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Jonny May

Jonny May

Key Facts

SquadGloucester Rugby
PositionCentre/Wing
Age23
Height1.86m (6'1")
Weight90kg (14st 2lb)
Caps0

Profile

Since being named last March as the LV= Breakthrough Player from a short list of six in last season’s Anglo-Welsh competition, the career of Jonny May has gathered momentum. He joined the England squad in Johannesburg in mid June as a replacement for Harlequins’ George Lowe who had returned him after a scan showed left ankle ligament damage. 

He made an instant impression, scoring two tries off the bench for Ugo Monye in the 57-31 win over the South African Barbarians North team at Potchefstroom. His first was outstanding and included a pirouette after a dance down the touchline tightrope and his second also reflected his intuitive skills.

Hartpury won 41-13 and opposing full back David Rees, the former England wing, said: "Jonny ran some great lines and has a lot of confidence. He clearly enjoyed himself out there and certainly knew where the try-line was." It was a harbinger of greater things for him as his 19 tries in 49 senior appearances for Gloucester, up to the end of last season.        

Swindon-born Jonny became a regular member of Gloucester’s A League side in 2009-10, having made an initial breakthrough in pre-season with a memorable try in his second friendly match for Gloucester against Connacht. He made his competitive debut in the Heineken Cup in the Newport Gwent Dragons game two months later.

A newcomer to the England U20 squad in 2010, he scored two tries in three Six Nations games at that level and then bagged three in the opening IRB Junior World Championship against hosts Argentina. He went on to play in the other four matches.  It was his first experience of representative rugby in the UK but he did spend the summer of 2007 playing in Australia for the Brumbies Academy.

He was on a dual registration with Moseley before signing a new contract with Gloucester in the spring of 2011and last season he made 27 first team appearances and scored ten tries. His only previous club was Wootton Bassett, where he starting playing when five. Jonny was educated at Ridgeway School, initially played for Swindon Town Football Academy and was seventh in the Great Britain U15 pole vault in 2003.

He has learned much from Chris Dewsnap, late of Hartpury College, Allan Lewis, who was director of rugby there and Gloucester Academy pair Mark Cornwell and Phil Greenaway. Former internationals Will Greenwood, Jerry Guscott and Tana Umaga are his most respected players.

International Record

Uncapped

Last updated: June 26, 2012

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