 Cracknell in 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Oliver Cracknell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 26 May 1994 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Leeds, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 121 kg (19 st 1 lb; 267 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Leeds Grammar School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Oliver Cracknell (born 26 May 1994) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker or number 8 for Premiership Rugby club Leicester Tigers. He was also a Wales under-20 international. [1]
Cracknell was part of the Leeds academy and as a teenager he toured South Africa with Leeds Grammar School in 2012. [2] After that he was invited to spend 2013 with Border Bulldogs where he played for their youth team. [2] Cracknell then joined RGC 1404 where his performances led to a first professional contract with Ospreys. [2]
Cracknell made his club debut for Ospreys during the 2014-2015 season. [3] He played in their 2017 League semi-final elimination against Munster. [4] After making over 100 appearances for the Welsh region in November 2021 it was announced that Cracknell would leave to join London Irish. [3] [5]
Cracknell signed for Leicester Tigers on 12 May 2022. [6] He made his Leicester debut on 10 September 2022 in a 24-20 defeat away to Exeter Chiefs during the opening round of the season and then scored his first try for Leicester the following week against Newcastle Falcons. [7] [8] That season Cracknell scored a try during their Champions Cup quarter-final defeat against Leinster and also played in their Premiership semi-final elimination to Sale Sharks. [9] [10]
Cracknell was born and raised in Leeds but qualifies for both England through place of birth and Wales due to his Welsh grandfather from Llanelli. [11]
Cracknell represented Wales U20 during the 2014 Six Nations Under 20s Championship. [12] Later that year he was a member of the Wales side that finished seventh at the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship. [13]
In January 2017, Cracknell was included in Wales’ senior squad for the 2017 Six Nations Championship but has not been capped. [14] [15]