French
DeutschOllie Sleightholme
| Birth name | Oliver Harry Sleightholme | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 13 April 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Northampton, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 89 kg (196 lb; 14 st 0 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Northampton School for Boys | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Jon Sleightholme (father) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Oliver Harry Sleightholme (born 13 April 2000 in Northampton, England) is an English professional rugby union footballer. He plays as a winger for Northampton Saints.[1] His father, Jon Sleightholme, was an England international.[2]
Youth career
[edit]Sleightholme spent all his youth career at Northampton Old Scouts, where he played alongside future Saints teammate Connor Tupai.[3][1] He was a pupil at Northampton School for Boys,[4] and played in the school's team that made it to the semi-final of the 2018 NatWest Schools Cup, in which he scored a try in a 19–12 defeat by Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield.[5] He played for the England rugby sevens team at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas, and he scored a try in his team's loss to Samoa in the final.[6] He scored a try on his debut for England under-18s in a 42–14 win against Wales under-18s on 25 March 2018.[7]
Northampton Saints
[edit]Sleightholme signed a senior academy contract with Northampton Saints before the 2018–19 season.[8] He made his debut for Northampton in a Premiership Rugby Cup match against Bristol Bears on 27 October 2018.[9] And he made his Premiership debut three weeks later, scoring his first Northampton try 14 seconds after coming on as a second-half replacement against Wasps.[10][11] In only his second European Rugby Challenge Cup game, he scored four tries against Timișoara Saracens on 18 January 2019.[12]
In May 2024, having finished the season as top tryscorer in the Premiership, he was named in the Premiership Rugby Team of the Season for the 2023–24 campaign.[13]
International career
[edit]Sleightholme was named in the England squad for the 2019 Six Nations Under 20s Championship,[14] and he made his debut in the opening game against Ireland.[10] He scored tries against both France and Italy to help England finish third in the competition.[1]
Sleightholme also played at the 2019 World Rugby Under 20 Championship,[15] and he scored two tries as England lost to Ireland in the opening game.[16] He subsequently scored a try in England's final pool game against Australia,[17] with England eventually finishing the tournament in fifth place.[18]
Alan Dickens named Sleightholme in his 32-man England squad for the 2020 Six Nations Under 20s Championship.[19]
He was called up to the senior England squad in September 2021 for a training camp.[20]
He later made his debut for the side in 2024 coming off of the bench in the narrow 16-15 loss to New Zealand [21] In November 2024, he scored two tries in a loss against Australia in the 2024 Autumn Nations Series.[22] He went on to score his fourth try in five games in their final Autumn Nations Series fixture of 2024, a 59–14 win against Japan. This equalled the amount his father, Jon, had scored for England.[23][24]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Ollie Sleightholme player profile". Northampton Saints. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ "At home with the Sleightholmes". Northampton Saints. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ "Joy for Scouts youngsters as they claim East Midlands Cup". Northampton Chronicle & Echo. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- ^ "NSB Young Saints Join Senior Academy For 2018/19 Season". Northampton School for Boys. 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ "U18 Schools Cup: QEGS set up 2nd U18 final in 3 years". XV Rugby. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- ^ "Sleightholme scores as England claim silver at Commonwealth Youth Games". Northampton Saints. 21 July 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ "Sleightholme scores on England U18 debut". Northampton Saints. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ "Tupai and Sleightholme stay on as Saints hand senior contracts to five young stars". Northampton Chronicle & Echo. 13 March 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ "Saints make 14 changes to matchday squad for Bristol cup clash". Northampton Chronicle & Echo. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ a b "Ollie Sleightholme player profile". England Rugby. 18 January 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ "Match Report: Northampton Saints 36 – 17 Wasps". Premiership Rugby. 17 November 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ "Northampton and Harlequins into last eight". Sky Sports. 18 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ "Premiership Rugby Team of the Season 2023/34". Premiership Rugby. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ "England U20: Six Nations squad features plenty of senior experience". Fifteen Rugby. 15 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ "England Men Name U20 Squad for World Rugby U20 Championship". Premiership Rugby. 7 May 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ "World Rugby U20 Championship: Ireland 42-26 England". BBC Sport. 4 June 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ "England U20 56-33 Australia U20". World Rugby. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ "World Rugby U20 Championship: England U20 45-26 Wales U20". BBC Sport. 22 June 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ "England men U20s elite player squad for 2020 announced". England Rugby. 10 January 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
- ^ "Louis Lynagh called up by England - Billy & Mako Vunipola plus George Ford left out". BBC. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- ^ https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/sleightholme-set-for-england-debut-as-six-saints-stars-are-selected-against-new-zealand-4687094
- ^ "Recap: England stunned as Australia snatch dramatic victory". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Nine-try England thrash Japan 59-14 to end losing run - reaction". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ Hewett, Chris. "Rugby Union: The time is right for Guscott". The Independent. Retrieved 24 November 2024.