TommyFreeman

Tommy Freeman's selection for the British & Lions Tour in Australia follows a string of eye-catching displays at both club and international level.

But it hasn't always been easy for the versatile wing, who can also operate at centre and full-back.

At 16, Freeman was released by Leicester Tigers when the Midlands side judged him too small.

While Northampton Saints quickly moved to secure his signature, a more serious threat to his rugby dreams would emerge when Freeman had a serious epileptic seizure after a night out in 2019, having first been diagnosed with the condition at the age of 13.

He admitted to doubts as to whether he would take to the field again but has shown his resilience on countless occasions in the time since.

A Gallagher Premiership Rugby debut against Bath in 2020 preceded a starring role in the 2024 final against the same opponents, with Freeman first to cross the whitewash at Twickenham as he helped his side capture a first Premiership Rugby crown since 2014.

His blend of size and speed quickly caught the eye of Eddie Jones, who handed him his first two England caps during the successful tour of Australia in 2022.

But it was under Jones' successor Steve Borthwick that Freeman would truly announce himself in the international arena.

The 2025 Guinness Six Nations Championship saw the Saints' wing become the first English player in the history of the competition to score a try in each round as he helped Borthwick's men finish runners-up behind France.

He took that form back into a Northampton shirt, helping his side reach the final of the Investec Champions Cup and scoring a first-half hat-trick in a famous win at Leinster the weekend before being named in Andy Farrell’s squad for the 2025 Tour.