Nicknamed "Nobby", Dorian West was one of three Tiger's players in England's 2003 World Cup-winning squad who had captained their country in a test match, he was accorded that honour for the game against France in Marseilles in August.
A trained armed response police constable prior to turning professional, Dorian played rugby for British Police and Welsh Exiles. Originally playing flanker, he made his Tigers debut in 1988, joined Nottingham in ‘91, and returned to Tigers in ‘96 making his league debut against London Irish. In the same year he became the first front-row starter to score a hat trick of tries in one game for the Tigers.
In ‘97 he made his England 'A' debut and the following year won his full England cap against France, at the age of 30. Later that year he toured Argentina with the Barbarians. Excellent form for the Tigers during the 2000/01 season, led to Dorian being recalled for the 2001 Six Nations, and being selected for the England tour to Canada and the USA, where he added 3 caps. After the end of the tour he was called up whilst on holiday as a replacement for the British & Irish Lions and performed so well he was on the bench for the final two tests.
Following the Lions tour Dorian made 2 starts and came on as a replacement four times for England in both the Autumn internationals and the Six Nations championship, and was also in the England 22 for the Grand Slam decider in Dublin in March 2003 before being named in the England squad to tour New Zealand and Australia last summer. During the Rugby World Cup Dorian was included in the 22 man squad for five of the games, playing in two; starting against Uruguay and coming on as a replacement for the semi-final against France. He was also on the bench for the final, and since his return has been awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours.
He announced his retirement from international rugby after the end of the 2003 World Cup and turned to coaching becoming forward's coach for the England U21s. On 8 June 2007, it was announced he had signed as forwards coach to recently relegated Northampton Saints alongside former England Saxons head coach, Jim Mallinder.
The former policeman notably guided Northampton Saints to a number of Premiership finals during the Jim Mallinder era before departing the club and joined Sale Sharks on an interim basis in September 2018 and had an instant impact on the Sharks set-piece, working alongside Pete Angelsea.
In April 2019, the former World Cup winner signed a deal to make his move to Sale a permanent one.
Career
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England Coach |
1998 - 2003 |
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Leicester Tigers Coach |
1997 - 2017 |
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Sale Sharks Coach |
2018 - 2019 |
