Olly Barkley England Profile
Updated November 27, 2008
OLLY BARKLEY
Club: Gloucester Rugby
Position: Fly half/centre
Born: 28.11.81 | Hammersmith
Height: 1.85m (6’ 1’’)
Weight: 92kg (14st 7lb)
Representative honours: England 16 Group, 18 Group, U21s, Saxons
Caps: 23
Points: 82 – 2T, 9C, 18PG
International Record:
2001 USA (R) 2004 It(R), I (R), W, F, NZ(2R), A (R) 2005 W(R), F, I, It, S, A(R), Sam(R), 2006 A(1,2R), 2007 F(1,2R), World Cup - USA, Sam, Tg, NZ (1, 2R)
Oliver John Barkley, who moved from Bath to Gloucester this season, will always be known as the first player to win a full England cap without having played a game at senior club level.
That happened during England’s summer tour to North America in 2001 when, after returning from a stint with the Marist club in Christchurch, New Zealand – the same one which had welcomed Martin Johnson years earlier – the 19-year-old came on as a second half replacement in the 48-19 win against the US Eagles in San Francisco.
A member of the England A team squad that won the inaugural Churchill Cup in 2003, he had to wait until 2004 for his next senior caps, coming off the bench during the Italy and Ireland games.
But it was the Wales game at Twickenham when he really made his mark on his first start for his country. With 24 hours notice he replaced an injured Paul Grayson and scored 16 points. History repeated itself against France when Grayson’s injury returned and Olly started at the Stade de France, again delivering under pressure.
A regular for England during 2005, he missed most of the 2006-7 season with a series of injuries that kept him out of the RBS 6 Nations and Investec Challenge series but a superb game-controlling display for England Saxons in the Barclays Churchill Cup final against New Zealand Maori helped book his place in the 2007 Rugby World Cup squad.
Man-of-the-match in the opening RWC game against USA, he missed the following game against South Africa with a strain to his left hip abductor and then was unavailable for selection against Australia because of a right dead leg.
Born in London but brought up in Cornwall, he attended Wadebridge Comprehensive and played for Wadebridge Camels before going on to Bristol-based Colston’s Collegiate, where he captained successive Daily Mail U18 Schools Cup winning sides in 1999 and 2000.
He was hugely instrumental in helping Bath top the 2003-04 Zurich Premiership and is the highest points scorer in the club’s history with 1465.
Did you know?
Cornishman Olly had a trial with Plymouth Argyle and was offered one with Arsenal, but he preferred basketball at the time.
He probably would never have taken up rugby but for a particularly calculating PE teacher at Wadebridge School, who insisted he played rugby if he wanted to play football.
He remains eternally grateful to him and the help from his Wadebridge Camels coach Cy Parry along with Colston’s Collegiate master in charge of rugby, Alan Martinovic, who he describes as `a fantastic coach and adviser’.
Early career highlights include his first cap against the USA, beating Gloucester at Kingsholm during the 2003-4 season and beating Leeds Tykes to avoid relegation during the 2002-3 campaign.
He wears the same pair of socks under his match socks on match days and likes to run on to the pitch last.
He enjoys playing the guitar, and would be a teacher if he was not a professional rugby player.
