Jonny Hill
Birth nameJonathan Paul Hill
Date of birth (1994-06-08) 8 June 1994 (age 29)
Place of birthLudlow, England
Height2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Weight113 kg (249 lb; 17 st 11 lb)
SchoolLudlow School
Notable relative(s)Paul Loughlin (uncle)[1]
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock
Current team Sale Sharks
Youth career
Luctonians
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2013–2014 Gloucester 2 (0)
2015–2022 Exeter Chiefs 116 (160)
2022- Sale Sharks 21 (5)
Correct as of 4 October 2022
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2014 England U20 2 (0)
2020– England 13 (5)
2021 British & Irish Lions 0 (0)
Correct as of 6 July 2022

Jonny Hill (born 8 June 1994) is an English professional rugby union player who plays at lock for Premiership club Sale Sharks.[2] Hill is the nephew of former Rugby league international Paul Loughlin.[1]

Career

Club

Hill first started playing rugby at local club Luctonians.[3] He represented Gloucester on two occasions in the Anglo-Welsh Cup.[4] On 21 June 2015 it was announced that he would leave Gloucester to join their rivals Exeter Chiefs.[4] In the 2019 Premiership final he scored a try as Exeter were defeated by Saracens.[5] The following year Hill started in both the Premiership and European Rugby Champions Cup finals as Exeter defeated Wasps[6] and Racing 92[7] to complete a League and European double.

In December 2021, it was announced that Hill will be joining Sale Sharks for the 2022 season.[8]

International

Hill represented the England under-20 team twice during the 2014 Six Nations Under 20s Championship[9][10] and was selected for the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship[11] however an ankle injury prevented his involvement.[10]

Hill was selected in England's 34 man squad for their 2018 summer tour of South Africa[3] and was an unused substitute in the third and final Test.[10] On 31 October 2020 he made his England debut,[12] pairing with Maro Itoje in the second row, in England's delayed final Six Nations match away to Italy, which England won to become the 2020 Six Nations champions.[13] In December 2020 Hill came off the bench for England as they defeated France in extra-time to win the Autumn Nations Cup.[14] He scored his first International try against Italy during the 2021 Six Nations Championship.[15]

In May 2021 coach Warren Gatland included Hill in his squad for the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa.[16] He did not participate in any of the Test series but did score a try in a tour match against the Stormers.[17]

In a match against the Wallabies on 2nd July 2022, Hill was given a Yellow Card for pulling the hair of his opponent lock Darcy Swain. He was lucky to escape further sanctions by the citing committee despite hair pulling being illegal according to the World Rugby rule book, with one commentator remarking that he "better keep his suit fresh", implying a likely judicial hearing.[18] The Wallabies went on to win the match, scoring multiple tries and gaining the lead while Hill was serving his Yellow Card. He was labelled an "English villain" in the Australian press as a result of the incident.[19]

International tries

As of 4 October 2022[20]
Try Opposing team Location Venue Competition Date Result Score
1  Italy London, England Twickenham Stadium 2021 Six Nations Championship 13 February 2021 Win 41 – 18

Honours

England

Club

References

  1. ^ a b Jones, Stephen (8 April 2018). "Exeter Chief's Jonny Hill can bring down Gloucester". The Times. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  2. ^ "Jonny Hill". Sale Sharks. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Ludlow-born Jonny Hill named in England rugby squad". Shropshire Star. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  4. ^ a b Pilnick, Brent (22 June 2015). "Jonny Hill: Exeter Chiefs sign Gloucester forward". BBC Sport. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  5. ^ a b Pilnick, Brent (1 June 2019). "Premiership final: Exeter Chiefs 34-37 Saracens". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  6. ^ a b Pilnick, Brent (24 October 2020). "Premiership Final: Exeter beat Wasps 19-13 to secure historic double". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  7. ^ a b Henson, Mike (17 October 2020). "Champions Cup: Exeter beat Racing 92 31-27 to lift first Champions Cup title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  8. ^ "England and Lions Star Jonny Hill Signs for Sale Sharks". Sale Sharks. 20 December 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  9. ^ "2014 Six Nations: England U20 67-7 Wales U20". BBC Sport. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  10. ^ a b c Cain, Nick (11 May 2020). "Hill is his own worst critic". Exeter Chiefs. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Braley captains England Under 20 in New Zealand". ESPN Scrum. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  12. ^ Jones, Chris (29 October 2020). "Six Nations 2020: England's Jonny Hill to make debut against Italy". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  13. ^ a b Grey, Becky (31 October 2020). "Italy 5-34 England: Visitors' victory proves enough to win Six Nations title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  14. ^ a b Henson, Mike (6 December 2020). "Autumn Nations Cup: England beat France in sudden death". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  15. ^ Grey, Becky (13 February 2021). "England 41-18 Italy: Hosts find flashes of flair to bounce back from Scotland defeat". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  16. ^ "British and Irish Lions 2021: Sam Simmonds in 37-man squad but Billy Vunipola misses out". BBC Sport. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  17. ^ Grey, Becky (17 July 2021). "Stormers 3-49 British and Irish Lions: Tourists complete Test preparations with comfortable win". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  18. ^ "English Villain Jonny Hill escapes as Wallaby Darcy Swain faces ban". Nine Wide World of Sport. 4 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  19. ^ "English Villain Jonny Hill escapes as Wallaby Darcy Swain faces ban". Nine Wide World of Sport. 4 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  20. ^ "Johnny Hill". 17 November 2021.

External links

Sale Sharks – current squad
British & Irish Lions – 2021 South Africa tour
Categories