Joe Launchbury is a highly talented lock who currently represents Wasps and England. Although he primarily plays in the second row, he can also operate as a blindside flanker.
Born in Exeter on 12 April 1991, Joe Launchbury enjoyed a stellar junior career. After excelling at school level, he joined the Harlequins academy at the age of 15 and showed a great amount of promise. However, Harlequins failed to offer him professional terms at the age of 18, so he joined National League 2 South side Worthing for the 2009-10 season.
Joe Launchbury’s performances for Worthing were outstanding, and he only stayed at the club for one season before he moved to Wasps, initially as an academy player. After spending half a season on loan at Rosslyn Park and representing the Wasps ‘A’ team, Joe Launchbury was given his senior debut in January 2011.
Since then, he’s never looked back and has recorded a whopping 150 appearances for Wasps. Ahead of the 2016-17 season, Joe Launchbury was even named as the club’s captain. He’s held the role ever since and has guided the side to two runners-up finishes in the Premiership.
Thanks to his impressive performances for Wasps, Joe Launchbury was selected to play for England for the first time in 2012. Since then, he’s amassed more than 60 caps and was named as the England Player of the Year for the 2012-13 season.
Still young and with plenty more to achieve with both England and Wasps, we can’t wait to see what else Joe Launchbury can achieve in the game.
I said to you the last time that the warm-ups be long forgotten if England get their performances right at the start of the tournament and that is what they have done to be fair to them.
With the Rugby World Cup set to start on Friday night in Paris, there are exciting weeks ahead and it’s just what rugby needs.
England 
Wasps 
England 
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Bristol 