Tom Varndell wants to end his career abroad but he will not leave English rugby until he is the most prolific try-scorer in Premiership history.
Since bursting on to the scene aged 17 with Leicester, the winger has established himself as one of the most lethal finishers in world rugby. In 11 seasons, he has scored 139 tries in 245 competitive games for Tigers and Wasps.
This season alone he has crossed ten times in 11 Premiership games taking him to second in the all-time list, just five shy of the retiring Mark Cueto who has 90 after yesterday’s try against Newcastle.
Now 29, and with his time at Wasps coming to an end, Varndell thought about leaving the country but he has decided to join Premiership hopefuls Bristol to give himself a shot at Cueto’s record.
By the time his two-year deal ends, the USA‘s new professional league will be in full swing and Varndell could follow his American dream and test his renowned pace against cross-over speedsters from the NFL and athletics.
Should he score 16 Premiership tries for Bristol, he will also become the most prolific elite league try-scorer in world rugby history.
“The Premiership record is the one I’m chasing and I’m not leaving until I get it,” he told The Rugby Paper.
“I’d like to experience other cultures especially with the USA starting a pro league. That’s something I’ll definitely look into when my Bristol contract runs out.
Try-scoring record
Premiership: 85 tries in 169 games
Premiership top try-scorer 2006 (14), 2008 (14) & 2013 (13)
Overall club record
Leicester (2004-2009): 65 tries in 113 games
Wasps (2009-2015): 74 tries in 132 games
Total: 139 tries in 245 games
Records
Premiership fastest hat-trick (13 minutes) v Worcester 13.11.2004
Challenge Cup fastest hat-trick (13 minutes) v Mogliano 12.01.2013
Record try scorers in other elite leagues
Top 14: Laurent Arbo 100
Pro 12: Tommy Bowe 56
Super XV: Doug Howlett 59
“The opportunity to join Bristol was good and I didn’t think it was the right time for my family to move abroad. And I’m so close to that Premiership record it’d be silly to move now.
“Breaking the 100 tries mark would be nice, too. It’d be incredible to be the best try-scorer ever. It’d be an amazing way to end my time in English rugby.”
Regardless of breaking Cueto’s record, Varndell will go down as one of the finest wingers to have graced English rugby.
Wasps fans will also remember that last-ditch tackle on Bath‘s Sam Vesty in the penultimate round of the 2012 season which salvaged a losing bonus-point and saved Wasps from relegation.
He said: “That tackle affected people’s livelihood and I’ll look back at it as a great moment in my time at Wasps.
“Bath were leading at the break and Vesty, who I played with at Leicester, taunted me in the tunnel asking if I’d lost a bit of pace.
“So I thought I’d get him in the second half and when he put his arm up thinking he’d scored I thought, ‘I’m not letting you put that ball down’.
“At the time that’s all that entered my mind but it proved to be a crucial losing bonus-point in Wasps’ history because we stayed up with a point. Three years on we’re pushing for a top four finish and we’re potentially one of the richest clubs in the country.
“I’ve had some very low moments at the club but also some very high ones. It’s been a privilege to be part of Wasps history, and future as it turned out, for the past six seasons.”
NICK VERDIER
