Dan Norton

Dan Norton

Date of birth	(1988-03-22) 22 March 1988
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	83 kg (13 st 1 lb)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing/Fullback Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2007–2009 2007–2009 2009–2011 Gloucester Rugby → Moseley (D-R) Bristol Rugby 1 36 (0) (120)

Dan Norton (born 22 March 1988 in England) is a rugby union player for Hartpury College R.F.C. in the National Division Two South and England Sevens. He plays as a winger. Norton was at the Gloucester academy and dual registered with Moseley for both the 2007/08 and 2008/09 seasons.

Norton has been a core-contracted Sevens player to the RFU since the 2011-12 season, having made his name at Hartpury College where his dynamic performances on the wing and at fullback earned him a senior contract with Gloucester from 2007 to 2009. During this time he helped England U20s to a Six Nations Grand Slam title in 2008, and was instrumental in helping Moseley (on loan from Gloucester) win the EDF National Trophy in 2009, scoring a try against Leeds in the final at Twickenham.

In April 2009, it was announced that Norton would be joining Bristol for the next season. Norton played the start of the 2009-2010 for Bristol and soon established himself as the best winger in the league and top scorer as Bristol reached the Championship play-off final in 2010, going on to win the British & Irish Cup in 2011. However after returning from England sevens duty his time with the different format seemed to lose his edge, and was not given enough time to convert, becoming a bit part player for the rest of the season. The following 2010-2011 season his main focus was on the 7s format playing in the Commonwealth Games and a regular on the IRB circuit. Although he re-established himself in the B&I Cup winning Bristol side at the end of the season, he was not included in the Bristol retained players list announced at the end of May 2011.

Norton is a standout player on the HSBC Sevens World Series and is fourth on the all-time list of England try scorers. With exceptional pace, the ability to sidestep of either foot and with a good kicking game, Dan is able to play in his preferred position of wing but also at full-back. He is arguably the quickest player on the circuit, with a personal best for the 40m of 4.78 seconds, Dan scored 37 tries in the 2011/12 series - second only to England team-mate Mat Turner with 38 - and in December 2012 scored his 100th career try for England, against Scotland in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Dan is an ambassador for Mizuno Rugby.

Honours

Moseley

• National Trophy: 2009

Bristol

• British and Irish Cup: 2011

England

• Dubai 7s: 2011

External links

• Gloucester Rugby profile
• England 7s profile

• Dan Norton YouTube Highlights