Tom Staniforth (born 13 August 1994) is an Australian

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player who currently plays as a

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for the in the international

Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the S ...

competition.

Career

Staniforth was involved in the Brumbies pre-season plans ahead of the 2014 Super Rugby season, however he was unable to win a contract with either then senior squad or the wider training group. As a result, he was forced to take up part-time work as a glass-collector to supplement his rugby earnings. His big break came ahead of the Brumbies clash with the in

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as injuries to both Sam Carter and Leon Power left head coach Stephen Larkham short on second-row options. As a result, Staniforth was handed a two-week contract to provide injury cover. Surprisingly he found himself named in the starting line-up for the match at

Suncorp Stadium Brisbane Stadium (Lang Park), currently known as Suncorp Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Milton, Queensland, Milton, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Nicknamed The Cauldron, it is a three-tiered rect ...

which his side won 23–20. He played the first 65 minutes of the game and put in a credible performance against two experienced Wallabies in the shape of James Horwill and Rob Simmons. Indeed, Horwill was quoted after the game as saying: "He's a guy I imagine will have a big future. It's always good to see a young guy come through." The Brumbies moved swiftly to tie Staniforth down to a longer-term deal, with the player signing a contract in May 2014 to tie him to the Brumbies until 2016.

International career

Staniforth was part of the Australia Under 20 side which competed in the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. He was once again included the following year, also being named one of the vice-captains. He scored a try against ireland.

Super Rugby statistics

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Staniforth, Tom 1994 births Australian rugby union players People educated at Strathallan School ACT Brumbies players Canberra Vikings players New South Wales Country Eagles players People educated at Canberra Grammar School Rugby union locks Living people New South Wales Waratahs players Castres Olympique players Rugby union players from Canberra Eastern Suburbs RUFC players Australian expatriate rugby union players in France 21st-century Australian sportsmen