Northampton's Ollie Sleightholme: 'Any free time, I'll go fishing. All weather. My missus thinks I'm a bit weird'

09/18/2024 02:00 AM

Saints' wing who hopes to reel in another Premiership title explains how angling eases the pressures of elite rugby

With a little more than three minutes left on the clock and England trailing by seven points in Auckland, the ball is tossed wide to Ollie Sleightholme. He advances towards halfway, ball in both hands, before the briefest of shimmies and a burst down the left that leaves Sevu Reece floundering like the proverbial kipper. Hook, line and sinker.

Ultimately England could not avoid a second defeat by the All Blacks but Sleightholme's cameo stood out as one of the brightest moments of the series, as someone taking their chance on a tour of missed opportunities. And it turns out Reece is not the first to take the bait, because Sleightholme – who capped a stunning season with his first two England caps in New Zealand this summer – is an avid angler.