Sam Tomkins facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Born | 23 March 1989 Milton Keynes, England |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 13 st 1 lb (83 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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Rugby league
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| Position | Fullback, Stand-off | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby union
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| Position | Wing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 14 October 2023
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| Relatives | Joel Tomkins (brother) Logan Tomkins (brother) |
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Sam Tomkins (born 23 March 1989) is a famous English rugby league player. He is also a TV analyst for Sky Sports. Sam first retired from playing in 2023. However, he returned to play for Catalans Dragons in the Super League for the end of the 2024 season.
Sam is known for playing as a fullback (fullback) and sometimes as a stand-off (stand-off). He played for the Wigan Warriors twice and also for the Catalans Dragons. He also spent two seasons playing in Australia's top league, the NRL, for the New Zealand Warriors.
He has won the prestigious Man of Steel award twice, in 2012 and 2021. This award goes to the best player in the Super League. Sam also won three Super League Grand Finals with the Wigan Warriors (in 2010, 2013, and 2018). He also won two Challenge Cup finals in 2011 and 2013.
In September 2024, Sam was announced as the new Team Manager for the England national rugby league team. This means he works behind the scenes for coach Shaun Wane.
Contents
Early Life and Rugby Beginnings
Sam Tomkins was born on March 23, 1989, in Milton Keynes, England. His older brother, Joel Tomkins, was born in Warrington. The family moved to Milton Keynes because of their father's job.
In the early 1990s, the family moved back to the North West, to Chorley. This is where his younger brother, Logan Tomkins, was born. Sam first started playing rugby league when he was seven years old. His father introduced him and Joel to the Chorley Panthers ARLFC.
When Sam was nine, he and Joel joined the Wigan St. Patrick's club. This club helps train young players for the professional Wigan Warriors team. To help their rugby careers, the family moved to Wigan. Sam played for Wigan St. Patrick's until he was a teenager.
At age twelve, Sam joined the Wigan Warriors scholarship program. When he turned sixteen, he signed a part-time contract with the Wigan Warriors Youth Development academy. By 2007, Sam was playing regularly for the Wigan academy teams. He even played for the England Academy Under-18s team against France.
At the end of 2007, Wigan offered Sam a full-time contract. This allowed him to train with the club's main team.
Club Career Highlights
Wigan Warriors
Starting His Journey
When a player left Wigan, the club looked for a new talent. Sam was offered a contract extension to stay until the end of the 2010 season. Wigan's coach, Brian Noble, believed Sam would make a big impact in the Super League.
Sam got his first chance to play against a top team in a friendly match. He came off the bench for Lee Briers' testimonial game against the Warrington Wolves. Sam, at 19, made his official first-team debut on May 12 against Whitehaven in a Challenge Cup match. He made history by scoring five tries in his first game! Wigan won the match 106–8.
Even after this amazing start, Sam mostly played in the reserves for the rest of 2008. He scored more hat-tricks and five-try performances in reserve games. Wigan's chairman, Ian Lenagan, said he thought Sam would become a "world-class half-back." Sam was named Reserve Team Player of the Year. In 2009, he also won the Albert Goldthorpe Rookie of the Year Medal.
2009 Season Success
Sam played well in pre-season games for Wigan in 2009. He was given the number 25 jersey for the season. Wigan had a tough start, losing their first three matches. Sam joined the main squad and made his league debut against Harlequins. He helped set up a try that tied the game.
He scored his first league tries against Salford. Sam continued to impress, scoring multiple tries in games. He was named in the Super League Dream Team as a stand-off. He was also voted Super League Young Player of the Year by rugby journalists. At Wigan's own awards, he won Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year. Sam played 27 first-grade games and scored 15 tries that season. He then signed a five-year contract with the club.
2010: A Championship Year
After a coaching change, Michael Maguire became Wigan's new head coach. Sam was given the number 6 jersey, confirming his role as the main stand-off. Wigan also signed Paul Deacon to help mentor Sam.
Sam played in every single match of Wigan's 2010 season. He scored hat-tricks in cup matches. Wigan finished first in the league, winning the League Leader's Shield. Sam played a key role as Wigan won the Grand Final against St. Helens. This was Wigan's first league title since 1998 and Sam's first major trophy.
During the season, Sam also started playing as a fullback (fullback). He scored the first try and made a try-saving tackle in his first game at this new position. He stayed at fullback for the rest of the season, including the Grand Final.
Sam had a fantastic year, scoring 21 tries and four goals in 34 games. He scored a try in the Grand Final victory. He was again named in the 2010 Super League Dream Team. His brother Joel was also in the team, making them the first brothers to be in the Super League Dream Team together. Sam won Young Player of the Year again and received the Albert Goldthorpe Medal for 'best and fairest' player. He was also named Rookie of the Year by the Rugby League International Federation.
2011 Season and New Contract
Wigan made Sam's move to fullback permanent, giving him the number 1 jersey. There was talk that Sam might move to Australia's NRL or even switch to rugby union. To keep him, Wigan offered him a new five-year contract until 2015.
Sam played 34 games in 2011. He scored his first try of the season against Bradford. He had a great run of scoring 13 tries in seven games, including multiple braces (two tries) and a hat-trick against Hull Kingston Rovers. He scored his sixth career hat-trick against Huddersfield.
Sam helped Wigan win their first Challenge Cup since 2004. He was a strong favorite to win the Lance Todd Trophy for the best player in the final, but his teammate Jeff Lima won it. Sam scored 32 tries, five goals, and one drop goal that season. After the season, he signed another new contract with Wigan. This deal reportedly made him the highest-paid player in the Super League.
2012 and 2013 Seasons
In 2012, Sam continued his amazing form, scoring 36 tries in 30 games for Wigan.
In 2013, news broke that Sam would be leaving Wigan to join the New Zealand Warriors in Australia's NRL. On September 24, 2013, it was confirmed he would join the Warriors on a three-year deal starting in 2014. This was for a world record transfer fee.
Before leaving, Sam played in two more big finals for Wigan. He helped them win the 2013 Challenge Cup Final against Hull F.C. at Wembley Stadium. He also played in the 2013 Super League Grand Final victory over the Warrington Wolves at Old Trafford.
New Zealand Warriors
Sam's first games for the New Zealand Warriors were in the 2014 NRL pre-season. His first official NRL game was against the Parramatta Eels. He scored his first try in his second game.
In a game against the Parramatta Eels in 2014, Sam had a standout performance. He scored two tries and set up another for his captain, Simon Mannering. This game showed everyone in the NRL how talented he was.
In 2015, the Warriors announced that Sam would leave the club at the end of the season. This was due to injuries and him missing his home.
Return to Wigan
2016 and 2017 Seasons
Sam returned to Wigan in 2016 after two seasons in the NRL. He signed a four-year contract. He had knee surgery in November 2015, which meant he missed the start of the 2016 Super League season. He finally played his first game back on May 13 against Hull FC. He played 16 games and scored 7 tries before needing more knee surgery.
In 2017, Sam didn't play for Wigan until the Challenge Cup quarter-final. His drop goal won the game for Wigan against the Warrington Wolves. He quickly got back into form, helping his team with assists and scoring tries against teams like Catalans Dragons, Leeds Rhinos, and Huddersfield Giants.
He played in the 2017 Challenge Cup Final where Wigan lost to Hull F.C. at Wembley Stadium. He scored his fifth try of the season against Castleford Tigers.
2018: Grand Final Win
After dealing with knee injuries, Sam was fit to play from the start of the 2018 Super League season. He showed he was back to his best with a 65-meter run to score a try against the Widnes Vikings. He also provided four assists in another game, showing his skill at fullback and sometimes at halfback.
He scored two more tries and kicked a 45-meter drop goal to win a close game against Leeds Rhinos. News then came out that he would be joining the Catalans Dragons in 2019. He continued to score tries against various teams, bringing his season total to 11. As Wigan's main kicker, he scored 95 goals from 127 attempts, showing 75% accuracy. This helped Wigan finish second in the Super League table.
Sam played in the 2018 Super League Grand Final where Wigan beat the Warrington Wolves at Old Trafford. This was his third Super League title with Wigan.
Catalans Dragons
Sam played 13 games for Catalans Dragons in the 2020 Super League season. This included their semi-final loss to St Helens.
In October 2021, Sam was awarded the Man of Steel award again for his great performances with Catalans. On October 9, 2021, Sam played for Catalans in their 2021 Super League Grand Final loss against St. Helens.
In April 2022, Sam fractured his fibula (a bone in his lower leg) during a Challenge Cup game against St Helens. This injury kept him out for at least four weeks. Later in the season, he kicked a drop goal to win a game for Catalans against Huddersfield Giants 13-12.
Sam played 21 games for Catalans in the 2022 Super League season. This included their playoff loss to Leeds Rhinos.
In March 2023, Sam announced he would retire at the end of the season. This was due to ongoing issues with his knee from his 2022 injury. He had delayed his retirement to play in the 2021 Men's Rugby League World Cup.
In the 2023 semi-final against St Helens, Sam scored the winning try with less than a minute left. This sent Catalans to the Grand Final and ended St Helens' four-year winning streak. On October 14, Sam played in Catalans' 2023 Super League Grand Final loss against Wigan Warriors. This was his last game as a player before his retirement.
Return to Playing
In July 2024, Sam Tomkins announced he would return to play for Catalans Dragons. He came out of retirement until the end of the season. He felt confident in his knee again and wanted to help the club reach the playoffs and the Grand Final. Sam made his second debut for the club on July 27, 2024. He scored a try in a 24–16 win over Hull F.C.. In his third game back, he suffered a hamstring injury.
On October 4, he signed an extension to play for the 2025 season.
International Career
Playing for England
Sam made his international debut for England on October 18, 2009, against Wales. He scored a hat-trick in a 48–12 victory. Even though he had played less than 30 games for Wigan, he was included in England's new team for the 2009 Four Nations.
He played against Australia and New Zealand in the Four Nations. The Australian captain, Darren Lockyer, was impressed by Sam's performance. England reached the final but lost to Australia.
In 2010, Sam scored four tries in a friendly match against France, equaling a record for England. He played in all three of England's matches at the 2010 Four Nations. He also switched to playing fullback for England during this tournament.
In 2011, Sam played fullback for England in the first International Origin Match. He scored four tries against Wales in the 2011 Four Nations, again equaling the record for most tries in an England game. England reached the Four Nations final again but lost to Australia.
After the 2014 Four Nations, Sam did not play for England for a few years due to injuries. He was recalled to the England squad in 2018.
In June 2021, Sam was named England's new captain. He played fullback in most of England's matches at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. England lost in the semi-finals to Samoa.
Playing for Barbarians
In November 2011, Sam played rugby union for the Barbarians, an invitational team. He played as a right wing and scored a try against the Australian Wallabies. This was his first professional rugby union game. Sam said he was glad for the chance to play but was still a professional rugby league player.
Life After Playing
Broadcasting Career
After retiring as a player in 2023, Sam joined the Sky Sports team as an analyst for the 2024 season. He continued his TV work even when he returned to play for Catalans in 2024.
Coaching Career
In September 2024, Sam was appointed Team Manager for the England national rugby league team. This is a role where he works behind the scenes to help the team.
Honours and Awards
Team Achievements
- Wigan Warriors
- Super League Grand Final Winners: 2010, 2013, 2018
- League Leaders' Shield Winners: 2010, 2012
- Challenge Cup Winners: 2011, 2013
- World Club Challenge Winners: 2017
- Catalans Dragons
- League Leaders' Shield Winners: 2021
Individual Awards
- Man of Steel: 2012, 2021
- Super League Dream Team (8 times): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2021, 2023
- Super League Player of the Year: 2011
- Super League Young Player of the Year: 2009, 2010
- Albert Goldthorpe Medal: 2010
- Rookie of the Year: 2009
- RLIF Rookie of the Year: 2010
- Wigan Warriors Player of the Year: 2009, 2011
- Wigan Warriors Young Player of the Year: 2009
