Rory Underwood MBE

Former England Rugby Winger and RAF Pilot

Rory Underwood MBE is a Former England Rugby Player and RAF Pilot.

Rory Underwood is best known for his international rugby career. Between 1984 and 1996, he scored a record 49 tries for England and earned 85 caps.

He gained six caps touring Australia (1989) and New Zealand (1993) with the British Lions.

Rory Underwood was awarded the MBE in 1992 for his services to rugby.

Throughout his record-breaking rugby career, Underwood amassed 18 years of flying as a pilot in the Royal Air Force.

He introduced Crew Resources Management (CRM) training into the RAF, thereby developing a culture in which personnel examine how teamwork and decision-making are affected in time-limited stressful situations.

Rory Underwood Pilot and Rugby Keynote Speaker:

Rory has a specific interest and expertise in effective communication and high-performance team leadership.

His experience and insight gained through his stellar rugby and RAF careers have allowed him to bring a different perspective to the performance of business teams.

He is a Licensed NLP Practitioner, an experienced facilitator, psychometric profiler and performance coach.

Rory incorporates his inspirational experiences with practical performance activities, creating an environment for delegates to explore and challenge their view of teams and how they can impact the business. He explores and challenges delegates about their understanding of teams, high performance and how to measure it.

Rory brings a different perspective to your stereotypical ‘team building’ workshop. Rory has collated all the issues and challenges that leaders and managers face as they try to grow their businesses and created a strategy implementation methodology called LIFT that enables organisations to deliver their strategy effectively. He explores the relationship between values and motivation bound together by trust to enable you to create and sustain a high-performance team ethos within the organisation.

Rory Underwood’s motivational speeches have proved successful with major companies such as Johnson and Johnson, PPMA, Michael Page Recruitment and The Prudential.

Representative Honours:

1979 – 1983
- Middlesborough RFC
1981 – 1983
- Durham County
- England Colts
- England Under 23
1982-83
- North of England – Divisional Champions twice (1988, 1989)
- Yorkshire – Finalists County Championship
- England B
- RAF Inter-Services Champions
1983-87
- Leicester RFC – Courage League Champions 1988
- Pilkington Cup Finalists 1989, 1994, winners 1993/97
1997-99
- Bedford RFC – Allied Dunbar Premier Division Two Champions
1983-99
- Barbarians
1984-96
- England – 85 caps 49 tries
- 4 overseas tours 2 British Lions Tour
- 1991,1992 and 1995 Five Nations Grand Slam Champions
- 1991 World Cup Finalist
- 1988/1995 Courage League Champion
- 1989 British Lion (Australia Tour) – 3 Tests
- 1993 (New Zealand Tour) – 3 Tests – 1 Try
- 1995 World Cup Semi-Finalist
- All-Time World Cup Leading Try Scorer 11

Awards and Qualifications:

1985 RAF Pilot’s Wings
1990 Leicestershire Sports Personality of the Year
1991 BBC Midlands Today Sports Personality of the Year
1992 MBE

For more info on Rory Underwood MBE, email us or speak with an agent on 01275 463222

"The feedback has been and remains consistently remarkable. I have been stopped on several occasions by (previously unknown) persons who have responded very warmly - twice today at Woodbridge for example. Also, several people have written in and want to be a part of our journey"

SKANSKA

"I would like to congratulate you for your contribution at our Executive Off Site recently. Your experience gained through your service with the Royal Air Force, combined with your numerous achievements on the rugby field, provided a most insightful vision on what makes successful teams. In addition, your contribution to the discussion when clarifying roles and responsibilities and your thoughts on leadership were most useful. I would not hesitate in recommending your personal and your company's services."

Messier-Dowty

"Rory Underwood combined his glittering rugby career with that of a serving RAF Officer, and his presentation included a unique insight into the skills required to manage twin careers, and how to use experience gained in one sphere to benefit the other. Using video clips of rugby action, interspersed with amazing on-board film taken from low-flying aircraft, Rory demonstrated, in terms leaving no room for doubt, the absolute imperative for discipline, concentration and, above all, effective teamwork in any given situation. In the most riveting and entertaining way possible, Rory Underwood was making a whole series of business points. Firstly, the need for each individual to manage their own career, and to achieve a proper balance. Above all, he returned constantly to the priority of teamwork, the need for each member to understand their role and to be able to trust colleagues. This applies equally in international sport, in high pressure military situations and no less in running a successful business"

Career Management Consultants

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Former England Rugby Winger and RAF Pilot

Rory Underwood Pilot and Rugby Keynote Speaker:

Representative Honours:

Awards and Qualifications:

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