Remembering Tom Voyce’s Rugby Journey

A recent photograph, shared on Tom Voyce’s Instagram page five weeks ago, shows a team gathering. This image, which features Voyce celebrating Wasps’ 2005 Premiership final triumph with teammates Mark Van Gisbergen (left) and Rob Hoadley (right), commemorated a 20-year reunion for the highly successful Wasps team of 2003-04, a squad that achieved a Premiership and European double. Voyce, then a 23-year-old wing, was in his inaugural season with the club after transferring from Bath. He participated as a starter in both championship matches and was a key contributor to a team that included notable players such as Lawrence Dallaglio, Joe Worsley, Rob Howley, Josh Lewsey, Simon Shaw, and Trevor Leota. He led Wasps in try-scoring within the league and twice broke through Munster’s defense during an exciting Heineken Cup semi-final, paving the way for the club’s initial opportunity to compete for a continental trophy. This period marked the beginning of a distinguished era for the player from Cornwall and his team. Before his departure from Wasps five years subsequent, Voyce had accumulated two additional Premiership titles, achieved further Heineken Cup success by defeating Leicester in 2007, and secured an Anglo-Welsh Cup, expanding his collection of accolades. Voyce, whose namesake was a prominent England player in the 1920s, earned his initial England cap in 2001. However, he had lost his position in the national squad until his transfer to Wasps reignited his chances for international selection. Ultimately, he participated in nine international matches, registering three tries during these appearances. Nevertheless, he could not establish a permanent spot in the back three, competing against players like Iain Balshaw, Mark Cueto, Ben Cohen, and his teammate Lewsey. His Test career concluded following an unsatisfactory display in a 34-3 loss to Australia in 2006. In 2009, he departed Wasps for a three-year period with Gloucester. Initially, he was behind James Simpson-Daniel, Lesley Vainikolo, and a young Charlie Sharples in the pecking order. However, he later contributed significantly to the club’s Anglo-Welsh Cup victory in 2011, scoring in the final match against Newcastle. Following his release from the Cherry and Whites, he experienced a challenging period seeking a new club, eventually committing to a last season with London Welsh before retiring. Voyce concluded his playing career in 2013 at 32 years old, having accumulated 66 tries across 220 top-tier matches, subsequently transitioning into a career in financial services. During Voyce’s tenure at Gloucester, Freddie Burns, who would later become an England fly-half, was developing at Kingsholm. Burns stated, “He was my gym partner in the very early days at Gloucester and taught me so much.” He added, “I will forever be grateful.” Alex Brown, who was also a former teammate at the Cherry and Whites and currently serves as the CEO of Gloucester Rugby, commented: “Tom was such a bright light in every room.” Brown continued: “His rugby talent was evident – he was part of a winning team for Gloucester and a very dominant Wasps outfit, and his talents were rightly recognised by England; an achievement I know he was immensely proud of.” Brown further remarked: “Personally, Voycey was a good friend. We toured together in Canada on the Churchill Cup and then continued our friendship when he joined Gloucester. We shared some memorable experiences both on and off the field together and I’m sure, like me, everyone associated with the club and the wider rugby community will be shocked and deeply saddened by his loss.” Andy Goode, who played alongside Voyce in the England backline, stated: “He was a great bloke who I spent many fun times with.” Matt Dawson, a former England scrum-half and Voyce’s teammate at Wasps, characterized him as “one of life’s wonderful humans”. In an Instagram post that included a horse emoji, alluding to Voyce’s nickname, Dawson also wrote: “I can’t express my sadness right now.” James Haskell, a former Wasps and England flanker, commented that Voyce was “a team-mate, a friend and an incredible player – someone I admired who always punched above his weight”. Lawrence Dallaglio, a World Cup winner who captained Voyce and Wasps during their highly successful era, requested privacy for the family of his former teammate. Dallaglio’s sister, Francesca, was one of the 51 individuals who perished in the 1989 Marchioness disaster, an incident where a vessel transporting party attendees capsized in the Thames. Dallaglio penned: “It’s the most horrific news and all I would say at this juncture is that please let us all respect Tom’s family and their suffering right now and keep them in all our thoughts.” He concluded: “It’s just such a tragedy. Sending all my love.” Steve Borthwick, the head coach for England, described Voyce as “a wonderfully gifted rugby player and a truly lovely man”. Borthwick further stated: “Tom left a lasting impact on everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him and created memories that will stay with all who watched him play.” In November 2005, Voyce contributed two tries to England’s 40-3 victory against Samoa.