OllieChessum

England and Leicester Tigers lock Ollie Chessum will become a British & Irish Lion for the first time following his selection for the Tour to Australia.

At 2m01 and 118kgs, Chessum is a dominant physical presence in the second row and is a stalwart in the England starting XV when fit, having played blindside flanker as well.

Born in Boston, Lincolnshire, Chessum has had an unusual path to professional rugby, actually dropping out of the Leicester Tigers Developing Player Programme because he wasn't enjoying it.

He eventually signed for the Championship's Nottingham at 18, and he impressed so much after 11 appearances that he signed for Tigers in 2020.

Following his Tigers debut, Chessum became a mainstay in the Leicester pack that season and was a crucial part of their Premiership final victory against Saracens.

His domestic form continued and earned him a call-up to the England squad for the 2022 Six Nations after Eddie Jones compared him to England legend Courtney Lawes.

Jones said: "He's a young back rower/lock and we see him in the same sort of mould as Courtney Lawes so we're looking for someone with a similar skillset. He's got good lineout skills, he can carry, he can hit and he's got plenty of energy and vigour."

Chessum debuted against Italy in that tournament and cemented his place in the 23, winning 28 caps and featuring in every game of England's 2023 World Cup campaign.

After coming off the bench in the first two games of this year’s Six Nations, Chessum then started the wins over Scotland, Italy and Wales, earning Player of the Match honours for his performance in the game against the Azzurri.