England Under 20s

Nathan Morris

Key Facts

Squad	London Wasps
Position	Hooker
Age	20
Height	1.83m (6'0")
Weight	110kg (17st 4lb)
Caps	U20: 11

A vote of thanks is due to RFU Cumbria Rugby Development Officer Dave Cowgill for the ongoing rise of Nathan Morris, who began playing when 13 at Austin Friars School in Carlisle and joined London Wasps full time in July 2011 after four seasons with Newcastle Falcons. He is now a member of the first team squad.

Nathan said: "Dave introduced me to the game at school, took me down to the Carlisle club and it all started from there."He was on loan in 2011-12 to Rosslyn Park and London Welsh, having first played in the Aviva A League against Harlequins in October 2010. He appeared ten times for the Welsh, helping them to win promotion to the Aviva Premiership.

Other landmarks were his debut in a pre-season match for Wasps against Munster in August 2011 and his initial competitive game against Bordeaux-Bègles in the Amlin Challenge Cup two months later. It was the logical progression for a career that has taken him through all the England age groups from U16 to U20.

Born in Wrexham just like Dorian West, another hooker who played for England from 1998-2003, Nathan has lived in the land of the Red Rose since he was four and attended Sedbergh, where he studied geography, economics, mathematics and biology. He is reading for a BA in Geography at King’s College, London, was a new member of the England U20 squad last season and appeared in seven of the ten matches in 2012, including the IRB Junior World Championship. His debut was off the bench for Scott Spurling against Italy at Rovigo in early March and he played as a replacement against France and Ireland.

Nathan was with the Carlisle club for three years before joining the Newcastle Falcons Academy and figured in 14 matches for England U18, making his first start against Italy at Calvisano in March 2010. Maiden tries followed against a Namibia Invitation XV and France in South Africa that July and he wore the No. 2 jersey in the 29-12 win over Ireland at Donnybrook in December 2010.

He has captained the Sedbergh Development XV, the school’s U14 Sevens team, Cumbria U16 and also appeared for the North U16 side in 2007 and 2008. He has also taken part in rugby league, represented Wales Juniors in the shot putt and won the 2010 Cumbria Sports Personality of the Year award.

The player he most respects is Ireland prop John Hayes. Buskholme, the home ground of Sedbergh School, heads his venues’ list and his mentor there was Dan Harrison. Nathan shared in the school side’s unbeaten tour of South Africa but his most memorable match was their win 21-5 away win over Millfield in 2010.

He said: "My original playing days were spent in the centre before I moved to the back row, mainly Number 8. Then I was at tight head prop with the occasional game as a blind side flanker. The experience I will never forget was the sheer emotion and despair in the dressing room after we lost 23-17 to South Africa in Port Elizabeth in July 2010.”