Wade Dooley

Wade Dooley

Birth name	Wade Anthony Dooley
Date of birth	(1957-10-02)2 October 1957
Place of birth	Warrington,Cheshire, England
Height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1985–1993 1989 England Lions 57 2 (12) (0)

Wade Dooley(born 2 October 1957) is a formerEnglandrugby unioninternational who playedlock forward.He played for his country 55 times and was known as the "Blackpool Tower",as a result of being 6 feet 8 inches tall and apolice officerwithLancashire ConstabularyinBlackpool.

Dooley was born inWarrington,Northern Englandand playedrugby leagueas a teenager, taking up rugby union aged 19. He played most of his career forPreston Grasshoppers,where he was nurtured by former England international and coachDick Greenwood.He also had a brief spell withFyldeand withNew Brighton F.C.

Dooley made his international debut on 5 January 1985 againstRomania.He later established a second row partnership with fellow police officerPaul Ackford.

In 1987 he broke the cheekbone of Welsh playerPhil Davieswith a punch during a rough game in Cardiff.

Dooley went on the1989 British Lions tour to Australia,playing in the final two test matches. He was also part of the England team that won back-to-back grand slams in 1991 and 1992.

Dooley also went on the1993 British Lions tour to New Zealand,but left the tour to return home for the funeral of his father. He was replaced on the tour by the Leicester lockMartin Johnson,and decided to retire.

Since retirement, Dooley and his wife, Sharon, have run a tea room calledDizzy DucksatWrea Green.

External links

• Planet-Rugby stat archive and bio
• Sporting Heroes
• Sporting Heroes 2
• Sporting Heroes 3
• Sporting Heroes 4
• Sunday Times article 21 March 2010