Matt Perry (rugby union)

Matt Perry

Personal information
Full name	Matthew Brendan Perry
Date of birth	27 January 1977
Place of birth	Bath, England
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	13 st 12 lbs
School	Millfied School
Relatives	Idris Perry, Brendan Perry, Lucy Gray (niece)
Senior clubs*
Years Club Apps (points) 1997–2006 Bath 221 (561)
Representative teams
1997–2001 2001 England Lions 36 (50) 3 (0)
* Professional club appearances and points counted for domestic first grade only.

Matthew Brendan Perry (born 27 January 1977 in Bath) was an English rugby union rugby player who played full back for Bath. He played internationally for England and the British and Irish Lions.

Biography

A talented cricketer, at Millfield School he captained a side including Ben Hollioake, later an England international.

England coach Clive Woodward, who had previously been backs' coach for Bath RFC selected Perry for his first match in charge against Australia in Autumn 1997. Perry played solidly; he preferred to run with the ball in hand rather than to kick it, and in so doing often managed to establish a target for his forwards.

In 1998, Perry went on England's "Tour to Hell" of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. During the 76–0 defeat by Australia, he played out of position at centre.

Aged 23, Perry beat Jonathan Webb's record to become England's most capped full back with 35 caps in the position, a record that still stands today (2008). Perry went on the 2001 British and Irish Lions tour to Australia, playing in all three tests. A back injury and loss of form saw him dropped from the England squad for Iain Balshaw; he later made way for both Jason Robinson and Josh Lewsey. Perry made his last start for England in December 2000 when he played against South Africa.

In 2004/5 he became a regular name on the Bath team sheet again. However, a bulging disc in his back resulted in spasms in his left leg, and he retired from playing rugby on 27 March 2007.^[1]

Perry now works for a management consultancy company based near Bath.

He shares his second name with his father Brendan who was an outstanding fly half for Bath from 1960 to 1974 making 247 appearances. Grandfather Idris also played for Bath in the 1940s.

References

1. BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | My Club | Bath | Injured Perry ends playing career

External links

• Planet-Rugby
• Sporting heroes
• Bath Rugby