News. 16 January 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ↑ "Scarlets 24–23 Sale". BBC News. 2 December 2005. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
- ↑ "Tait and smile as England Under-20s rack up five-try win". RFU. 2 February 2007. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
- ↑ "England 7s begin route to Rugby World Cup". ESPN Scrum. 2 October 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2009.
- ↑ "Scotland Sevens strong for Dubai". International Rugby Board. 26 November 2009. Archived from the original on 30 November 2009. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
- 1 2 3 Sallay, Alvin; Lo, Clifford (14 December 2012). "Second death in 4 days hits Hong Kong's rugby community". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
- ↑ Leigh, Neil (13 January 2010). "Sevens heaven for Tait". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ↑ Scheerhout, John (30 July 2004). "Judge death riddle". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
- ↑ "Rugby world mourns after David Tait falls to his death in Hong Kong". The Telegraph. 13 December 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
- ↑ Jennifer Williams (13 December 2012). "Former Sale Sharks star David Tait dies in Hong Kong apartment plunge". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 13 December 2012.