Neil Back

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Neil Back
MBE

Back celebrating the English 2003 World Cup victory.
Birth name	Neil Antony Back MBE
Date of birth	(1969-01-16) 16 January 1969 (age 55)
Place of birth	Coventry, England
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight	93 kg (205 lb; 14 st 9 lb)
School	Woodlands School, Coventry
Rugby union career
Position(s) Openside flanker Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) – Barker's Butts () – Earlsdon () Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1988–1990 Nottingham 38 (40) 1990–2005 Leicester Tigers 339 (615) 1988–2005 Total 377 (655) International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1994–2003 England 66 (83) 1997–2005 British & Irish Lions 5T+10 (5) Coaching career Years Team 2003–2008 Leicester Tigers 2008–2011 Leeds Carnegie 2011–2012 Rugby Lions 2012–2013 Edinburgh Rugby

Neil Antony Back MBE (born 16 January 1969) is a former international rugby union footballer for England and the British & Irish Lions who also played for Nottingham RFC, Leicester Tigers, and captained both England and Leicester during his career.

Following World Cup victory with England in 2003, he took on the role of Player/Defensive Coach for Leicester Tigers until he retired, following an illustrious 17-year first class playing career. One of his final games saw him become the oldest test British Lion in the history of the game, in the first test match verses New Zealand, on the 2005 tour.

During his international career he played in three World Cups, 1995, 1999, and 2003, where he was an integral part of the 2003 World Cup winning side. He also went on three Lions tours: the victorious tour to South Africa in 1997, and to Australia in 2001 and New Zealand in 2005. He earned 66 caps for England, captaining them to victory four times, and scored 16 tries and 1 drop goal (the only England forward to do so in a test match in the history of the game). He played as an open-side flanker. He is married to Alison, with whom he has a daughter, Olivia, who joined him on the winning podium in 2003, and a son, Finley.

Retirement from playing allowed him to concentrate on his future, seeing him continue his role as Assistant Coach at Leicester Tigers whilst gaining all of the RFU Coaching Awards; he now has over a decade of coaching experience.