George Martin (rugby union)
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| Full name | George Frederick Martin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 18 June 2001 Nottingham, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 127 kg (280 lb; 20 st 0 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Rawlins Academy Brooksby Melton College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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George Frederick Martin (born 18 June 2001) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for Premiership Rugby club Leicester Tigers and the England national team.[1][2]
Martin was born in Nottingham, and grew up mostly in Loughborough. His father worked as an accountant.[3] He attended Rawlins Academy in Quorn, Leicestershire where he was selected for England's under-16 rugby union team.[4] He then attended Brooksby Melton College where he was selected for England's under-18 side.[5] He scored a try against France under-18 during their 2018 summer tour of South Africa[6] and in April 2019 captained at the under-18 Six Nations Festival.[7] Martin was part of Leicester Tigers two successive under 18 league titles.[8][9]
Club career
In July 2019 Martin signed his first professional contract for Leicester Tigers.[10] On 21 September 2019 Martin made his first team debut for Leicester in a Premiership Rugby Cup fixture against Worcester Warriors.[11] He spent a period of time during the 2019–20 season on loan at Leicester Lions, playing 4 times. On 7 July 2020 he signed a new contract with Leicester.[12]
Martin was named as BT Sport's man of the match for Leicester's win against Newcastle Falcons in the 2020-21 European Rugby Challenge Cup quarter-finals,[13] and then again after the opening game of the 2021-22 Premiership Rugby season, a 34–19 victory over Exeter Chiefs.[14] He ended the season playing in the final as a replacement and making the penultimate carry before Freddie Burns' 80th minute drop goal which won the match.[15]
On 28 September 2022 Martin extended his contract at Leicester.[16]
In December 2025, Leicester confirmed Martin would be leaving the club at the end of the season.[17]
International career
On 1 January 2021 Martin was selected for England under-20s squad for the 2021 U20 Six Nations,[18] then on 22 January 2021 he was named in Eddie Jones' "Shadow squad" for the senior 2021 Six Nations Championship.[19][20] He was named as a "finisher" for the England match against Wales,[21][22] but was not used.[23]
On 20 March 2021 he made his England debut against Ireland, coming on as a replacement for Billy Vunipola in the 64th minute in a 32–18 defeat.[24][25]
On 5 August 2023 Martin started his first international, a Rugby World Cup warm up match against Wales at the Millennium Stadium. On 7 August 2023, Martin was named in England's squad for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.[26]
