Tom Pearson (born 26 October 1999) is an English professional rugby union player who plays for Premiership Rugby club Northampton Saints. His preferred position is back row.

Early life

Pearson began playing rugby at six years old at his local rugby club in Bromyard, Herefordshire, before going on to play for Luctonians, also in Herefordshire. He attended Moor Park Prep, Dean Close School and Cardiff Metropolitan University where he represented the first team. Pearson played 42 times for

the university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ro ...

across both the local Welsh league and the

BUCS Super Rugby BUCS Super Rugby is the highest level of men's university rugby in Britain and a potential pathway for university players into elite rugby. It comprises ten teams from universities in England and Wales. The league is named for its governing b ...

competition.

Career

Pearson had been a member of the Gloucester academy but was released as a teenager. He signed for London Irish on 21 June 2021. He made his senior club debut away to Exeter Chiefs on 23 October 2021 and was named ''Player of the Match'' in an Irish win. On 8 February 2022 Pearson was called up by coach

Eddie Jones Edward, Eddie, or Ed Jones may refer to: Architecture * Edward Vason Jones (1909–1980), American neoclassical architect * Edward Jones (English architect) (born 1939), English architect who designed the Saïd Business School * Edward Jones (Wel ...

to train with during the

2022 Six Nations Championship The 2022 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) was the 23rd Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union competition contested by the national teams of England national rugby union team, England ...

. Pearson scored his first try for Irish as they beat Bristol Bears on 11 February 2022. In the 2022–23 season Pearson was named as both Premiership Rugby's ''Breakthrough'' player of the year and as the

Rugby Players' Association The Rugby Players Association (RPA) is a trade union representing athletes who currently play or have played rugby union in England at a professional or semi-professional level. The RPA is the representative body and collective voice of profession ...

's young player of the season. In June 2023 London Irish encountered financial issues and it was announced that Pearson would join Northampton Saints for the 2023–24 season. Later that month he was selected by England coach

Steve Borthwick Stephen William Borthwick (born 12 October 1979) is an English rugby union coach who played lock for Bath and Saracens. At International level, he represented the senior England rugby union team between 2001 and 2010 and captained them betwe ...

for a training camp preparing for the

2023 Rugby World Cup The 2023 Rugby World Cup is scheduled to be the tenth men's Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It is scheduled to take place in France from 8 September to 28 October 2023 in nine venues across the cou ...

. On 5 August Pearson made his Test debut starting in a warm-up defeat against Wales. So far he has been a solid player for the Saints and has made his mark on the 2023-24 season.

Personal life

Pearson attended a boarding school in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire from Year nine with his twin brother Will Pearson, who also played for Luctonians. He was in Tower House and also played 1XI Cricket.

References

1999 births Living people English rugby union players England international rugby union players London Irish players Northampton Saints players Rugby union flankers Rugby union players from Hereford {{England-rugbyunion-bio-stub