Key Facts
| Squad | England Sevens |
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| Position | Forward |
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| Age | 26 |
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| Height | 1.97m (6'6") |
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| Weight | 103kg (16st 3lb) |
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| IRB World Series | 20 events |
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A circuitous route took Tom Powell from South Yorkshire to Cambridge with Somerset and Northampton along the way to his initial selection in the England squad for the HSBC Sevens World Series in Wellington and Las Vegas in early February 2010.
Tom was enlisted as a replacement for Isoa Damudamu, who sustained a shoulder injury playing for the Royal Logistics Corps in late January that year and has appeared in all seven tournaments in 2011-12. Along the way, he scored tries in England’s opening matches in the Dubai, Las Vegas and Tokyo tournaments.
He crossed the Zimbabwe line in a 43-0 win in Dubai, bagged another try against Brazil, who were beaten 29-5 in Las Vegas and also touched down when England defeated Japan 15-5 in Tokyo.
Tom was a blind side flanker and No.8 for Cambridge in National One but had no club attachment at the end of 2009-10 before taking up an England Sevens contract. He previously played as a lock, was educated at Dinnington Comprehensive School and Millfield and has scored 24 tries in 20 IRB tournaments, including four against Guyana in Las Vegas in February last year. Tom also shared in the December 2010 triumph in Dubai.
A late starter in the game, he still won England U16 and U18 honours and his mentors were his first coach Alan Starr and then former London Wasps lock Steve Shortland, who was head of PE and coached for ten years at Millfield.
After being with Harlequins, Sheffield-born Tom moved to the Northampton Senior Academy from where he was recommended to Cambridge by Grant Seeley and Ali Hepher, former Saints’ players. While with Cambridge, he earned a reputation as a try-scorer with one touchdown in every two and a half matches.
James Shanahan, his former director of rugby at Wests Renault Park, Cambridge, said: "He has a good turn of pace and footwork and puts people around him into space, making him an ideal sevens player."
At the end of February 2010, Tom was in the starting line up and helped England Counties to beat the Ireland Club XV 29-25 for the first time at Stourbridge.
Last updated: April 11, 2012.
