Wade Dooley

Wade Dooley
Birth nameWade Anthony Dooley
Date of birth (1957-10-02) 2 October 1957 (age 67)
Place of birthWarrington, Cheshire, England
Height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1985–1993
1989
 England
Lions
57
2
(12)
(0)

Wade Dooley (born 2 October 1957) is a former England rugby union international who played lock forward. He played for his country 55 times and was known as the "Blackpool Tower", as a result of being 6 feet 8 inches tall and a police officer with Lancashire Constabulary in Blackpool.

Dooley was born in Warrington, Northern England and played rugby league as a teenager, taking up rugby union aged 19. He played most of his career for Preston Grasshoppers, where he was nurtured by former England international and coach Dick Greenwood. He also had a brief spell with Fylde and with New Brighton F.C.

Dooley made his international debut on 5 January 1985 against Romania. He later established a second row partnership with fellow police officer Paul Ackford.

In 1987 he broke the cheekbone of Welsh player Phil Davies with a punch during a rough game in Cardiff.[1]

Dooley went on the 1989 British Lions tour to Australia, playing in the final two test matches. He was also part of the England team that won back-to-back grand slams in 1991 and 1992.

Dooley also went on the 1993 British Lions tour to New Zealand, but left the tour to return home for the funeral of his father. He was replaced on the tour by the Leicester lock Martin Johnson, and decided to retire.

Since retirement, Dooley and his wife, Sharon, have run a tea room called Dizzy Ducks at Wrea Green.[2]

  1. ^ "Peter Jackson: The force is no longer with Welsh club rugby | The Rugby Paper". therugbypaper.co.uk. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Best and Worst: Wade Dooley". The Sunday Times. 20 March 2010.