The England rugby union try record progression charts the record number of tries scored for the England national rugby union team by individual players, or rugby footballers as they are still sometimes referred to.
Early years The progression begins with Reg Birkett's try, scored in the first international rugby match of any code in 1871 when England succumbed to Scotland at Raeburn Place. When Birkett's try was scored, it was not worth any points in itself, but rather afforded the opportunity of the scoring side to kick a goal, or a "try at goal", which England failed to convert. Birkett, who also played association football for England, was for a short time during the match the joint international record holder as well, matching Angus Buchanan's earlier effort for Scotland.Bath, Richard (ed.) The Scotland Rugby Miscellany (Vision Sports Publishing Ltd, 2007 , p37 Despite the record being but a single try, Birkett's mark of one try for England stood for almost six years, although this equated at the time to just ten matches. In that time, at least a further eleven players matched the feat of scoring a try for England before William Hutchinson scored his second try of the match and his career in the eleventh England match on 5 February 1877. Hutchinson set a mark that was to last for exactly four years when Henry Taylor, who had already equalled the record, scored three times against Ireland on 5 February 1881. Taylor played in the same side as another prolific scorer of tries, George Burton. Burton equalled the mark of five tries in England's comprehensive victory over Wales in the latter's first international. In that match, on 19 February 1881, of the 13 tries scored, Taylor scored once but Burton scored four times, which was in itself a record haul for one match that was to last until 1907.Barry Bowker, England Rugby - A History of the National Side, 1871-1978, p190, 1976 (Cassel Ltd) The tries scored in this match brought both players to six apiece, but as to which of these players reached that mark first is unclear. It was not until 1885 that another pairing of prolific try scorers, Wilfred Bolton and Charles Wade, both equalled the haul of six tries. Wade went on to hold the record outright for over 15 years after he scored his seventh try on 2 January 1886 against Wales. It was Tot Robinson that was to break this record on 9 March 1901 with his mark of eight tries and no one challenged this until Arthur Hudson equalled and then broke it at Parc des Princes when England defeated France on 3 March 1910. For the third time, England was fielding a pairing of prolific try scorers, and alongside Hudson was John Birkett. John Birkett was the son of England's first try scorer, Reg Birkett and had scored the first try at Twickenham Stadium. He went on to set the England record with ten tries on 8 April 1912.
Lowe's 67-year record As Birkett's career finished, the young winger, Cyril Lowe, began his. Lowe was selected to play for England whilst still at university in 1913 and despite a six-year break due to the First World War when he flew as a fighter pilot in the Royal Flying Corps, returned to international duty and resumed scoring tries. Lowe scored 18 times in 24 appearances, and set the record for the most tries scored in a single Five Nations Championship when he scored eight in 1914, a record only matched by Ian Smith of Scotland, and never surpassed, even in the Six Nations era with its greater number of matches. Despite living until the age of 91, Lowe's mark of 18 tries, set on 10 February 1923, outlasted him and was not broken until another RAF fighter pilot, Rory Underwood, scored his 19th try almost 67 years later on 20 January 1990. Underwood had taken 38 matches to reach this mark, compared to Lowe's 24. Before Lowe, other try scorers had had better scoring ratios, among them record holders Burton scoring six in six, Wade seven in eight, Tot Robinson eight in eight, and Hudson, nine in eight. Daniel Lambert had also scored eight tries in a career of seven appearances.Espn scrum.com England player records Lowe's achievement has been singled out as being all the more remarkable due to the almost six year pause in the middle of his career.
Underwood's unchallenged record Underwood went on to score 30 more tries for England over a career spanning 12 years and 85 matches, eventually setting a mark of 49 tries. He also scored once for the British Lions, bringing his career total of international tries to 50. Lowe's total of 18 has been surpassed by a further six players, all playing in an era of many more internationals, and when tries are worth more points relative to other scoring methods and therefore where there is more emphasis on scoring tries. Underwood's mark, however, has never been challenged, the next closest for England being Jonny May on 36.
International tries Try record Player Opposing team Location Venue Competition Date Result References/Notes 1 Reg Birkett Edinburgh, Scotland Raeburn Place Home nations friendly Lost Francis d'Aguilar London, England Kennington Oval Home nations friendly Won Stephen Finney London, England Kennington Oval Home nations friendly Won Alfred St. George Hamersley London, England Kennington Oval Home nations friendly Won Ernest Cheston London, England Kennington Oval Home nations friendly Won Arthur Michell London, England Kennington Oval Home nations friendly Won Charles Clark Dublin, Ireland Leinster Cricket Ground Home nations friendly Won Edward Kewley Dublin, Ireland Leinster Cricket Ground Home nations friendly Won William Collins London, England Kennington Oval Home nations friendly Won Frederic Lee London, England Kennington Oval Home nations friendly Won William Hutchinson London, England Kennington Oval Home nations friendly Won Hutchinson scored twice in the match on 5 February 1877 Monkey Hornby London, England Kennington Oval Home nations friendly Won Frank Reginald Adams London, England Kennington Oval Home nations friendly Won It is not clear when Frank Reginald Adams scored his try on 5 February 1877. If it was before Hutchinson's second try then for a short time he equalled the try scoring record of just one try. One source, Francis Marshall's Football, The Rugby Union Game, does not acknowledge that Adams scored at all in February 1877. This would then put in doubt if his try on 24 March 1879 was his second or first for England. 2 William Hutchinson London, England Kennington Oval Home nations friendly Won Frank Reginald Adams London, England Kennington Oval Home nations friendly Won George Burton Manchester, England Whalley Range Home nations friendly Won Henry Taylor Manchester, England Whalley Range Home nations friendly Won Taylor scored twice in the match on 28 February 1880 3 Manchester, England Whalley Range 1880–81 Home Nations rugby union matches Won 4 Manchester, England Whalley Range 1880–81 Home Nations rugby union matches Won 5 Manchester, England Whalley Range 1880–81 Home Nations rugby union matches Won George Burton London, England Richardson's Field, Blackheath 1880–81 Home Nations rugby union matches Won Burton scored four times in the match on 19 February 1881. If Burton scored three of his four tries before Taylor scored his try, then Burton equalled the then record of five tries, having already scored twice prior to the match. However, if Taylor scored before Burton for his third of the match, then Taylor would have extended his record to six tries, before Burton equalled the record. If Burton scored his fourth try before Taylor scored, then Burton would have set the new record of six tries, and Taylor would have equalled this record in the same match, if not then Burton would have equalled a new record set by Taylor. 6 Henry Taylor London, England Richardson's Field, Blackheath 1880–81 Home Nations rugby union matches Won George Burton London, England Richardson's Field, Blackheath 1880–81 Home Nations rugby union matches Won Charles Wade Swansea, Wales St. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground Home Nations Championship Won Wilfred Bolton Manchester, England Whalley Range Home Nations Championship Won 7 Charles Wade London, England Rectory Field, Blackheath Home Nations Championship Won Tot Robinson Dublin, Ireland Lansdowne Road Home Nations Championship Lost 8 London, England Rectory Field, Blackheath Home Nations Championship Lost Arthur Hudson Paris, France Parc des Princes Five Nations Championship Won 9 Paris, France Parc des Princes Five Nations Championship Won John Birkett Twickenham, England Twickenham Five Nations Championship Won 10 Paris, France Parc des Princes Five Nations Championship Won Cyril Lowe Twickenham, England Twickenham Five Nations Championship Won 11 Twickenham, England Twickenham Five Nations Championship Won 12 Twickenham, England Twickenham Five Nations Championship Won 13 Colombes near Paris, France Stade du Matin Five Nations Championship Won 14 Cardiff, Wales Cardiff Arms Park Five Nations Championship Lost 15 Dublin, Ireland Lansdowne Road Five Nations Championship Won 16 Twickenham, England Twickenham Five Nations Championship Won 17 Twickenham, England Twickenham Five Nations Championship Won 18 Leicester, England Welford Road Stadium Five Nations Championship Won Rory Underwood Twickenham, England Twickenham Test match (1989 Fiji rugby union tour of Europe) won 19 Twickenham, England Twickenham Five Nations Championship won 20 Paris, France Parc des Princes Five Nations Championship won 21 Twickenham, England Twickenham Five Nations Championship won 22 Twickenham, England Twickenham Five Nations Championship won 23 Twickenham, England Twickenham Test match (1990 Argentina rugby union tour of British Isles) won 24 Twickenham, England Twickenham Test match (1990 Argentina rugby union tour of British Isles) won 25 Twickenham, England Twickenham Test match (1990 Argentina rugby union tour of British Isles) won 26 Dublin, Ireland Lansdowne Road Five Nations Championship won 27 Twickenham, England Twickenham Five Nations Championship won 28 Suva, Fiji National Stadium, Suva Summer Tour won 29 Twickenham, England Twickenham Rugby World Cup won 30 Twickenham, England Twickenham Rugby World Cup won 31 Twickenham, England Twickenham Rugby World Cup won 32 Paris, France Parc des Princes Rugby World Cup won 33 Edinburgh, Scotland Murrayfield Five Nations Championship won 34 Twickenham, England Twickenham Five Nations Championship won 35 Paris, France Parc des Princes Five Nations Championship won 36 Twickenham, England Twickenham Five Nations Championship won 37 Twickenham, England Twickenham Five Nations Championship won 38 Twickenham, England Twickenham Autumn Internationals won 39 Twickenham, England Twickenham Test Match (1994 Canada rugby union tour of England and France) won 40 Twickenham, England Twickenham Test Match (1994 Canada rugby union tour of England and France) won 41 Cardiff, Wales Cardiff Arms Park Five Nations Championship won 42 Cardiff, Wales Cardiff Arms Park Five Nations Championship won 43 Durban, South Africa Kings Park Stadium Rugby World Cup won 44 Durban, South Africa Kings Park Stadium Rugby World Cup won 45 Durban, South Africa Kings Park Stadium Rugby World Cup won 46 Cape Town, South Africa Newlands Stadium Rugby World Cup lost 47 Cape Town, South Africa Newlands Stadium Rugby World Cup lost 48 Twickenham, England Twickenham Test Match (1995 Western Samoa rugby union tour of Great Britain) won 49 Twickenham, England Twickenham Five Nations Championship won
See also List of top England international rugby union points scorers and try scorers
Notes and references