Freddie Steward

FREDDIE STEWARD’S early rugby memories aren’t of the positive variety. His older brother, Harry, played at Swaffham RFC but four-year-old Freddie wasn’t so keen on the oval ball. “I used to lock myself in the car because I was cold and hated being there,” he says. “I didn’t want to play rugby at that age. It was a nightmare for my mum, who would talk me out in the end.”

A decade and a half later, he’s thriving in the sport and looks to have cemented himself in the England No 15 shirt for 2022 and beyond. Called into the national set-up last year after delivering top-class displays for Leicester Tigers, he’s produced the same for his country.

There’s his solidity under the high ball (his 6ft 5in frame clearly helps in that area); his command of the backfield (“It’s a really important job for a full-back and you need to work as a