Nick Royle Explained

Birth Date:25 September 1983
Weight:83kg (183lb)
Position:Wing
Years1:2002-03
Clubs1:Manchester
Years2:2003-04
Clubs2:Liverpool SH
Years3:2005-12
Clubs3:Fylde
Years4:2005-12
Clubs4:Sale Sharks
Years5:2012-14
Clubs5:Vale of Lune
Years6:2014-
Clubs6:Caldy
Apps1:19
Points1:30
Apps2:8
Points2:20
Apps3:123
Points3:635
Apps4:2
Points4:0
Apps5:50
Points5:280
Apps6:140
Points6:570
Ru Clubupdate:12 May 2018
Repyears1:2007, 2009
Repyears2:2009-12
Repteam1:England Counties XV
Repteam2:England Sevens
Repcaps1:6
Repcaps2:11
Reppoints1:25
Reppoints2:145
Ru Ntupdate:12 May 2018
Module:
Embed:yes
Position:Wing
Year1start:2003
Year1end:04
Year2start:2004
Year2end:05
Club1:Widnes Vikings
Club2:Warrington

Nick Royle (born 1983) is a former England Rugby Sevens International rugby union player. He plays as a winger. He is currently playing 15-aside rugby for Caldy in the RFU Championship. As of 2018 he is the most prolific try scorer in National League 2 North with over 190 tries.[1] [2] Royle has also had success with Lancashire in the Bill Beaumont Cup - winning the competition 3 times. As well as playing international sevens, he was selected by the England Counties XV.

Career

In 2002 Royle was playing rugby union for Manchester, then in the second tier of English rugby. He made a number of league and cup appearances for the club, mostly as a substitute, and scored several tries. The next season, he dropped several divisions to National League 2 North (then known as National 3 North) to spend a year playing for Liverpool St Helens, who unfortunately ended up being relegated from the league. During the summer of 2004 he switched to rugby league, playing for Super League sides Widnes Vikings and rivals Warrington Wolves.

Despite making a number of appearances in the Super League, Royle returned to rugby union for the 2005-06 season and was signed by Premiership side Sale Sharks, who loaned him out to local Lancashire side, Fylde, who were playing in the fourth division. He scored 16 tries for a Fylde side that finished mid table. The following year, Royle's performances continued to improve with Fylde as he finished as the league's top try scorer with 31 tries and his club side finished in 5th place.[3] He also equaled the division's record of seven tries in one game during the 106-0 thrashing of relegated Orrell on 31 March 2007.[4] The 2007-08 season with Fylde was less prolific for Royle, although he still managed 20 tries in league and cup competitions and Fylde just missed out on a playoff spot when they finished 3rd. In September 2007 Royle's form saw him picked by the England Counties XV for the FIRA/AER Rugby Festival held in south-west France. He played in all 3 games at the festival scoring 3 tries.[5] [6] [7]

The next couple of seasons would see Royle continue his prolific try scoring with Fylde, during which he was called up for the England Sevens team in 2009, England Counties and the Barbarians.[8] [9] [10]

Royle was also involved with the Lancashire country side that won the Bill Beaumont Cup in the summer of 2009 - scoring a try in the 32 - 18 win against Gloucestershire at the final at Twickenham.[11] [12] [13] [14] A second county championship win with Lancashire would be repeated in the 2010 Bill Beaumont Cup, as Royle played in the 37-27 victory over Cheshire.[15] He would also be picked by England Counties XV for their 2009 tour of South Korea and Japan - playing all 3 games and scoring 2 tries.[16] [17] [18]

The 2011-12 season would see Royle be called up once more by the England Sevens team, finishing best try scorer of the Sevens Grand Prix Series with 35 tries.[19]

In 2012 Royle decided to leave Fylde on what was initially thought to be a temporary (but financially lucrative) deal to play for the Vale of Lune, a local side which played three divisions below Fylde.[20] [21] While at the Vale of Lune, Royle broke the club's season try scoring record of 36 set by former player Mark Nelson (got who was also Royle's coach at Fylde) with 38 league tries during the 2013-14 season.[22] [23] While at Vale of Lune, Royle was also called up to the Lancashire county rugby side, with whom he helped win the 2013 Bill Beaumont Cup (his third successive cup victory for his county), scoring 2 tries as Lancashire defeated Cornwall at the final held at Twickenham, and finishing the tournaments top try scorer with 5.[24]

Royle returned to national rugby with Caldy for the 2014-15 season, playing in National League 2 North (tier 4). Royle finished the 2015-16 season as the division's top try scorer with 25 tries, also becoming the divisions all-time top try scorer.[25] [26] The 2016-17 season was an extremely successful one for Royle and his club, as he contributed 32 tries to finish once again as the top try scorer in the division for a record breaking 3rd time, and Caldy were promoted to National League 1 as champions - the highest level the club has reached.[27] [28] The next season he scored 19 tries in National League 1 as Caldy finished their first season in the new division in a respectable 11th place. Although he had a good second season individually, his tries (20 in all) were not enough to keep Caldy up and they were relegated at the end of 2018-19.

Season-by-season playing stats

Club

SeasonClub CompetitionAppearancesTriesDrop GoalsConversionsPenaltiesTotal Points
2002-03ManchesterNational Division One17400020
Powergen Cup2200010
2003-04Liverpool St HelensNational Division 3 North8400020
2004Widnes VikingsSuper League139????
2005Warrington WolvesSuper League??????
2005-06FyldeNational Division 3 North181600080
EDF Energy Trophy100000
2006-07National Division 3 North2231000155
EDF Energy Trophy100000
2007-08National Division 3 North231400070
EDF Energy Trophy2600030
2008-09National Division 3 North1724000120
Sale SharksEDF Cup200000
2009-10FyldeNational League 2 North161100055
2010-11National League 2 North1824000120
2011-12National League 1410005
2012-13National League 1100000
2012-13Vale of LuneNorth Division 1 West211800090
2013-14North Division 1 West2938000190
2014-15 30 12 00090
2015-16 National League 2 North3025000125
2016-17 30 32 0 0 0 160
2017-18 29 19 0 0 0 95
2018-19 29 20 0 0 0 100
2019-20
[29]

County or representative

SeasonSideCompetitionAppearancesTriesDrop GoalsConversionsPenaltiesTotal Points
2006-07 1 ? 0 0 0 ?
2007-08 3 3 0 0 0 15
1 1 0 0 0 5
2008-09 Barbarians[30] Test 1 2 0 0 0 10
4 7 0 0 0 35
England Counties XV3 2 0 0 0 10
2009-10 2 0 0 0 0 0
2011-12 1 0 0 0 0 0
2012-13 4 5 0 0 0 25
2014-15 3 1 0 0 0 5

Honours and records

National League 2 North

Fylde

Vale of Lune

Caldy

Lancashire

International/Representative

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Former England Sevens star Nick Royle makes history. The Rugby Paper. 27 February 2016 .
  2. Web site: National Two North All time try scorers . Rugby Statbunker . 29 April 2017 .
  3. Web site: National Three North 06/07 Leading try scorers . Rugby Statbunker. 28 April 2007.
  4. Web site: National 3 North 06/07 Most tries in a match (Player) . Rugby Statbunker . 28 April 2007 .
  5. Web site: England Counties in 12 try French romp . Rolling Maul. 7 September 2007.
  6. Web site: English Counties XV . Rolling Maul. 11 September 2007.
  7. Web site: Royle's try secures draw against French Amateurs . Rolling Maul. 14 September 2007.
  8. Web site: England 7s Squad for Dubai & George 2009 Plus Schedules . Rugby Network . 23 November 2009 .
  9. Web site: England Counties - Will they be BIG in Japan?. Rugby Network . 2 June 2009 .
  10. Web site: Baa Baas bringing internationals to Blues . Bedfordshire News. 1 April 2009 .
  11. Web site: Heartache for county at Twickenham . This is Gloucestershire . 1 June 2009 .
  12. Web site: Warwickshire 28 Lancashire 66 . Coventry Telegraph . 11 May 2009.
  13. Web site: Nutt cracker so sweet for Lancs . Blackpool Gazette . 18 May 2009 .
  14. Web site: Lancashire book place at Twickenham . Lancashire Telegraph . 27 May 2009 .
  15. Web site: Updated report on Lancs' victory over Cheshire: now with pics . Fylde Rugby . 5 January 2017.
  16. Web site: Record win for England RU Counties XV . Rugby Network . 5 June 2009.
  17. Web site: East Japan 31 England Counties 67. Everything Rugby . 8 June 2009.
  18. Web site: England Counties complete clean sweep. Everything Rugby . 13 June 2009.
  19. Web site: England Sevens name new squad. Rugby World . 30 August 2011 .
  20. Web site: Nick joins Vale of Lune . Fylde Rugby . 24 October 2012 .
  21. Web site: Royle leaves Fylde... for now. Blackpool Gazette . 25 October 2012 .
  22. Web site: LASSOED AT LEIGH. Vale of Lune RUFC (Pitchero) . 8 March 2014 .
  23. Web site: A SEASON OF LIGHT AND SHADE.. Vale of Lune RUFC (Pitchero) . 12 April 2014 .
  24. Web site: Thomas' reign ends in disappointment as Cornwall are beaten . Western Morning News . 27 May 2013 .
  25. Web site: National Two North 15/16 Leading top scorers . Rugby Statbunker. 7 May 2016.
  26. Web site: National Two North All time try scorers . Rugby Statbunker . 7 May 2016 .
  27. News: National League North. The RUGBYPaper. 450. Rugby Paper Ltd. 30 April 2017. 30–31 & 37.
  28. News: Caldy land title after stunning fightback. The RUGBYPaper. 447. Rugby Paper Ltd. 9 April 2017. 32.
  29. Web site: Nicholas Royle Record by competition . Rugby Statbunker . 27 April 2019.
  30. Web site: 19 tries as Barbarians triumph in Mobbs match . BBC Devon . 29 May 2008 .
  31. Web site: TringRugby Helps Hertfordshire to Cup Win! . Tring Rugby (Pitchero) . 5 January 2017 .

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