England Player Profiles

Geoff Parling

Key Facts

Squad	Leicester Tigers
Position	Lock/Flanker
Age	28
Height	1.98m (6'6")
Weight	114kg (17st 13lb)
Caps	5

Higher representative honours have beckoned Geoff Parling since he appeared for England U16, U18, U19 and U21. At the age of 26, he played 30 matches, including his 80-minute contribution when Leicester Tigers beat Saracens 33-27 in the Guinness Premiership final of 2009-10, his debut season at Welford Road.

More kudos followed when he won his first Test cap off the bench for Tom Palmer in the 13-6 win over Scotland at Murrayfield in February 2012 and made his initial start on his third appearance against Wales at Twickenham later in the month. He also shared in the 24-22 win over France at Stade de France, Paris and the 30-9 triumph in the Ireland game in March.

He had also been a firm favourite with his previous club, Newcastle Falcons, whom he captained in both the Premiership and Amlin Challenge Cup. His arrival at Kingston Park was a logical step in a career path that began at Ian Ramsey School in his home town of Stockton-on-Tees, continued at Durham School and extended to degree studies at Newcastle University.

Geoff has the ability to figure at lock or blind side flanker. After captaining the Falcons’ development side in 2004-05 he became a regular first team choice the following season and won the club’s player of the year award on the way towards a place in the England squad that toured Australia and New Zealand in the summer of 2010.

He had been runner up to Juan Martin Fernández Lobbe, then of Sale Sharks, in the Guinness Premiership’s Gatorade Performance of the Season category in 2008-09.

Two years earlier, he had featured prominently at blind side and reached 116 appearances for the Falcons, with 80 starts and 36 matches off the bench. After signing for Leicester in July 2009, Geoff made his debut against his old club.

A consistent performer, he has exerted a major influence on the Tigers’ line out and was rewarded with England Saxons’ selection for the matches against Ireland A and Italy A last winter before his senior tour accolade.