Tim Rodber facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tim Rodber

Birth name	Timothy Andrew Keith Rodber
Date of birth	(1969-07-12) 12 July 1969 (age 55)
Place of birth	Richmond, Yorkshire, England
Height	1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Weight	111 kg (17 st 7 lb; 245 lb)
School	Churchers College
University	Oxford Brookes University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker / Number eight / Lock Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) – Petersfield RFC () – Northampton () Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1988-2001 Northampton 235 () National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1992-1999 England 44 (25) 1997 British and Irish Lions 2 ()

Timothy Andrew Keith Rodber (born July 12, 1969) is a famous English former rugby union player. He played in different positions like Number Eight, Flanker, or Lock. Tim played for top teams including Northampton Saints, the England national team, and the British and Irish Lions.

Early Life and Rugby Beginnings

Tim Rodber was great at rugby from a young age. He played for his school and local teams like Petersfield R.F.C. and Oxford Old Boys. He went to Churcher's College and studied biology at Oxford Polytechnic. This school is now called Oxford Brookes University. He got special scholarships from the Army to help him with his studies.

Tim was also a captain in the Green Howards infantry regiment of the British Army. He stayed in the Army even when rugby became a professional sport. He left the Army in 2001 after he stopped playing rugby.

Playing for Northampton Saints

In 1987, Tim joined the Northampton Saints team. He became a very important player and later even became the team captain.

One of his biggest achievements with Northampton was winning the 2000 Heineken Cup Final. The Saints beat Munster in this big game, and Tim was a key player in their victory.

Tim Rodber's International Career

Tim also played for the England national team. His first game for England was in 1992. They won against Scotland in the Five Nations Championship.

Winning with England Sevens

Tim also helped the England Sevens team win the 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens title. This was a great success for him and the team.

Memorable Moments and Challenges

In 1994, during England's tour of South Africa, Tim played a huge part in a big win. England beat South Africa 32–15 in a test match. A journalist named Frank Keating said Tim and his teammates were "quite stupendous."

However, during the same tour, Tim was sent off the field in another game. This happened because he reacted to some rough play. This incident might have stopped him from becoming England captain later on. Tim said this event made him play less physically until 1997.

Playing for the British and Irish Lions

Tim was chosen to play for the 1997 British Lions tour to South Africa. This is a very special team made up of the best players from England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. He was initially not expected to start the main test matches. But because other players got injured or sick, Tim got to start the first test.

He became one of the best players on the tour. He played in the first two test matches, and the Lions won both of them. This helped the Lions win the series 2–1 against South Africa.

End of His Rugby Career

Tim's career was sometimes affected by injuries. He played for England in the 1999 Rugby World Cup. He retired from rugby at the end of the 2000-2001 season.

After Rugby: A New Career

After he stopped playing rugby, Tim moved into business management. He held important jobs, including being a Managing Director at a marketing company. This company was later bought by Williams Lea. Tim then became a regional COO and CEO (Chief Executive Officer) at Williams Lea.

He worked for another company called Middleton Advisors until 2013. In July 2013, he became the CEO of Instant, a company that provides workspaces around the world.