Meet the son of a former England skipper who has inked his first senior deal

The son of a former England captain has taken a progressive step forward towards following in father’s footsteps after signing his first senior contract at a Gallagher Premiership club. 

Phil de Glanville was a 38-cap Test centre who succeeded Will Carling as English skipper in 1996. He was also part of Bath side that annually fought it out with Leicester over the course of the 90s for domestic honours.

Now his 19-year-old son, academy backline general Tom, has inked his first senior contract at the Rec after representing England at the recent World Under-20 Championship. 

De Glanville said: “Having grown up in Bath, there’s no greater thing than playing at the Rec. It’s every boy’s dream in this area and I feel fortunate that I’m in that position where I’m living out my dream.

“There’s real excitement in the squad about the season ahead and a real focus and drive to achieve. I grew up watching Stuart (Hooper) at the Rec, so to have him working in tandem with Andy (Rock, performance director) and the rest of the coaching set-up, it will only help my development as a player.”

Director of rugby Hooper added: “Tom is someone who has progressed right through the pathway into the senior squad, which is a testament to his hard work and skill-set. 

“We are building a squad of young men who care deeply about this club, who have the drive, qualities and ambition to be part of a successful team.

“Tom’s experiences last season, culminating with the World Rugby Under-20 Championship, has only gone to support his growth, and he will undoubtedly play a fundamental role in many years to come.”

De Glanville joins Miles Reid and Will Vaughan in the senior squad this summer, with Bath committed to developing players through the academy to reach the highest levels of the game and to produce a senior squad comprising of 50 per cent homegrown players by 2023.

WATCH: Part one of The Academy, the six-part RugbyPass documentary series on how Leicester Tigers develop their young players