Andrew Mark Fenby (born 24 October 1985) is a Welsh former rugby union footballer who played as a fullback or on the wing. Fenby's professional career started relatively late, as he earned his first professional contract with Newcastle Falcons at the age of 24. After a brief cameo for the Falcons at the end of the 2008–09 season, he returned to Wales to sign for the Scarlets. The emergence of fellow wing George North on the international scene gave Fenby the opportunity to play regularly for the Scarlets during the Autumn internationals and the Six Nations, before he finally nailed down the left wing position during the 2012–13 season. A record of 14 tries in 28 appearances that season resulted in a transfer to London Irish in 2013. After initially retiring from professional rugby at the end of the 2015–16 season, he briefly returned to the sport in October 2016, signing a three-month contract with Saracens.
Early life
Born in St Asaph, Denbighshire, Fenby grew up in Rhos-on-Sea, Conwy, and attended Rydal Penrhos in Colwyn Bay between the ages of 11 and 18; while there, he reached the rank of Welsh #2 in Under-19 squash, while also playing for the school's rugby union 1st XV and Llandudno RFC.
Upon leaving school in 2004, Fenby attended Newcastle University to study business, accounting and finance. However, a broken scaphoid bone prevented him from competing in contact sports during his first year in Newcastle, and so committed his sporting time to playing squash, eventually becoming part of the university's elite sports programme.
Career
Blaydon
During his time at university, Fenby joined Blaydon RFC in 2004, playing in National Division Three North. Initially, he only played for the club's third team, but he gradually progressed up the ranks, eventually making it into the first team scoring an impressive 11 tries from just 13 games during the 2005-06 season. With his try-scoring exploits gaining him a regular place in the first team, Fenby helped Blaydon claim the title the following season and promotion to National Division Two with 25 tries. After a tough first season where Fenby's tries (18 for a struggling team) helped them stay up, Blaydon became a regular fixture in the third tier. Over four seasons with the north-east club, Fenby averaged almost a try a game with 76 in 82 games across all competitions. While at Blaydon, he was also called up to the county team, helping Northumberland to reach the County Championship Shield final against Cornwall in 2008, which Northumberland won 25–11, although he did not actually play in the final at Twickenham.
Newcastle Falcons
After recording 21 tries in 23 matches for Blaydon during the 2007–08 season, Fenby caught the eye of the England Counties selectors being called up to the end of season tour in which he scored two tries against USA Eagles 'A' in the only game he played on that tour. His try-scoring performances also attracted the attention of Newcastle Falcons scouts. That season, he scored 10 tries in four matches for the Falcons' development side, including six tries against Rotherham and three more against Northampton Wanderers.
These performances earned Fenby a call-up to the bench for the Falcons' senior side against Leeds Carnegie in a pre-season game in August 2008. He did not take to the field, however, and had to wait until 8 March 2009 for his next chance with the first team, being named on the bench for a Guinness Premiership match away to Sale Sharks.
This time, he came off the bench to replace Danny Williams in the 46th minute, and scored a try within four minutes of coming on; Tom May received the ball in the fly-half position and threw a miss-pass to Jamie Noon, who fed Fenby in to step past the last Sale defender and cross for his first senior try. Fenby followed up his debut appearance with a 70-minute cameo against Harlequins the following weekend, before scoring a 77th-minute try in a 36–25 defeat away to Bath on 21 March 2009.
Scarlets
Following Newcastle's signing of wing Charlie Amesbury, Fenby was deemed surplus to requirements at Kingston Park and he was snapped up by the Scarlets in May 2009. Fenby was forced to miss the Scarlets' first five games of the season with shin splints, but he recovered in time to be named in an initial 25-man squad for the team's first Heineken Cup game of the season against Brive on 10 October. However, he missed out on the final cut for the matchday squad.