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Hipkiss Called Into Senior England Squad


	England centre Dan Hipkiss in training at Bath photo by Getty Images

20 May 2008

Leicester Tigers centre Dan Hipkiss has been called into the senior England squad to tour New Zealand next month.

Dan replaces Danny Cipriani (London Wasps) who has been ruled out through injury.

England Team Manager Martin Johnson CBE said: “Rob Andrew, the coaches and I discussed suitable candidates for the tour yesterday and we all agreed there was good cover at fly half with Charlie Hodgson, Olly Barkley and Toby Flood and so we decided to go with Dan. He gives us further options at centre and he has been playing well for Leicester Tigers in recent weeks and deserves his chance.”

Dan Hipkiss said: “I obviously cannot help but feel for Danny and the injury he has suffered and my thoughts are with him. However, this gives me a chance to tour New Zealand and it will be a very tough and challenging environment. The Rugby World Cup last year will hold me in good stead and it’s an opportunity I’m looking forward to.”

DAN HIPKISS

Club: Leicester Tigers
Position: Centre
Born: 04.06.82 | Ipswich
Height: 1.79m (5’10’’)
Weight: 92 kg (14st 7lb)
Representative Honours: England U16s, U17s, U18s, U21s, Sevens
Caps: 6
International record: 2007 W, F(2) World Cup - Sam(R), Tg(R), F(R), SA(R)

Daniel Hipkiss won four RWC 2007 caps, including coming on as a replacement in the semi final against France and the final against South Africa.

It marked a swift elevation to the senior squad for Hipkiss, who despite impressing for Leicester Tigers for the previous seasons, only won his first cap in the Investec Challenge warm-up match against Wales at Twickenham in August 2007.

Born in Ipswich but raised at the other end of Suffolk in Occold, he started playing rugby at Hartismere School and Diss Rugby Club in Norfolk before he was spotted by Dusty Hare and Leicester Tigers offered him a scholarship to Uppingham School and the chance to become involved in the Tigers' youth set up.

In November 1999, aged 17, he suffered a career-threatening injury to his left knee (torn posterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments). Despite early thoughts that it would heal without surgery he had an operation nine months later and spent a year in rehabilitation.

Dan studied Sports Science at Loughborough University and made his try scoring debut for the Tigers U21s against Leeds on November 9 2001, going on to become a regular member of the successful Tigers 2002/03 U21 team.

Called into the first team squad for summer training in 2002, he scored a stunning solo try on his senior debut in the Orange Cup game against Biarritz Olympique in Bayonne. He has since established himself in the first team, clocking up more than 50 starts for the Tigers, including playing in all three of last year’s finals – the Guinness Premiership, the EDF Energy Cup (awarded man-of-the match) and Heineken Cup – and was voted Leicester Tigers Players’ Player of the Season as well as the Guinness Premiership Player for April 2007.

He represented England at U16, U17, U18, U21 level and was included in the England Sevens Squad in 2004 for the tournaments in Wellington, Los Angeles, Singapore, Twickenham and Paris.

Did you know?
Dan’s father Chris played on the wing for England Under 16s, was a mainstay of the old Solihull club and eventually coached his son at Diss Rugby Club. Hipkiss junior was raised on the centre play of David Duckham and John Spencer, as seen on those 101 Best Tries videos.

Jeremy Thurston, the backbone of the youth set up at Diss, spotted his talent early and even at 13 predicted an England cap for the then Hartismere High School pupil. He flirted with football, playing for Suffolk under 13s, on the right wing or at right back, but returned to rugby when he was not selected the following season.