 Tait in 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Alexander Cameron Tait | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 18 March 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Shotley Bridge, County Durham, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 94 kg (14 st 11 lb; 207 lb) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Barnard Castle School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Newcastle University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Mathew Tait (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alex Tait (born 18 March 1988) is a retired former rugby union player, who played for Newcastle Falcons in the English Premiership.
Tait's usual position is fullback, but he can also cover at centre. He made his first team début for Newcastle against Cetransa El Salvador in November 2007. [2] [3]
After making his first team debut in 2007, Tait became a regular for the Falcons in his decade at the club. Appearing over 200 times by the close of the 2017-2018 English Rugby Premiership season. "He has turned in extremely consistent performances which are right up there at the top," said director of rugby Dean Richards at the time. Acknowledging the hard grafting full-back's service to the Falcons. [4]
2017-18 saw Tait scoring the Newcastle Falcons first and last tries of the campaign at home against Worcester and away to Exeter. Making 23 first team appearances, contributing to the Falcons' best season in 20 years. [5] Tait signed a new contract with the Falcons from late 2017 onward.
On 17 April 2023, Tait announced his retirement at the end of the 2022-23 season. [6]
Newcastle Falcons is a rugby union team that play in Premiership Rugby, England's highest division of rugby union.
Mathew James Murray Tait is a retired English rugby union player who gained 38 caps for England between 2005–2010, including starting in the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final; and played 279 club games for Newcastle Falcons, Sale Sharks and Leicester Tigers between 2004 and 2018. He was considered a utility back regularly playing at centre, fullback or wing. Tait made his Newcastle debut in 2004 and made his England debut at 18 years old in 2005, at the time the second youngest England player selected since the second World War. He played 87 times for Newcastle before joining Sale in 2008 where he played 49 times. Tait joined Leicester in 2011 and made 143 appearances between his 2011 debut and retirement. Whilst at Leicester Tait started the 2013 Premiership Rugby Final which Leicester won as well as the 2017 Anglo-Welsh Cup Final, which Leicester also won. His final game was on 5 May 2018 against former club Sale.
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