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Thomas Daniel Willis (born 18 January 1999) is an English professional rugby union player, who currently plays as a Number 8 for Premiership Rugby club Saracens.

Club career

Willis started playing rugby as a child at Reading Abbey, following in the footsteps of his father Steven and older brother Jack.

Wasps

In October 2017, Willis made his league debut for Wasps against Saracens. During the same month, he was sent on short-term loan to Rotherham Titans.

Willis started in the 2019–20 Premiership final on 24 October 2020, as they finished runners up to Exeter Chiefs.

Wasps entered administration on 17 October 2022, and Willis was made redundant along with all other players and coaching staff.

Bordeaux

In November 2022, Willis signed for Top 14 club Bordeaux Bègles He made his debut for the club, as a replacement against Perpignan on 26 November.

Throughout the 2022–23 Top 14 season, Willis made 17 appearances, which included 13 starts, and scored two tries, to support the team's run to the play-off semi-final, where they were defeated by La Rochelle. He also featured twice in the European Champions Cup, with one start and one try.

Saracens

After half a year in France, Willis returned to England to join Saracens, ahead of the 2023–24 Premiership season. He made his club debut against Coventry in the Premiership Rugby Cup on 9 September 2023. Across all competitions that season, he played in 20 matches, including 13 as a starter, and scored seven tries.

Willis established himself as the first-choice Number 8 at Saracens for the 2024–25 Premiership season, following the departure of long-serving club stalwart Billy Vunipola. After strong performances in the early part of the season, he was nominated for the Premiership Player of the Month Award for October.

International career

In 2016, Willis represented England under-18. He was included in the squad for the 2018 World Rugby Under 20 Championship and came off the bench in the final as England finished runners up to hosts France. He was also a member of the side that finished fifth at the 2019 World Rugby Under 20 Championship and scored the winning try in a game against Ireland.

In 2023, England head coach Steve Borthwick included Willis in the training squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He made his test debut on 5 August, coming on a second-half substitute in a warm-up game against Wales.

In November 2024, Willis was called-up to the England A squad, for a match against Australia A, as part of the 2024 Autumn Nations Series. He played all 80 minutes of the fixture, helping England A to record a 37–18 victory.

References

1. "ESPN Profile". ESPN. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
2. ^ "Tom Willis". Premiership Rugby. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
3. Morgan, Charlie (5 May 2023). "Jack and Tom Willis: the brothers who became team-mates – and now Top 14 rivals". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
4. Baldock, Andrew (14 November 2017). "Wasps feature interview: Jack Willis". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
5. "Titans make changes for the visit of Connacht". Rotherham Titans. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
6. Pilnick, Brent (24 October 2020). "Premiership Final: Exeter beat Wasps 19-13 to secure historic double". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
7. Bridge, Bobby (17 October 2022). "Wasps' administration confirmed as 167 employees made redundant". CoventryLive. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
8. "Tom Willis finally has a new club after leaving Wasps". Ruck. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
9. "Tom Willis, l'étoile montante du rugby anglais, fait ses adieux à Bordeaux" [Tom Willis, England's rising rugby star, bids farewell to Bordeaux]. xvovalie.com. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
10. Morgan, Charlie (4 August 2023). "Gain-line dominating Tom Willis was always destined for England". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
11. "Union Bordeaux-Bègles (UBB) : Willis et Oghre, les pigistes anglais renvoient l'ascenseur" [Union Bordeaux-Bègles (UBB): Willis and Oghre, the English freelancers return the favor]. Sud Ouest. 6 July 2023. ISSN 1760-6454. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
12. "Tom Willis: Saracens sign former Wasps back row". BBC Sport. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
13. "Tom WILLIS : profile and stats". all.rugby. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
14. "'Tom's good enough to play international rugby' – Saracens back row Willis is pushing for an England return this Autumn Series". Ruck.co.uk. 3 October 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
15. "Tom Willis nominated for Gallagher Player of the Month!". Saracens. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
16. "Young Gun: Tom Willis – Wasps No.8". The Rugby Paper. 16 September 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
17. "2018 World Rugby U20 Championship squad". BBC Sport. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
18. "World Rugby U20 Championship: England lose out to France in final". BBC Sport. 17 June 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
19. "World Rugby U20 Championship: England grab last-gasp win over Ireland". BBC Sport. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
20. Mann-Bryans, Mark (30 June 2023). "England announce Rugby World Cup training squad as Owen Farrell named captain". The Independent. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
21. Griffiths, Gareth (5 August 2023). "Wales 20-9 England: Warren Gatland's side defeat disappointing England in warm-up". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
22. "England A name team to face Australia A". England Rugby. 15 November 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
23. "England A beat Australia A at Twickenham Stoop". City A.M. 17 November 2024. Retrieved 5 January 2025.

External links

• Tom Willis at European Professional Club Rugby
• Tom Willis at ItsRugby.co.uk

• 1999 births
• Living people
• English rugby union players
• England international rugby union players
• Rugby union players from Reading, Berkshire
• Union Bordeaux Bègles players
• 21st-century French sportsmen
• Saracens F.C. players
• Wasps RFC players
• Rugby union number eights
• English expatriate rugby union players in France