May began his senior career at Gloucester, and also played for Moseley on loan. He moved to Leicester Tigers in 2017 and returned to Gloucester in July 2020. He made his debut for England in 2013. He earned 78 caps and scored 36 tries making him England's second highest try scorer. He announced his retirement from international rugby in October 2023.
Early life
May was born in Chiseldon, Wiltshire. He studied at St Francis before he attended The Ridgeway School and Sixth Form College. As a child, May spent time playing and training at Wootton Bassett RFC in their Mini & Junior teams. He also trained with the academy of Swindon Town.[4]
After joining Gloucester's rugby academy,[5] May made his first start for Gloucester Rugby in a pre-season friendly against Bath on 15 August 2009, and the next weekend he scored a try against Connacht after he had come off the bench. His first taste of first team action came in the Heineken Cup when he replaced Charlie Sharples against Newport Gwent Dragons and just over a month later he made his first start against London Wasps in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, playing on the wing.[6]
On 20 February 2010, May was a late replacement for Gloucester's match against Leicester Tigers at Welford Road Stadium after Fuimaono-Sapolu pulled out with a 'dead leg'. Although Gloucester lost, May played well and scored a try on his Premiership debut.[6][7] May made two more starts for Gloucester during the remainder of the season against London Wasps and Northampton Saints. During the 2009–10 campaign he also played for Championship club Moseley on loan.[8]
In January 2012 May scored two tries from full-back at Kingsholm Stadium against Toulouse in the Heineken Cup.[6][9] In March 2012 he was named as the inaugural winner of the LV= Breakthrough Player Award.[10] May was named Gloucester's Young Player of the Year for 2011-2012, and his stunning solo effort against Harlequins was named Try-of-the-Season at the Aviva Premiership Awards.[6] In December 2012, May signed a two-year contract extension with Gloucester until the end of the 2014–15 season.[11]
On 24 October 2014, May signed a new long-term contract with Gloucester.[12] At the end of that campaign, he scored the winning try in the 2014–15 European Rugby Challenge Cup semi-final victory over Exeter Chiefs.[13] He started the final as Gloucester overcame Edinburgh to lift the trophy.[14]
May scored the opening try in the 2016–17 European Rugby Challenge Cup final as Gloucester were defeated by Stade Français at Murrayfield to finish runners up.[15] In August 2017 it was announced May had signed for Leicester Tigers in a swap deal with Ed Slater, after activating a little known clause in his Gloucester contract.[16] May started his Leicester career strongly, scoring nine tries in his first eight appearances and earning the club's player of the month award.[17]
After three seasons at Leicester, in April 2020 it was announced that May would return to Gloucester.[18] He made his last appearance for Gloucester in the final of the 2023–24 EPCR Challenge Cup at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium which saw them beaten by Sharks to finish runners up.[19][20] In total he scored 78 tries in 193 matches over two spells for the club.[19]
In January 2012 May made his first appearances for the England A team coming off the bench against Ireland Wolfhounds and then making his first start at that level against Scotland the following week.[24][25] Later that year he was selected for the senior 2012 tour of South Africa and scored two tries in England's 57–31 tour fixture victory over South Africa Barbarians.[26]
May was included in the squad for the 2013 tour of Argentina and on 15 June 2013 he made his Test debut starting in the last fixture as England won the series.[27][28]
May was top try scorer during the 2019 Six Nations Championship, scoring six tries in total including a hat-trick against France and one apiece against Ireland, Italy and Scotland.[43] Later that year he was included in the squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and scored a try during a pool stage victory over Argentina.[44] May earned his fiftieth cap during the quarter-final which saw him score twice against Australia.[45] He started in the final as England were defeated by South Africa to finish runners up.[46]
May scored both of their tries during a defeat to France in the opening round of the 2020 Six Nations Championship.[47] He started in the last round of the competition as England won away in Italy to claim the title.[48] Later that year he scored two tries in a victory over Ireland during the Autumn Nations Cup.[49] He started in the final as England defeated France in extra time to lift the trophy.[50] In February 2021, May became England's second highest try scorer, surpassing Will Greenwood and Ben Cohen after scoring his thirty-second test try during the 2021 Six Nations Championship.[51]
May was not initially included in the squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup however he was a late injury replacement for Anthony Watson.[52] He scored his thirty-sixth and last try for England in their warm-up defeat against Fiji.[53] May started in five of their fixtures at the tournament including the semi-final elimination against champions South Africa as England finished third.[54][55] After the world cup he announced his retirement from international rugby finishing with 36 tries in 78 caps.[55]
