Who scored the fastest recorded try in a rugby union match?
According to Guinness World Records, the fastest recorded try in a rugby union match is credited to Doncaster Knights’ winger Tyson Lewis, who scored after just 7.24 seconds against Old Albanians in a National Clubs Association (NCA) Rugby match in St. Albans in 2013. At professional level, the same source credits Leeds Carnegie winger Lee Blackett, who scored after 8.26 seconds against Newcastle Falcons in a Premiership match at Headingley in 2008, with the fastest recorded try.
That said, in a World Rugby Junior World Championship match in Pukekohe, New Zealand in 2014 Wales’ wing Dafydd Howells chased down the kick-off and scored after 7 seconds against Fiji; although his effort was not ‘officially’ recognised, it was one of the fastest, if not the fastest, try ever scored in international rugby union.
As records stand, at senior international, or ‘Test’, level, Scottish centre John Leslie, who scored direct from kick-off against Wales in the last ever Five Nations match at Murrayfield in 1999, in less than 10 seconds, is credited with the fastest try ever. At the Rugby World Cup, Australian fly-half Elton Flatley crossed the line just 18 seconds after kick-off against Romania at Lang Park, Brisbane in 2003 and holds the record for fastest try in that sphere.