Nick Royle

Nick Royle
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Weight 83 kg (13 st 1 lb)
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Wing
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2002-03
2003-04
2003-04
2004-05
2005-12
2005-12
2012-14
2014-		 Manchester
Liverpool SH
Widnes Vikings
Warrington
Sale Sharks
Fylde
Vale of Lune
Caldy		 19
8
13
?
2
122
50
60		 30
20
?
?
0
635
280
185
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2009 – 2012  England 11 (145)
correct as of 30 April 2016.

Nick Royle (born 1983) is a current England Rugby Sevens International rugby union player. He plays as a winger. He is currently playing 15-aside rugby for Caldy in National League 2 North (tier 4 of the English rugby union league system). As of 2016 he is the most prolific try scorer ever in National League 2 North with over 160 tries.[1]

Career

Rugby league

Educated at Wade Deacon High School in Widnes, Royle has a strong rugby league background emanating from the age of six at local club Halton Hornets. He went on to appear for Widnes Vikings and Warrington Wolves. Nick's best memory before joining England Sevens was a 70-metre try on his Super League debut in a 24-16 Widnes win over Warrington. Royle was noted for his speed, however his defensive frailties were exposed and he chose to move to the 15-a-side code and then onto the Sevens circuit.

Rugby union

In 2002 Nick was playing rugby union for Mancheser, then in the second tier of English rugby. He made a number of league and cup appearances for the club, mostly as a substitute, and scored several tries, in a season which saw Manchester avoid relegation by finishing 12th. The next season he dropped several divisions to tier 4 (then known as National 3 North) to spend a year playing for Liverpool St Helens, who unfortunately ended up being relegated from the league. During the summer of 2004 he switched to rugby league, playing for Super League sides Widnes Vikings and rivals Warrington Wolves.[2]

Despite making a number of appearances in the Super League, Nick decided to return to rugby union for the 2005-06 season and was signed by Premiership side, Sale Sharks, who loaned him out to local Lancashire side, Fylde, who were playing in the fourth division. He had a great debut season, scoring 16 tries for a Fylde side that finished mid table. The following year, Nick’s performances continued to improve with Fylde as he finished as the league’s top try scorer with 31 tries and his club side finished in 5th place.[3] He also equaled the division’s record of seven tries in one game during the 106-0 thrashing of relegated Orrell on 31 March 2007.[4] The 2007-08 season with Fylde was less prolific for Nick, although he still managed 20 tries in league and cup competitions and Fylde just missed out on a playoff spot when they finished 3rd.

The next couple of seasons would see Nick continue his prolific try scoring form with Fylde – form which would also see him called up for the England Sevens team in 2009 as well as England Counties and the Barbarians.[5][6][7] Previously unknown to most, Royle emerged as a talent on the IRB Sevens World Series scene with four tries in his debut tournament in Dubai in early December 2009 that has led to 29 overall so far. They include four off the bench in the final event of 2009-10 at Murrayfield, one against France in Las Vegas in February this year and another in the USA match in Hong Kong the following month. In early April, he became the Adelaide tournament’s overall leading try-scorer with eight, having bagged successive hat tricks in the opening matches against Scotland and Papua New Guinea before plundering two in the next game against Argentina. A powerful and irrepressible runner, he even scored in four consecutive matches spanning the Dubai and George tournaments in 2009, a telling tally that introduced him to opposing defences in an exalted competition.

Success at sevens was not mimicked with his professional side, Sale Sharks, as his time there was restricted to a handful of EDF Cup games and appearances for the second team, the Sale Jets. Despite failing to make his Premiership debut, the 2010-11 season was an excellent one for both Nick and Fylde as he scored 24 tries in a side that finished as champions and were promoted to division 3 (National League 1). The 2011-12 season would see Nick be called up once more by the England Sevens team, finishing best try scorer of the Sevens Grand Prix Series with 35 tries.[8] He also mixed international sevens with Fylde, scoring 25 tries for the promoted Lancashire club as they finished 4th in National League 1.

In 2012 Nick decided to leave Fylde on what was initially thought to be a temporary (but financially lucrative) deal to play for the Vale of Lune, a local side which played three divisions below Fylde.[9][10] While at the Vale of Lune, Nick broke the clubs season try scoring record of 36 set by former player Mark Nelson (got who was also Nick’s coach at Fylde) with 38 league tries during the 2013-14 season.[11][12] While at Vale of Lune, Nick was also called up to the Lancashire county rugby side, with whom he helped win the 2013 Bill Beaumont Cup, scoring 2 tries as Lancashire defeated Cornwall at the final held at Twickenham.[13]

Ultimately, Nick’s try scoring exploits could not gain promotion for the club and he returned to national rugby with Caldy for the 2014-15 season, playing in National League 2 North (tier 4). Nick finished the 2015-16 season as the division’s top try scorer with 25 tries, also becoming the divisions all-time top try scorer.[14][15]

Personal life

Royle and his wife Victoria appeared on BBC Three series Don't Tell The Bride.

Royle is also a keen metal detectorist.

Season-by-season playing stats

Season Club Competition Appearances Tries Drop Goals Conversions Penalties Total Points
2002-03 Manchester National Division One 17 4 0 0 0 20
Powergen Cup 2 2 0 0 0 10
2003-04 Liverpool St Helens National Division 3 North 8 4 0 0 0 20
2004 Widnes Vikings Super League 13
2005 Warrington Wolves Super League
2005-06 Fylde National Division 3 North 18 16 0 0 0 80
EDF Energy Trophy 1 0 0 0 0 0
2006-07 National Division 3 North 22 31 0 0 0 155
EDF Energy Trophy 1 0 0 0 0 0
2007-08 National Division 3 North 23 14 0 0 0 70
EDF Energy Trophy 2 6 0 0 0 30
2008-09 National Division 3 North 17 24 0 0 0 120
Sale Sharks EDF Cup 2 0 0 0 0 0
2009-10 Fylde National League 2 North 16 11 0 0 0 55
2010-11 National League 2 North 18 24 0 0 0 120
2011-12 National League 2 North 4 1 0 0 0 5
2012-13 National League 2 North 1 0 0 0 0 0
2012-13[a 1] Vale of Lune North Division 1 West 21 18 0 0 0 90
2013-14 North Division 1 West 29 38 0 0 0 190
2014-15 Caldy National League 2 North 30 12 0 0 0 90
2015-16 National League 2 North 30 25 0 0 0 125

[17]

  1. ↑
    • For the 2012-13 season Nick's appearance and try statistics may also include cup games (Staffordshire Trophy) as well as league.[16]

Honours & Records

National League 2 North

Fylde

Vale of Lune

Caldy

International/Representative/County

References

  1. ↑ "Former England Sevens star Nick Royle makes history". The Rugby Paper. 27 February 2016.
  2. ↑ "Royle joins Wolves". Daily Mail. 3 February 2005.
  3. 1 2 "National Three North 06/07 Leading try scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 28 April 2007.
  4. ↑ "National 3 North 06/07 Most tries in a match (Player)". Rugby Statbunker. 28 April 2007.
  5. ↑ "England 7s Squad for Dubai & George 2009 Plus Schedules". Rugby Network. 23 November 2009.
  6. 1 2 "England Counties - Will they be BIG in Japan?". Rugby Network. 2 June 2009.
  7. 1 2 "Baa Baas bringing internationals to Blues". Bedfordshire News. 1 April 2009.
  8. ↑ "England Sevens name new squad". Rugby World. 30 August 2011.
  9. ↑ "Nick joins Vale of Lune". Fylde Rugby. 24 October 2012.
  10. ↑ "Royle leaves Fylde... for now". Blackpool Gazette. 25 October 2012.
  11. ↑ "LASSOED AT LEIGH". Vale of Lune RUFC (Pitchero). 8 March 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 "A SEASON OF LIGHT AND SHADE.". Vale of Lune RUFC (Pitchero). 12 April 2014.
  13. 1 2 "Thomas' reign ends in disappointment as Cornwall are beaten". Western Morning News. 27 May 2013.
  14. 1 2 "National Two North 15/16 Leading top scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 7 May 2016.
  15. 1 2 "National Two North All time try scorers". Rugby Statbunker. 7 May 2016.
  16. ↑ "In addition to his exploits on the field, 25 league tries so far this season......". Vale of Lune RUFC (Pitchero). 12 December 2013.
  17. ↑ "Nicholas Royle Record by competition". Rugby Statbunker. Retrieved 21 October 2016.

External links

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