England Under 20s

David Sisi

Key Facts

Squad	London Irish
Position	Back Row
Age	20
Height	1.93m (6'4")
Weight	120kg (18st 12lb)
Caps	U20: 10

As a senior academy player for London Irish, David Sisi has captained the club’s Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence side (AASE) and taken further steps on the rugby ladder since making his debut for the victorious England U18 side against Ireland at Donnybrook in December 2010.

David scored his maiden try at that level against Scotland at Headingley Carnegie the following March and played twice for England U20 in the 2012 Six Nations, scoring a debut try off the bench for captain Chris Walker against France in Vannes and then helping the side to lift the title, again as a replacement, in the 20-9 victory over Ireland at Adams Park, the home of London Wasps. Next up, he appeared in all five matches in the IRB Junior World Championship in South Africa last summer and figured in three of the games when England U20 won the RBS 6 Nations title this year.

He studied for an NVQ as part of the AASE at St Paul’s Catholic College, Sunbury-on-Thames and has appeared for the London Irish first team and in the Aviva A League, having played for Southampton-based Tottonians from the age of 12. David joined London Irish in 2009-10 but his rugby origins were at Houndsdown School in Totton. His debut for the Exiles was against Sale Sharks in the LV= Cup on November 5 2010 as a replacement for Steffon Armitage at No. 7.

David was born at the British Military Hospital of Rinteln in Germany to an English mother and an Italian/Scottish father and was mentored at school by PE teachers Stuart Magee and Scott Bryant with Andy Fields helping him to develop from a club player to the next level. He said: “My AASE coach Giselle Mather deserves huge credit and so does the (AASE) scheme. It has shaped the player that I have become, taught me early on about the demands of being a professional and Giselle equipped me with the skills I needed to make it. I hugely respect her opinion as a coach.”

His other captaincy experience was with his school and through the age groups at Tottonians but his best experience was the AASE plate final against Filton College in which he contributed two tries to a 35-5 victory that produced a real ‘buzz factor’ after the game.

A lifelong supporter of Southampton FC, he most admires Lawrence Dallaglio “a great ball carrier and world-class player” while his favourite scenario is the Madejski Stadium, the home of London Irish, on St Patrick’s Day. “It’s packed with some of the most passionate supporters around. My top ground is Twickenham. I went there as a kid and drive past it a lot nowadays. It’s always a fortress to me but I still have yet to play there.”