University, Newcastle and England under 21s Corry attended the
University of Northumbria, impressing for their rugby team, before being named as a reserve for a Courage League game for
Newcastle Gosforth against
Bath. By April 1994, Corry had been called up for England under 21s and was described in the press as a "flanker of rare talent", in October 1994, Corry was named as England under 21's captain. Corry captained the under 21s to a victory over New Zealand Youth, and also captained Northumbria University to a British Universities championship. Following Newcastle's failure to gain promotion in the
1994–95 Courage League National Division Two season, Corry was one of a number of leading players who moved on, in his case joining
Bristol.
England debut, Leicester title win and 1999 Rugby World Cup In 1995, Corry joined
Bristol. In February 1997 he was named as part of a 62 man long-list for the
1997 British Lions tour to South Africa, one of three uncapped players at that stage, but was not in the final squad, instead he made his
England debut in May 1997 against
Argentina. Corry moved to
Leicester Tigers in the summer of 1997, despite having one year remaining on his Bristol contract, which prompted legal threats from Bristol. Corry made his Leicester debut on 30 August 1997 against
Gloucester at
Welford Road, and despite being sent off in a 15 all draw against
Northampton Saints played 27 times across number 8, flanker and lock in his first season. The following season saw Corry establish himself as Tigers first choice number 8, starting 29 times in the season; Corry made amends for his red card the previous season as he scored a crucial try in a 1st v 2nd match against Northampton, the 22–15 win effectively sealed the first of Leicester's four successive
Premiership Rugby titles. After selection for the
1999 Rugby World Cup, Corry returned to Leicester on 30 October 1999 scoring a try against
Bedford Blues in a 61–12 win. Corry was then an ever present as Tigers lost only 1 game in 16 to retain the
Premiership Rugby title, he also captained the side for the first time in a European game against
Leinster.
European titles and first Lions tour 2000–01 season saw Corry again be a regular member of Leicester pack, switching between flanker and number 8 with
Will Johnson, he played 30 times as Tigers retained the
Premiership Rugby title for a third straight year. This season, Tigers also progressed in Europe; Corry started as Leicester beat Swansea in the quarter-finals and Gloucester in semis, Corry started the
2001 Heineken Cup Final at blindside flanker as Leicester beat
Stade Français 34–30. In 2001, Corry was called up to the
British and Irish Lions side after the tour had started, due to injuries within the squad, and immediately impressed
Graham Henry, the Lions coach. He started the first test in the absence of the injured
Neil Back, and replaced the injured
Richard Hill in the second before starting the third test in the absence of Hill. He played in the delayed Six Nations decider in Dublin in October 2001 for England. Corry missed much of the first half of the 2001–02 season with injury and international call ups but returned in December to be an ever-present until Leicester secured their fourth straight
Premiership Rugby title on 13 April 2002 against
Newcastle Falcons at
Welford Road. Corry started the
2002 Heineken Cup Final where Leicester beat
Munster, they were the first side to retain the European trophy.
2003 Rugby World Cup, England captaincy and second Lions tour Corry confirmed his selection for
Clive Woodward's Rugby World Cup squad in a highly competitive back row area with a strong late run in England's warm-up matches: he performed well in the 43–9 defeat of Wales at the Millennium Stadium in late Summer of 2003 and then again in the September defeat of France at Twickenham. He was part of England's 2003 World Cup-winning squad, chosen ahead of teammate
Graham Rowntree. During the 2003 Rugby World Cup, Corry flew home from Australia for the birth of his first child, daughter Eve. He rejoined the squad days later, and played in England's victory over
Uruguay. He was an unused replacement in the
2003 Rugby World Cup Final. In 2005, Corry was named as England Captain for the
Six Nations match against
Italy and
Scotland, in the absence of
Jason Robinson. Leicester reached the semi-finals of the
2004-05 Heineken Cup, but Corry missed the semi-final defeat by
Toulouse due to suspension following a red card against
Saracens. However, in May 2005 he was named as both the player of the
2004-05 Premiership Rugby season at the end of year awards, and the players' player of the season. Following his selection on the
2005 Lions tour Corry returned ahead of schedule to captain the club in the first match of the season, playing 48 minutes in a 32–0 win over Northampton. He was again selected as England's captain for the 2005 autumn internationals and
2006 Six Nations tournament. Corry played 24 times for Leicester that season as they reached a European quarter-final, and an Anglo-Welsh semi-final, before losing to the
Sale Sharks in the
2006 Premiership final. Tigers gained some revenge for that loss in the opening game of the
2006-07 Premiership Rugby season, Corry particularly impressing and scoring in a 35–23 win against Sale. He continued as captain for the 2006 Autumn Internationals, in which England lost to New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa. Following these results, England Head coach
Andy Robinson left his post and was replaced by
Brian Ashton. In his first squad selection as England coach, Ashton named Corry in the starting line-up for the 2007 Six Nations opener against Scotland, though he was replaced as captain by
Phil Vickery. Corry remained in the side as the tournament progressed, but in the final two games of the tournament (against France and Wales) he was moved to lock. Corry captained Leicester in the 2007 Anglo-Welsh Cup Final, a 41–35 win that ended a 5-year trophy drought for the club. A week later Corry was selected as
Man of the match when Leicester beat the
Scarlets 33–17 in the
2007 Heineken Cup semi-final. Corry won his fifth Premiership medal, starting the final and scoring a try as Leicester defeated
Gloucester to secure the domestic double. They could not make it a treble though, losing the
2007 Heineken Cup Final to Wasps, 25–9.
2007 Rugby World Cup and final seasons In 2007, Corry formed part of the Ashton's
Rugby World Cup squad in which England progressed to the Final in Paris but were ultimately unable to defend their world title, losing to South Africa. The following year, Corry reportedly turned down Ashton's offer of a place in the England's squad for the opening fixture of their 2008 Six Nations campaign, instead announcing his retirement from international rugby at the age of 34. This move was made in order that he could focus on his remaining club career with Leicester tigers. Following the
2007 Rugby World Cup, Corry returned to Leicester as captain. His regular position switched to blindside flanker to accommodate
Jordan Crane who had come into the side in Corry's absence. Corry started the
2008 Anglo-Welsh Cup Final, which ended in defeat to the
Ospreys, and the 2008 Premiership final, where Wasps were once again winners in a Twickenham showpiece final. In April 2008, Corry signed a one-year contract extension with Leicester. Corry's final season saw him play mainly at lock,
Tom Croft had developed and was now first choice blindside flanker. His final game for Leicester was on 24 January 2009, in a European Cup match against the Ospreys. He announced his retirement at the end of the 2008–2009 season. Following Leicester's victory in the
2009 Premiership Rugby Final Corry was on hand to lift the trophy, despite not playing, and the following week he captained the
Barbarians against England at
Twickenham, to a 33–26 victory in his final match of his professional career. ==Personal life==