Ben Gollings

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Ben Gollings
Ben Gollings 2013.jpg
Gollings in Fiji (2013)
Date of birth (1980-05-13) 13 May 1980 (age 44)
Place of birth Launceston, Cornwall, England
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight80 kg (12 st 8 lb; 176 lb)
UniversityBrunel University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flyhalf
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1999–2003 Harlequins ()
2003–2004 Newcastle ()
2004 Worcester ()
2004–2006 Sunnybank ()
2006–2007 Tasman ()
2007–2008 Toyota Shokki ()
2008–2011 Gold Coast Breakers ()
2011–2012 Rugby Lions 25 (112)
National sevens team
YearsTeamComps
2000–2011 England 7s 70
Medal record
Men's rugby sevens
Representing Flag of England.svg  England
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2006 Melbourne Team competition

Ben Gollings (born 13 May 1980) is an English former rugby union player who most recently worked as a rugby coach [1] for Fiji sevens team. Gollings is best known for his time with the England national rugby sevens team. He is the career leader in points scored on the World Rugby Sevens Series with 2,652 points. [2]

Contents

Youth and early career

Gollings was born in Launceston, Cornwall, England. Gollings was educated at Castle Court School and Canford School. In 1997 he led Canford to success at The National Schools 7's. In 2000, he was selected for England in the Students' Rugby World Cup while at Brunel University.

Rugby sevens career

Gollings continued to remain a regular part of the England Sevens set-up. Gollings was the leading scorer three times on the IRB Sevens Series—343 points in 2005–06, 260 points in 2008–09, and 332 points in 2009–10. His accomplishments include several records in the IRB Sevens World Series. Gollings became the first rugby sevens player to score over 2,000 points in his career during 2009. Gollings finished his career with 2,652 points. [2] On 21 June 2011, it was announced that Gollings' contract with the RFU would not be renewed, ending his international sevens career after 70 tournaments. [3]

Rugby fifteens

Gollings played for Bournemouth, Gloucester, Bath Development U19 side, Harlequins, Newcastle Falcons, Worcester, Doncaster Knights and Sunnybank. Whilst at Newcastle he was a replacement as they won the 2004 Anglo-Welsh Cup final. [4] Three years earlier in 2001 he was on the losing side in the same competition when Newcastle beat his old club Harlequins. [5] In 2006, he signed to play in the New Zealand National Provincial Championship for Tasman. From June 2007 Gollings joined Toyota Shokki Rugby.

Gollings joined semi-professional club Rugby Lions as a player and backs coach. Gollings won every game with the Lions in his first season, amassing over 100 points for the club himself. He was quoted in the Rugby Advertiser as saying "It's been a special season and I don't think it has fully sunk in with people how phenomenal it is to win every league game. Most of us won't experience that again." However, due to the financial crisis that hit the club in the summer of 2012, Gollings left the Lions in July.

Coach

In late 2012, Gollings took up a sevens coaching role in Sri Lanka. He then relocated to Seattle in the United States to take up a major role with Serevi Rugby, a rugby training and development programme founded by Fiji player, Waisale Serevi. [6]

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References

  1. ↑ "Ben Gollings (c)". Rugby Football Union. Archived from the original on 22 February 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Men's All Time Player Stats: Most Points Scored". World Rugby Sevens. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  3. ↑ "Rugby Union – Ben Gollings to leave England Sevens". BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  4. ↑ "Newcastle 37–33 Sale". BBC. 17 April 2004. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  5. ↑ "Newcastle snatch Cup glory". BBC. 24 February 2001. Retrieved 26 December 2009.
  6. ↑ "Biographies: Ben Gollings". Serevi Rugby. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
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