Tom Shanklin

Biography

Shanklin made his International debut for Wales in 2001 against Japan in Tokyo. Since then he has become a integral cog in the Wales midfield.

He started his career at London Welsh and has since moved to Saracens and now plays his club rugby for the Cardiff Blues, moving there in 2003.

Following in the footsteps of his father Jim Shanklin, he has established himself as a valuable member of the Wales Squad, playing his part in the 2005 Six Nations Grand Slam victory. Along with Gavin Henson in the centre, they were thought to be the best partnership in world rugby, guiding the Welsh to their first Grand Slam in 30 years.

This earned him a call up for the 2005 British & Irish Lions Squad as they toured New Zealand. However his tour was cut short by a career threatening knee injury and he did not feature in any of the three Test Matches.

He finally returned to the International stage in season 2006/07 slowly regaining the form that earned him a place on tour with the Lions. 2007 was a disappointing season for Welsh rugby on the whole, they had a woeful Six Nations and an extremely poor World Cup which saw them make an early exit.

Under Warren Gatland, Shanklin has been a consistent performer in the Welsh midfield and has fended off the likes of Henson and Roberts to keep a hold of his place. A second Six Nations Grand Slam in 2008 saw Shanklin put in some gritty performances and his experience earned him another call up for the British & Irish Lions Squad, this time they tour South Africa lets hope this tour goes better for Shanklin than the last.

Tour History