International Career
In May 2006 Simpson earned his first cap in the England Under 19 team, playing against Wales.
In the 2007/08 season he secured a place with the England sevens' side, travelling to Dubai for the IRB World Seven Series tournament, and was also named in the England Under 20s squad. At the end of the season he was nominated for the 'IRB Young Player of the Year Award' for his performance in the IRB Junior World Championship in June 2008.
In June 2009 Simpson progressed into the England Saxons squad and travelled with Wasps' teammates Dom Waldouck and Danny Cipriani to play in the Churchill Cup in Colorado. On his debut he completed a solo try and was awarded Man Of the Match and appeared twice more during the tournament (in which the Saxons lost the final to Ireland A), coming on as a substitute.
Following his performance at the 2009 Churchill Cup Simpson was selected for the 2009/10 squad for the England Saxons national rugby union team.
On 11 May 2010 Simpson was one of nine uncapped players named in the England senior squad to tour Australia and New Zealand in the summer and on 30 May he made his debut for England, coming on as a substitute for David Strettle with nine minutes remaining in the match against the Barbarians. However, having sustained an injury to his left hamstring in the Barbarians game the RFU announced that Simpson would have to pull out of the tour.
On 12 January 2011, it was announced that Simpson had been called up to the senior England squad (EPS) for the 6 Nations tournament.
On 22 August 2011 Simpson was named in the 30 man England squad heading to New Zealand for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, the opportunity arising following an injury to Danny Care. On the 18th September 2011, Simpson replaced Ben Youngs in the 66th minute against Georgia in the pool stages of the Rugby World Cup 2011 to win his long anticipated first cap. He was only the second player to win his first cap for England in a Rugby World cup tournament - second to Joe Worsley who was the first player to do so at the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
Read more about this topic: Joe Simpson (rugby Union, Born 1988), Rugby Career
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