Alexander Joel C. Coles (born 21 September 1999) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for Premiership Rugby club Northampton Saints and the England national team.[1]
Early life
Whilst pursuing rugby, Coles studied BA Politics Philosophy and History at Birkbeck, University of London.[2]
Club career
Coles played rugby as a child at Newmarket and Shelford Rugby Club prior to joining the academy of Northampton Saints at the age of fourteen.[3] In November 2018 he made his club debut for Northampton in a Premiership Rugby Cup match against Wasps and the following year scored his first try for the club against Timișoara in the EPCR Challenge Cup.[4][5]
In May 2024, following an impressive season he was named in the Premiership Rugby Team of the Season for the 2023–24 campaign.[6]
International career
In 2017 Coles played for the England under-18 team on their tour of South Africa.[3][7] He represented the England under-20 team in the 2019 Six Nations Under 20s Championship and was a member of the squad that finished fifth at the 2019 World Rugby Under 20 Championship.[4][8] On 6 November 2022, Coles made his debut for England in a 29–30 loss to Argentina in the Autumn Nations Series.
References
- ^ "Alex Coles". ESPN. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ "Birkbeck allowed me to continue my professional rugby career whilst studying for a degree and preparing for my future". Birkbeck, University of London. 22 February 2023. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ a b Mockford, Sarah (4 November 2020). "Hotshot: Northampton lock Alex Coles". Rugby World. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ a b Taylor, Mark (4 June 2019). "Alex Coles seeks to cap a year to remember with victory with England at the 2019 World Rugby Under-20 Championships". Cambridge Independent. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Northampton and Harlequins into last eight". Sky Sports. 18 January 2019. Archived from the original on 1 March 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Premiership Rugby Team of the Season 2023/34". Premiership Rugby. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
- ^ "Alex Coles earns England under-18s call". Cambridge Independent. 11 August 2017. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "World Rugby U20 Championship: England U20 45-26 Wales U20". BBC Sport. 22 June 2019. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
External links
- Alex Coles at European Professional Club Rugby
- Alex Coles at ESPNscrum
- Alex Coles at ItsRugby.co.uk
- Northampton Saints Profile
- Ultimate Rugby Profile
