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Sam Underhill

Sam Underhill
Underhill in 2024
Full nameSamuel Gregory Underhill
Date of birth (1996-07-22) 22 July 1996 (age 29)
Place of birthDayton, Ohio, U.S.
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Weight106 kg (234 lb; 16 st 10 lb)[1]
SchoolSir Thomas Rich's School
UniversityUniversity of Bath
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker
Current team Bath
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014–2015 Gloucester 2 (0)
2015–2017 Ospreys 37 (20)
2017– Bath 105 (85)
Correct as of 25 May 2025
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014 England U18 9 (10)
2017– England 42 (20)
Correct as of 12 July 2025
Medal record
Men's Rugby union
Representing  England
Rugby World Cup
Silver medal – second place 2019 Japan Squad
Bronze medal – third place 2023 France Squad

Samuel Gregory Underhill (born 22 July 1996) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for Premiership Rugby club Bath and the England national team.

Early life

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Underhill was born in the United States when his father served overseas in the Royal Air Force, he moved back to England aged one. He was brought up in Peterborough and then moved to Gloucestershire where he played for Sir Thomas Rich's School, Longlevens RFC and Gloucester Academy.[2]

Club career

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Aged just 17, Underhill made his debut for Gloucester in the Anglo-Welsh Cup,[3] before making his Premiership debut at the age of 18.[3]

At the beginning of the 2015–16 season, Underhill joined Welsh Pro12 team Ospreys.[3] He made his debut against Ulster and was man of the match in his first start for the team, against Munster.[3] His last game for the region was during their defeat in the semi-final of the 2016–17 Pro12.[4]

On 11 January 2017, it was confirmed that Underhill would join English side Bath for the 2017–18 season.[5] He started in the 2024 Premiership final which they lost against Northampton Saints to finish runners up.[6]

In April 2025, his try helped Bath to secure a first place finish in the regular season for the first time since the 2003–04 season during a 55–19 against Newcastle Falcons.[7] The following month, Underhill started in the 2024–25 EPCR Challenge Cup final as Bath beat Lyon at the Millennium Stadium to win their first European trophy for seventeen years.[8] However, he received a month long ban for a tackle during the match against Lyon ruling him out of the 2025 Premiership final which saw Bath defeat Leicester Tigers to become champions of England for the first time since 1996.[9][10]

International career

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Underhill captained England U18 during their successful 2014 FIRA tournament and played nine times during an unbeaten season, including scoring a try on debut in a player of the match performance against Scotland, captaining the team to a win in the FIRA tournament and a win against South Africa.[3]

Underhill was called up to the senior England squad by coach Eddie Jones for their 2017 summer tour of Argentina.[11] On 17 June 2017 he made his international debut starting in the last test of the tour as England defeated Argentina to win the series 2–0.[12][13]

On 12 August 2019, Underhill was named in Eddie Jones' 31-man squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.[14] He was one of the stars of the semi-final victory over New Zealand, helping England to reach their first World Cup final since 2007.[3][15] Underhill started in the 2019 Rugby World Cup final in which England were defeated by South Africa to finish runners up.[16]

Underhill was a member of the squad that won the 2020 Six Nations Championship and later that year he started for the England side that defeated France after extra-time to win the Autumn Nations Cup.[17][18] On 4 July 2021, Underhill scored his first try at international level in a game against the nation of his birth the United States.[19] He was a member of their 2022 tour of Australia and started in the second test victory at Lang Park as England ultimately won the series 2–1.[20]

Underhill was not initially included in the squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.[21] However, he was called up after Jack Willis was injured during the pool stage.[22] Underhill made his only appearance of the tournament in their last fixture starting in the victory over Argentina as England finished third with the Bronze medal.[23]

Career statistics

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List of international tries

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as of 24 November 2024[24]

No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 4 July 2021 Twickenham Stadium, London, England  United States 5–3 43–29 2021 July rugby union tests [19]
2 22 June 2024 Japan National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan  Japan 50–17 52–17 2024 tour of Japan [25]
3 16 November 2024 Twickenham Stadium, London, England  South Africa 15–19 20–29 2024 Autumn Internationals [26]
4 24 November 2024 Twickenham Stadium, London, England  Japan 12–0 59–14 2024 Autumn Internationals [27]

Honours

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England
Bath

References

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  1. ^ a b "Club profile". Bath Rugby. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  2. ^ Kitson, Robert (27 November 2020). "Sam Underhill: 'There's no way of defending that is not physical'". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Iles, Robert (1 November 2019). "Sam Underhill's journey from Gloucester schoolboy to Rugby World Cup finalist with England". Gloucestershire Live. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Pro12 semi-final: Munster 23-3 Ospreys". BBC Sport. 20 May 2017. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Bath agree deal to sign Osprey openside flanker Sam Underhill". BBC Sport. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  6. ^ Hurcom, Sophie (8 June 2024). "Northampton hold off 14-man Bath in Premiership final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  7. ^ "Bath thump Newcastle to seal top spot and home semi". BBC Sport. 26 April 2025. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  8. ^ a b Hurcom, Sophie (23 May 2025). "Bath overpower Lyon to win European Challenge Cup". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  9. ^ Hurcom, Sophie (28 May 2025). "Underhill to miss rest of Bath's season with ban". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  10. ^ a b Hurcom, Sophie (14 June 2025). "Bath end 29-year wait for Premiership title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  11. ^ "England v Argentina: Dylan Hartley, Joe Launchbury & George Ford in squad". BBC Sport. 20 April 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
  12. ^ Aylwin, Michael (15 June 2017). "Sam Underhill to make England debut in Argentina as Chris Robshaw returns". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  13. ^ Aylwin, Michael (17 June 2017). "Will Collier try seals second Test and series win for England in Argentina". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  14. ^ de Menezes, Jack (12 August 2019). "England Rugby World Cup squad announcement LIVE - Latest news and updates". The Independent. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  15. ^ Fordyce, Tom (26 October 2019). "England 19-7 New Zealand: Eddie Jones' side beat All Blacks to reach World Cup final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  16. ^ a b Fordyce, Tom (2 November 2019). "England 12-32 South Africa: Springboks win World Cup for record-equalling third time". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  17. ^ a b Grey, Becky (31 October 2020). "Italy 5-34 England: Visitors' victory proves enough to win Six Nations title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  18. ^ a b Henson, Mike (6 December 2020). "Autumn Nations Cup: England beat France in sudden death". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  19. ^ a b Grey, Becky (4 July 2021). "England 43-29 United States". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  20. ^ "Australia 17-25 England: Eddie Jones' side win second Test to level series". BBC Sport. 9 July 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  21. ^ "Sam Underhill omitted from England training squad ahead of Rugby World Cup". Sky Sports. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  22. ^ "Rugby World Cup: Sam Underhill replaces injured Jack Willis in England squad". BBC Sport. 8 October 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  23. ^ Henson, Mike (27 October 2023). "Argentina 23-26 England: England overcome Pumas to win Rugby World Cup bronze-medal match". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  24. ^ "ESPN profile:Sam Underhill". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  25. ^ Mann, Mantej (22 June 2024). "Smith stars as England cruise past Japan in Tokyo". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  26. ^ Henson, Mike (16 November 2024). "South Africa grind out victory over England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  27. ^ Telfer, Alastair (24 November 2024). "England hammer Japan to finish autumn on a high". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
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