Tom Wright

Thomas Wright (born 21 July 1997) is an Australian professional dual-code rugby footballer who plays as a fullback for Super Rugby club the ACT Brumbies and the Australia national team. Wright previously played rugby league as a for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League (NRL). He made his Australia international rugby union debut against in the Bledisloe Cup match against New Zealand in the second round of the 2020 Tri Nations Series. Wright scored a try with his first touch of the ball in the match, and Australia defeated New Zealand 24–22.

Early life and background Thomas Wright was born in Randwick, in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in 1997. In his youth he played rugby league for the Clovelly Crocodiles and La Perouse Panthers as well as rugby union for the Clovelly Eagles Junior Rugby Club, where he was their record try-scorer. In 2009, Wright began his education at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill where he eventually advanced into the schools 1st XV.

In his final year at school (2014), Wright represented St Joseph's while being selected in both the GPS 1st XV and the New South Wales 1st XV. He was later selected in the Australian Boy's Sevens team, Before the competition was held, however, Wright signed for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League (NRL). The team went on to win a silver medal against South Africa.

During his school rugby tenure, Wright mostly played as an outside centre (No. 13) but also operated as a fly-half In 2015 Wright ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). In 2017 Wright played as the Sea Eagles' NYC five-eighth throughout their 2017 Premiership-winning season. managed to scrape into the finals series point difference. The Sea Eagles NYC team successfully made the Grand Final and defeated the Parramatta Eels NYC 20–18. Wright only made another three appearances for the team throughout the rest of the 2018 NRL season, with the majority of his season being played for the Blacktown Workers in the NSW Cup.

Rugby union career ACT Brumbies 2019–2020 In September 2018, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Wright had signed a two-year deal with the Canberra-based Brumbies in the Super Rugby. Coach Dan McKellar said that he had been aware of Wright's presence, and spoke approvingly of his skills, stating: "We've been aware of Tom's rugby union background and heard he was interested in coming back to the game. He's got X-factor and there's definitely potential there. He's creative, good footwork, good speed and good acceleration. He can create something out of nothing. He's got a good short kicking game and that comes off the back of a couple of games in rugby league. And he's not afraid to take the ball to the line, he's brave enough to dig in and they're good qualities to have." In the following round, Wright, whom again, came off the bench for fullback Tom Banks, scored his first try for the Brumbies in a 30-point loss to the Hurricanes in Palmerston North. Despite it being Wright's debut year, he showcased his most versatile season to date by playing across four different positions on the field (fullback, right wing, left wing, inside centre), also highlighting the tight competition between the Brumbies' backline positions.

In 2020, Wright played in five of the six opening Brumbies' matches. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was cancelled. Wright would go on to play in eight of the Brumbies' nine matches in the revamped Super Rugby AU. In the middle of the year, there was speculation Wright may go back to rugby league after Rugby Australia froze all contract negotiations with Super Rugby players due to financial uncertainty. In August, however, it was reported that Wright had re-signed with the Brumbies for the following season, which allowed him to make his international debut for Australia months later in the 2020 Tri Nations Series.

2021–2022 Wright missed the first six rounds of the 2021 Super Rugby AU season after suffering bone bruising on his knee during pre-season training. Wright returned to the first-team squad against rivals the New South Wales Waratahs in Round 7. Starting on the right wing, Wright scored one try for the team, which proved to be vital, as the Brumbies won 22–24. Wright scored a further three tries in his next three appearances for the Brumbies, all coming from the left wing. — a notable shift from the previous year, during which he spent the majority of his time on the left wing. It was also his most industrious season to date, with Wright appearing in sixteen matches, only two of which saw him substituted. before suffering a narrow one-point defeat to the Blues in a tightly contested semi-final.

2023–2024 In 2023, Tom Wright, entering his fifth season with the Brumbies, transitioned permanently into the fullback role under new coach Stephen Larkham, a move seen as inevitable. The departure of key backs Irae Simone and Tom Banks created a vacancy, while the high-profile signing of Australia sevens standout Corey Toole added further impetus for the reshuffle. Wright featured in 14 of the Brumbies' 16 matches, including both finals appearances, anchoring the backfield with consistency. Notably, his attacking output dipped compared to previous seasons, registering just three tries over the course of the campaign. Ahead of Round 3, The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald underscored the significance of Wright's positional shift by framing the Brumbies' clash with the Queensland Reds as a de facto audition for the Wallabies' fullback jersey, pitting Wright against the Reds' Jordan Petaia in a high-stakes early season litmus test.

In 2024, Wright solidified his status as a cornerstone of the Brumbies' backline, featuring in all 16 matches of the season and being substituted only once. He concluded the campaign as the leading Australian try-scorer with 10 tries, among the top five in the competition, and was lauded by RugbyPass as "one of the very best counter-attacking and broken-field runners in Super Rugby Pacific." Despite having a lesser involvement on the scoresheet than previous seasons, having scored just two tries all season, Wright led the team in try assists (9), metres carried (1,314), and defenders beaten (59), Wright had also received 17 Player of the Year votes, the fourth highest in the team behind Tom Hooper, Rob Valetini, and Allan Alaalatoa. In the Brumbies' opening match of the finals, Wright scored his second try of the season against the at home. The Brumbies won in a close game 35–28, being the only Australian team to advance past the qualifying finals. The Brumbies lost the following match to the in Hamilton.

After sustaining a serious ACL injury in Australia's second Test against South Africa in 2025, In his first game back, Wright played 64 minutes, being subbed off for Andy Muirhead, who had covered fullback during Wright's absence. Overall, he made seven appearances for the Brumbies during the 2026 season, returning to starting fullback in a campaign that saw the side finish sixth on the regular season ladder. Across his seven matches, the Brumbies recorded two victories and five defeats. Logging 540 minutes of game time, Wright carried for 441 metres, beating 21 defenders, and scoring one try. Wright made his international debut for Australia on 7 November 2020. Wallaby #939, Australia won the match 24–22. Playing in the first two tests, Wright's impact on the Wallabies throughout 2021 was underwhelming, scoring just one try from seven matches.

Wright was selected in the Wallabies' 35-man squad for England's 2022 tour of Australia. He featured in the first two Tests on the right wing, Despite his contributions, Australia ultimately fell short, losing the series 2–1. This conjecture materialised in the opening round of the 2022 Rugby Championship, where a series of injuries prompted a reshuffle that saw Wright named at fullback against Argentina at Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza. However, by the third round, he had returned to the right wing, with Reece Hodge assuming fullback duties. During the Spring Tour later that year, Wright transitioned to the left wing, though he would feature once more at fullback before the year concluded. Wright was ultimately omitted from the final Rugby World Cup squad announced in August. In his absence, Ben Donaldson and Andrew Kellaway were entrusted with fullback duties during the tournament. The Wallabies' campaign, however, ended in disappointment, as they failed to progress beyond the pool stage, a historic low for the team. Reflecting on Wright's exclusion, former Wallabies forward Stephen Hoiles expressed his disbelief on the Between Two Posts podcast, stating: "There was so much going on during the World Cup last year, and there was a Barbarians squad. I remember seeing a photo of the Barbarians and just looking, going, ‘Hang on. Why is Tom Wright not in the Wallabies, like six weeks after it was named? He's only ever been good for every team he's played in.'" Wright would later score a try for Australia A in their 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up match against Portugal. Australia A won 30–17 in Massy, France.

Wright was recalled to the national squad in June 2024 ahead of Australia's two-Test series against Wales during their tour of Australia. He made an immediate impact, scoring a try in the opening Test, a 25–16 victory for the Wallabies. Reinstated as the first-choice fullback, Wright went on to feature in all but one fixture during Australia's 2024 international campaign.

Wright featured in all three of Australia's Tests against the British & Irish Lions on their 2025 tour of Australia, Notably, The Guardian also awarded Wright the "Try of the Series" for his decisive score in the second Test, a clinical finish started by Joseph Sua'ali'i that extended Australia's lead to 23–5. Australia lost the series 1–2. Wright scored his twelfth international try against South Africa in the opening round of the 2025 Rugby Championship. Australia won 22–38, having been 22–0 down after 20 minutes. In Australia's second test against South Africa, Wright suffered an ACL injury, and was ruled out for the rest of the year.

Wright returned to Test rugby in July 2026, being named in Australia's first Test match of the year, against Ireland in the Southern Hemisphere Series of the 2026 Nations Championship on home soil. Wright came on late in the game as a substitute, playing just a handful of minutes as Australia lost by two points. In Australia's following Test, Wright was sin binned in the 50th minute against France, playing 70 minutes total in a 16-point loss. In Australia's third and final Test of the Southern Hemisphere Series, Wright scored his first international try in as the Wallabies defeated Italy 57–10, their first Test win in seven matches. Wright followed this try with a second for the year in Australia's first Test against Japan in the Australia–Japan Test Series in Osaka.

International tries + List of international tries scored by Tom Wright 3 Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney 2022 England tour of Australia 16 July 202217–21 4 Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence 2022 Autumn Internationals 12 November 202228–27 5 Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney 2024 Wales tour of Australia 6 July 202425–16 6 Stadium Australia, Sydney 2024 Rugby Championship 21 September 202428–31 7 Twickenham Stadium, London 2024 Autumn Internationals 9 November 202437–42 8 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 17 November 2024 20–52 9 10 11 Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne 26 July 202526–29 12 Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg 2025 Rugby Championship 16 August 202522–38 13 Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth 2026 Nations Championship 18 July 202657–10 14 Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashiōsaka 2026 Australia–Japan Test Series 8 August 202635–32