Tom Voyce, former England rugby player, ‘swept away to his death’ by Storm Darragh flood

Tom Voyce, the former England rugby union international, is believed to have been killed after being swept away in a flood caused by Storm Darragh.

Voyce, 43, was inside a car on Sunday when he was dragged into the River Aln, near Alnwick in Northumberland.

An empty vehicle was subsequently recovered and Northumbria Police said on Tuesday Voyce was believed to have been “swept away” in the act of trying to escape.

“We are searching for a man believed to have gone into the River Aln near Alnwick,” the force said in a statement.

“Extensive enquiries have been ongoing since we received a report on Sunday that former England rugby international Tom Voyce, 43, had not returned home after being out with friends.

“At this time, it is suspected Tom has attempted to cross Abberwick Ford in his car which has then been pulled along with the current of the river.

“Officers have since recovered his car, but sadly Tom is yet to be found. It is believed in his attempts to escape he has been swept away and tragically died.”

Chief Superintendent Helena Barron, from Northumbria Police, said: “This is an extremely tragic incident, and our thoughts are very much with Tom’s loved ones at this time.

“Our officers continue to support his family and we would ask that their privacy is respected.

“Extensive enquiries have been ongoing since concerns were raised for Tom, including deploying specialist teams to search for him.”

Police added that specialist officers from the Force’s Marine Section, the National Police Air Service, drones and dog handlers have all been deployed in the search for Voyce.

Chief Supt Barron added: “Our searches continue but we are dealing with very challenging circumstances in trying to recover Tom.

“This is down to the conditions, including the river flow and the level being significantly heightened due to the exceptionally heavy rain we experienced over the weekend.

“Sadly, we can therefore not provide any timescales around this. We would like to thank our colleagues from Mountain Rescue for their continued support and all those who have helped with the searches.”

Voyce won nine caps for England, making his debut during their 2001 tour of the United States. He scored twice on his Twickenham bow against Samoa in 2005 and was an ever-present during the following year’s Six Nations Championship.

Having started his club career with Bath, Voyce joined Wasps in 2003 and was a key figure during their golden era under Warren Gatland and Sir Ian McGeechan, helping them to a famous Premiership and Heineken Cup double in 2004, further league titles in 2005 and 2008 and another European crown in 2007.

He left for Gloucester in 2009, making a further 38 Premiership appearances before joining London Welsh for the 2012-13 season, after which he announced his retirement from rugby and began a career in banking.

Responding to Tuesday’s news, the official X account of the England team posted:

Gloucester wrote:

The Voyces relocated from London to Northumbria in 2020 after starting a family, according to an interview with his wife Anna published the following year on the website of the estate agent Paton & Co. In it, she explained how she had previously worked in television production for Sky Sports before moving into sports marketing, including heading up the commercial operations team for the British & Irish Lions, with whom she toured on three occasions.

Born in Northumberland, Anna explained that the couple made the decision during the pandemic to move north for the lifestyle and no longer needing to work in London as much, and she also spoke about the couple’s young son, Oscar, who she said Tom took to play rugby on Sunday mornings.

In playing for Gloucester and England, Truro-born Voyce followed in the footsteps of his great-uncle, Anthony Thomas Voyce, who made 27 appearances for his country during the 1920s.

He won three Grand Slams and was part of the British Isles team that toured South Africa in 1924. He went on to serve as president of the Rugby Football Union from 1960-61 and held the same role at Gloucester between 1970-78.

He died the year before his great nephew was born.

Voyce will forever be synonymous with the great Wasps dynasty

The name of Tom Voyce, the former England wing believed to have died after being swept away by Storm Darragh, will forever be synonymous with the golden era of Wasps.

Voyce won only nine caps for England and began his career at Bath — making 79 appearances — but it was in High Wycombe, at Wasps’ Adams Park base from 2002 to 2007, where the wing reached legendary status, winning three Premiership titles and two Heineken Cups.

Under the leadership of Warren Gatland and then Sir Ian McGeechan, Voyce became part of one of the best back-three cohorts in English and European rugby, regularly teaming up with the likes of Josh Lewsey, Paul Sackey and Mark van Gisbergen in the London Wasps’ back division. Comfortable on either wing, Voyce was a devastating open-field runner; deceptively strong with quick feet and possessed of blistering pace; a lethal finisher in one of English rugby’s most impressive club sides. Growing up in Cornwall, Voyce played centre and he took the traits associated with that position — a willingness to get the ball in his hands and an eye for a midfield gap — with him out to the wing.

Voyce started the 2004 and 2007 Heineken Cup finals — both of which Wasps won — as well as the 2004 Premiership final, in which Gatland’s side clinched a domestic and European double against Bath, the wing’s former side. The following year, Voyce started on the left wing as the west Londoners defeated Leicester Tigers in the Premiership final. That season, he was the Premiership’s top try-scorer with 12, his potent blend of power and pace proving too much for defences to handle.

Injury in the 2007 Heineken Cup final ruled Voyce out of victory in the Premiership final the same year — again against Leicester — but his contribution to the campaign will not be forgotten. Voyce departed Wasps in 2009 before stints at Gloucester — where he won the domestic cup — and London Welsh. When he retired in 2013, his 66 tries placed him fifth on the Premiership’s list of all-time try-scorers and he remains in the top 20.

In 2004, Voyce scored what was then the quickest try in Premiership history, touching down 9.63 seconds after the kick-off against Harlequins, a record which stood until current Bath assistant coach Lee Blackett crossed after just 8.28 seconds for Leeds against Newcastle in 2008.

For England, after winning his first cap on a 2001 tour of North America, Voyce’s first Twickenham appearance came against Samoa in 2005. He then started throughout the 2006 Six Nations. His last Test was against Australia in Sydney in 2006.

The Voyce name has an illustrious history with the red rose. The wing’s great uncle, Anthony Thomas Voyce — also known as Tom — won 27 caps for England during the 1920s and was a member of the first double Grand Slam-winning team. He went on to become president of the Rugby Football Union in 1960–61.

“I’m very proud of his record but I don’t want to live off his name,” said Voyce in 2012. “I want to be known for what I achieve myself.”

That he was. Voyce’s rugby journey began in Cornwall, first for Penryn RFC and then for the club in the city of his birth, Truro. From there, he was awarded a rugby scholarship at King’s College, Taunton, before his recruitment by Bath’s director of rugby Jack Rowell aged 15. He would go on to score 25 tries for the club.

But Voyce will forever be remembered for his exploits out wide at Adams Park, High Wycombe.