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Tom Willis (rugby union, born 1999)

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Tom Willis
Birth nameThomas Daniel Willis[1]
Date of birth (1999-01-18) 18 January 1999 (age 26)[2]
Place of birthReading, England[2]
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[2]
Weight120 kg (18 st 13 lb; 265 lb)[2]
SchoolHenley College
Notable relative(s)Jack Willis (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Number 8[2]
Current team Saracens
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
– Reading Abbey – (–)
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2017–2022 Wasps 67 (95)
2017 → Rotherham Titans 3 (0)
2022–2023 Bordeaux Bègles 19 (15)
2023– Saracens 33 (55)
Correct as of 30 January 2025
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2016–2017 England U18 6 (15)
2018–2019 England U20 17 (20)
2023– England 2 (0)
2024 England A 1 (0)
Correct as of 6 February 2025

Thomas Daniel Willis (born 18 January 1999) is an English professional rugby union player, who currently plays as a Number 8 for Premiership Rugby club Saracens.

Club career

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Willis started playing rugby as a child at Reading Abbey, following in the footsteps of his father Steven and older brother Jack.[3]

Wasps

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In October 2017, Willis made his league debut for Wasps against Saracens.[4] During the same month, he was sent on short-term loan to Rotherham Titans.[5]

Willis started in the 2019–20 Premiership final on 24 October 2020, as they finished runners up to Exeter Chiefs.[6]

Wasps entered administration on 17 October 2022, and Willis was made redundant along with all other players and coaching staff.[7]

Bordeaux

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In November 2022, Willis signed for Top 14 club Bordeaux Bègles[8] He made his debut for the club, as a replacement against Perpignan on 26 November.[9]

Throughout the 2022–23 Top 14 season, Willis made 17 appearances, which included 13 starts, and scored two tries, to support the team's run to the play-off semi-final, where they were defeated by La Rochelle.[10] He also featured twice in the European Champions Cup, with one start and one try.[11]

Saracens

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After half a year in France, Willis returned to England to join Saracens, ahead of the 2023–24 Premiership season.[12] He made his club debut against Coventry in the Premiership Rugby Cup on 9 September 2023. Across all competitions that season, he played in 20 matches, including 13 as a starter, and scored seven tries.[13]

Willis established himself as the first-choice Number 8 at Saracens for the 2024–25 Premiership season, following the departure of long-serving club stalwart Billy Vunipola.[14] After strong performances in the early part of the season, he was nominated for the Premiership Player of the Month Award for October.[15]

International career

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In 2016, Willis represented England under-18.[16] He was included in the squad for the 2018 World Rugby Under 20 Championship and came off the bench in the final as England finished runners up to hosts France.[17][18] He was also a member of the side that finished fifth at the 2019 World Rugby Under 20 Championship and scored the winning try in a game against Ireland.[19]

In 2023, England head coach Steve Borthwick included Willis in the training squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.[20] He made his test debut on 5 August, coming on a second-half substitute in a warm-up game against Wales.[21]

In November 2024, Willis was called up to the England A squad, for a match against Australia A, as part of the 2024 Autumn Nations Series.[22] He played all 80 minutes of the fixture, helping England A to record a 37–18 victory.[23]

In January 2025, Willis earned a recall to the England senior squad, ahead of the 2025 Six Nations Championship.[24] He made his tournament debut in the opening round coming off the bench in 27–22 away defeat to Ireland.[25] In February 2025, he was named in starting lineup for the first time for the second round fixture of the tournament against France.[26]

References

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  1. ^ "ESPN Profile". ESPN. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Tom Willis". Premiership Rugby. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  3. ^ Morgan, Charlie (5 May 2023). "Jack and Tom Willis: the brothers who became team-mates – and now Top 14 rivals". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  4. ^ Baldock, Andrew (14 November 2017). "Wasps feature interview: Jack Willis". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Titans make changes for the visit of Connacht". Rotherham Titans. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
  6. ^ Pilnick, Brent (24 October 2020). "Premiership Final: Exeter beat Wasps 19-13 to secure historic double". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  7. ^ Bridge, Bobby (17 October 2022). "Wasps' administration confirmed as 167 employees made redundant". CoventryLive. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Tom Willis finally has a new club after leaving Wasps". Ruck. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  9. ^ "Tom Willis, l'étoile montante du rugby anglais, fait ses adieux à Bordeaux" [Tom Willis, England's rising rugby star, bids farewell to Bordeaux]. xvovalie.com. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  10. ^ Morgan, Charlie (4 August 2023). "Gain-line dominating Tom Willis was always destined for England". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Union Bordeaux-Bègles (UBB) : Willis et Oghre, les pigistes anglais renvoient l'ascenseur" [Union Bordeaux-Bègles (UBB): Willis and Oghre, the English freelancers return the favor]. Sud Ouest. 6 July 2023. ISSN 1760-6454. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Tom Willis: Saracens sign former Wasps back row". BBC Sport. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  13. ^ "Tom WILLIS : profile and stats". all.rugby. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  14. ^ "'Tom's good enough to play international rugby' – Saracens back row Willis is pushing for an England return this Autumn Series". Ruck.co.uk. 3 October 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  15. ^ "Tom Willis nominated for Gallagher Player of the Month!". Saracens. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  16. ^ "Young Gun: Tom Willis – Wasps No.8". The Rugby Paper. 16 September 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  17. ^ "2018 World Rugby U20 Championship squad". BBC Sport. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  18. ^ "World Rugby U20 Championship: England lose out to France in final". BBC Sport. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  19. ^ "World Rugby U20 Championship: England grab last-gasp win over Ireland". BBC Sport. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  20. ^ Mann-Bryans, Mark (30 June 2023). "England announce Rugby World Cup training squad as Owen Farrell named captain". The Independent. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  21. ^ Griffiths, Gareth (5 August 2023). "Wales 20-9 England: Warren Gatland's side defeat disappointing England in warm-up". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  22. ^ "England A name team to face Australia A". England Rugby. 15 November 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  23. ^ "England A beat Australia A at Twickenham Stoop". City A.M. 17 November 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  24. ^ "Tom Willis aims for a 'proper crack' with England before Ireland opener". The Guardian. 27 January 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  25. ^ Gault, Matt. "Holders Ireland seal bonus-point win over England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
  26. ^ Meagher, Gerard. "Good times for a change? Borthwick pairs playmaker Smiths against France". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 February 2025.
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