Matt Perry (rugby player)
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- This article is about the rugby player. Other persons have been called Matthew Perry.
Matt Perry (born 27 January 1977) is an English rugby union footballer who plays full back for Bath. He has played for England and the British and Irish Lions, but hasn't started a test since December 2000 when he played against South Africa.
Perry was born in Bath. A talented cricketer, at school he captained a side including Adam Hollioake, later an England international.
New England coach Clive Woodward, who had previously been backs coach for Bath selected Perry for his first match in charge against Australia in Autumn 1997. Perry played solidly and preferred to run with the ball in hand rather than kick it, and in doing so usually managed to establish a target for his forwards.
Perry went on the 1998 England "Tour to Hell", and played out of position at centre in one of England's heavy defeats.
Aged 23, Perry became England's most capped full back with 35 caps at number 15, overtaking Jonathon Webb. 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 for Iain Balshaw and later for Jason Robinson and Josh Lewsey.
In 2004/5 he became a regular name on the Bath team sheet again
External links
- Planet-Rugby (http://www.planet-rugby.com/stats/players/player_details.phtml/p_r/ENG?playerCode=EPE19&search_text=Matt%20Perry&navCode=&tm1Code=%&setCode=archive)
- Sporting heroes (http://www.sporting-heroes.net/rugby-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=630)
- Bath Rugby (http://www.bathrugby.com/asp/players/playerProfile.asp?iID=26)