Simon Shaw

Simon Dalton Shaw was born on September 1, 1973, in Nairobi, Kenya. He began his professional rugby career with Bristol at the age of 17, having taken up the sport seriously only at 16. After moving from Spain to England, he attended Runnymede College and Godalming College. Standing at 2.04 meters (6 ft 8 in) tall, he became one of the tallest players to represent England. His club career saw him play for Bristol, London Wasps, and Toulon. Shaw gained recognition for his longevity and consistent performance at the highest level of the sport over two decades.

Shaw spent the majority of his club career with London Wasps, joining them in 1997. During his time with Wasps, he achieved significant team successes, including winning the Tetley’s Bitter Cup in 1999 and 2000. He also contributed to multiple Premiership titles in 2003, 2004, and 2005. A notable individual achievement came in August 2000, when he became the only lock in the Premiership to score a drop goal. His European success with Wasps includes winning the Parker Pen Challenge Cup in 2003 and two Heineken Cup titles in 2004 and 2007. In May 2008, he became the first player to reach 200 Premiership matches. His career with London Wasps concluded in 2011 when he moved to RC Toulonnais in France for two seasons.

Internationally, Shaw earned 71 caps for England between 1996 and 2011. He was part of the England squad that won the Grand Slam in the 2003 Six Nations Championship and was later called up as an injury replacement for the victorious 2003 Rugby World Cup team, earning an MBE. He participated in three British & Irish Lions tours (1997, 2005, 2009). His Lions career-defining moment came in 2009, when he made his Test debut against South Africa at the age of 35, becoming the oldest ever Lions Test debutant and earning man-of-the-match honors for his performance in the second Test. Shaw concluded his international career by being selected for England’s squad in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.