Matt Dawson facts for kids
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| Birth name | Matthew James Sutherland Dawson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 31 October 1972 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Birkenhead, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 13.10 st (83.2 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | RGS High Wycombe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Matthew James Sutherland Dawson, also known as Matt Dawson, is a famous English retired rugby union player. He was a scrum-half for clubs like Northampton Saints and London Wasps.
During his time playing for England, he went on three tours with the British & Irish Lions. He was also a key part of the England squad that won the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Matt Dawson played 77 games for his country and was captain in nine of them. He was England's most capped scrum-half for a long time.
Matt Dawson was known for his quick "sniping runs" and smart plays. He could also kick goals when needed, showing how versatile he was on the field.
After retiring from rugby, Dawson became a team captain on the TV show A Question of Sport. He has also appeared on other reality shows and works as a commentator and presenter for BBC Radio 5 Live's rugby programs.
Contents
Matt Dawson's Rugby Career
Playing for Clubs
Matt Dawson joined Northampton in 1991 after finishing school. He was one of the last players to start his career when rugby union was still an amateur sport. Before rugby became professional in 1995, he worked as a security guard and coached at a school.
At Northampton, he played very well with Paul Grayson. They helped their team win the Heineken Cup in 2000, even though Dawson missed the final due to an injury. Fans even voted him and Grayson into the club's all-time best team.
In 2004, Dawson moved from Northampton to London Wasps. In his first season with Wasps, he helped them win the Premiership title.
On April 7, 2006, Matt Dawson announced he would stop playing rugby at the end of that season. His last game was on May 14, 2006, when Wasps lost to Sale, stopping them from winning the Premiership title four years in a row.
Playing for England
In 1993, Matt Dawson was part of the England Sevens team. They won the first-ever Sevens World Cup in Scotland. Dawson and his teammate Lawrence Dallaglio were the first players to win the World Cup in both the 15-a-side and 7-a-side games.
Dawson first played for England in December 1995 against Western Samoa. He had to compete with other great players like Kyran Bracken for the England number 9 shirt.
He joined the 1997 British Lions tour to South Africa as the third-choice scrum-half. But because of an injury to another player and his own strong performances, Dawson became a starter. In the first test, with only ten minutes left, he made a clever play that led to the winning try. This helped the Lions win the series 2–1.
Dawson became England's captain for the first time in 1998. He went on to become a regular player in the starting team. He was the main scrum-half at the 1999 Rugby World Cup after another player got injured. He scored England's first try of the tournament just eight minutes into their opening match against Italy.
He also captained England in the 2000 Six Nations Championship when regular captain Martin Johnson was not playing.
In the 2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia, Dawson was the second-choice scrum-half. He played in the third test after the first-choice player was injured.
Matt Dawson's career almost ended in 2002 due to a neck injury. But he recovered and became a very important player for England. He earned his 50th cap (played his 50th game) against Ireland on the same day England won the 2003 Six Nations Grand Slam.
That same year, he was a vital part of the team that won the World Cup. In the final against Australia in Sydney, he made a crucial play in extra time. With less than a minute left, he made a surprise run that gained 20 meters. From that play, he passed the ball to Jonny Wilkinson for the winning drop goal.
In 2004, Dawson missed an England training camp because of a TV show commitment. This led to him being left out of the England squad for a short time. However, he returned for the 2005 Six Nations and played well enough to be chosen for the 2005 British Lions tour to New Zealand.
Matt Dawson's Media Career
In 2004, Matt Dawson joined the popular BBC TV quiz show A Question of Sport. He became a regular team captain on the show.
In September 2006, he won the Celebrity MasterChef cooking competition on BBC One.
He also took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2006 with his dance partner Lilia Kopylova. He surprised many people by finishing in second place. He later returned to the show in 2008 for a special episode to raise money for Sport Relief.
In January 2007, Dawson started working for BBC Radio Five Live. He became a commentator for England's Six Nations Championship games and also covered the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He now presents 5-Live's weekly Rugby show.
In 2008, Dawson co-hosted a show called Mitch and Matt's Big Fish. In this show, he and Mitch Tonks explored the British coast, trying and cooking different fish dishes.
In 2010, Dawson hosted Monster Munchies for Good Food channel. On this show, he challenged two teams to create a giant version of a local food in 24 hours.
In 2023, Dawson was a contestant on Richard Osman's House of Games, a popular quiz show.
Charitable Work
Matt Dawson is very involved in charity work. He was the 2013 President of Sparks, a charity that supports medical research for children. He also supports the rugby charity Wooden Spoon, which helps disadvantaged children and young people in Britain and Ireland.
Since 2004, Dawson has supported the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). In 2009, he became a UNICEF UK ambassador. He has visited UNICEF programs in South Africa that focus on education, shelter, and health.
He completed the 2007 London Marathon to raise money for charity.
- He is a Patron of The National Hospital Development Foundation (NHDF).
- He is also a Patron of Beating Bowel Cancer, a charity that raises awareness about bowel cancer.
About Matt Dawson's Life
Matt Dawson was born in Birkenhead but grew up in Buckinghamshire. He went to the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe. When he was younger, he was very good at cricket and football before choosing to focus on rugby.
He was married to Carolin Hauskeller, and they have two sons. Matt Dawson is a big fan of Everton F.C., a football club.
In 2004, Matt Dawson published his autobiography, which is a book about his own life, called Nine Lives.
See also
In Spanish: Matt Dawson para niños
- List of top English points scorers and try scorers
