With just over three minutes remaining and England trailing by seven points in Auckland, the ball is passed wide to Ollie Sleightholme. He charges towards the halfway line, gripping the ball tightly in both hands, before executing a swift shimmy and a powerful burst down the left flank, leaving Sevu Reece in his wake. Hook, line, and sinker. Ultimately, England couldn't avoid a second defeat by the All Blacks, but Sleightholme's brief but brilliant performance stood out as one of the series' brightest moments, a shining example of seizing an opportunity amidst a tour filled with missed chances. It turns out Reece isn't the first to be caught off guard, as Sleightholme—who capped off a remarkable season with his first two England caps in New Zealand this summer—is an avid angler.
The 24-year-old finds solace in heading to nearby Olney or the River Wye to cast his line. Coarse fishing is his specialty, and it seems fitting that this summer, Sleightholme reeled in his biggest catch yet—a 10lb chub. Despite finishing last season as the Premiership's top try-scorer, helping Northampton secure their first title in a decade, Sleightholme has even bigger goals. We'll leave the fishing puns aside, but it's refreshing to hear a young sportsman speak so passionately about a hobby that helps navigate the lows that inevitably accompany the highs—especially after Sleightholme spent nine months on the sidelines in 2023 due to concussion and a hamstring injury.
"I try to escape from rugby, so I go fishing once or twice a week if I can," says Sleightholme, who credits his uncle for introducing him to the sport. "I don't mind if I don't catch anything; it's more about resetting myself after a long week or taking a break during the week. I used it when I was injured and rehabbing, just something else to focus on, to get away from it all." He admits that his passion for fishing knows no bounds, even if it means braving all weather conditions. "My partner thinks I'm a bit weird. Sometimes, it'll be pouring rain, and I'll say, 'I'm going out.' It's about getting out there and refocusing."
Sleightholme showcased his multifaceted talents during the squad's downtime in New Zealand. "We caught a bunch of red snapper, and the chef cooked them for us for lunch," he recalls. "It was a fantastic experience." On the field, Sleightholme played with a sense of urgency, eager to make up for lost time, which is understandable given he was first called up to an England squad by Eddie Jones in the summer of 2021 (he suffered another concussion in camp)—nearly three years before making his debut. He watched as his Northampton teammates George Furbank, Tommy Freeman, Alex Mitchell, and more recently, Fin Smith, were given their chances under Steve Borthwick, all the while patiently waiting for his own shot.
Although Borthwick has a wealth of wing options, Sleightholme's form last season for Northampton made him impossible to overlook. His partner, Lucy, gave birth to their first child just weeks before the tour, so he didn't have family in New Zealand to witness his achievements. Nonetheless, his father, Jon, who played for Bath and Northampton and earned 12 England caps, was a proud spectator from afar. "He was ecstatic," Sleightholme says. "I couldn't get many words out of him. They were all gathered together watching it. I got a FaceTime call in the changing room, which was cool." Making his debut for England was a lifelong dream come true for Sleightholme, despite the team's results. "I think there's a sense of 'finally, I've done it,' all the hard work I've put in has paid off."
Sleightholme bulked up at the start of last season—perhaps a bit too much—but sees 93-94kg as his ideal playing weight, allowing him to combine his electric pace with the ability to break through tackles. "Sam [Vesty, the head coach] talks a lot about beating people—whether you go through them, around them, or step them, just beat them. And I found that I can go through people or around them, whatever the situation demands." Northampton kicks off their campaign on Friday night with a trip to face Bath, a rematch of last season's final. Sleightholme is aware that Saints are now the team to beat. With key figures like Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam, and the Waller brothers moving on, Franklin's Gardens has a fresh vibe as Northampton defends their title.
"I actually feel a bit old now, having a child," he says. "There are only a couple of us with kids. I think it's just me and Burger [Odendaal]. Our little ones are similar in age, only about two months apart, so we're in it together. We lost a lot of dads over the summer." Every week, Northampton will have a target on their backs, whether at home or away, and Sleightholme sees this as a great challenge. "It's the position everyone wants to be in. You don't want to be chasing; you want to be the one being chased, the target everyone has. It's what everyone strives for in the game."
