Croft
Tom Croft was one of the most naturally gifted players to ever play the sport. Discover more about his life and career with RugbyPass, your resident rugby gurus.
Tom Croft Bio
Although his career was plagued by injuries, Tom Croft was undoubtedly a generational talent and a star performer for both England and Leicester Tigers. Some argue he was one of the fastest forwards to ever play the game.
Born 7 November 1985, Tom Croft made his senior debut for Leicester Tigers in 2005 only a week after he turned 20. In the following season, he made 16 appearances for the side as they claimed both the Premiership title and the Anglo-Welsh Cup.
Between 2005 and 2017, Tom Croft made 173 appearances for Leicester Tigers. During this time, he was an integral member of a formidable side. Between the 2004-05 season and the 2012-13 season, Leicester made the final of the Premiership every season, claiming the title on four occasions. They also made the final of the Heineken Champions Cup twice, but lost both times.
Between 2008 and 2015, Tom Croft made 40 appearances for England. Sadly, recurring knee injuries meant that he did not play for his country as he could have, given his talents. However, he still enjoyed a fabulous England career that was littered with star performances and he was called into the British and Irish Lions squads in 2009 and 2013. In total, he was capped by the Lions five times.
In November 2017, Tom Croft announced his retirement from rugby due to a neck injury. Since retiring from the sport, he has worked in the private sector for a real estate developer.
