Kyle Norval Jonathan Sean Sinckler (born 30 March 1993) is an English professional

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player who plays as a

prop A prop, formally known as a (theatrical) property, is an object actors use on stage or screen during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...

for

Top 14 The Top 14 () is a professional rugby union club competition that is played in France. Created in 1892, the Top 14 is at the top of the national league system operated by the National Rugby League (France), France National Rugby League, also ...

club

Toulon Toulon (, , ; , , ) is a city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera and the historical Provence, it is the prefecture of the Var (department), Var department. The Commune of Toulon h ...

. A graduate of the Harlequins Academy, Sinckler made his brief debut in the 2011–12 season, before going out on loan to Richmond for the entire season, becoming part of the squad that won promotion to the

National League 1 National One, up until 2023 known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Lea ...

. He returned to Harlequins for the 2012–13 season as a primary squad rotation player; a brief loan to Ealing followed in the following league campaign, before breaking into the first team squad. Sinckler has represented England at under-16, under-18, under-19 and under-20 levels, and has been a crucial member of the senior team since 2016, in which he has won the

Six Nations Championship The Six Nations Championship (known as the Six Nations, branded as Guinness M6N) is an annual international rugby union competition by the teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. It is the oldest sports tournament conte ...

, the

Calcutta Cup The Calcutta Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the rugby match between teams of England and Scotland played annually in the Six Nations Championship. Like the match itself (England–Scotland), the Calcutta Cup is the oldest trophy con ...

and the Millennium Trophy. Sinckler's performances for England led to him being included in

Warren Gatland Warren David Gatland (born 17 September 1963) is a New Zealand former rugby union player and the former head coach of the Wales national rugby union team, Wales national team. As a player, he was a Hooker (rugby union), hooker and was one of ...

's squad for the

British & Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England national rugby union team, England, Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland, Scotland national rugby union team, Scotland, and ...

' tour to New Zealand in 2017. In 2019, he was a member of the England squad that finished as runners-up to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

at the Rugby World Cup in Japan. He was substituted due to a head injury in the third minute of the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...

, having been accidentally elbowed by

Maro Itoje Oghenemaro Miles Itoje (born 28 October 1994) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a lock for Premiership Rugby club Saracens and captains the England national team and the British & Irish Lions Itoje signed his first p ...

as they both made a tackle.

Early life

Sinckler was born in

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its name ...

, London, and grew up in Merton. He began playing rugby from the age of eight. Sinckler says that it was his mother, Donna, who instigated his rugby career. According to Sinckler, he was a keen footballer though his physical nature resulted in him dropping the sport. His mother took him to local

side Battersea Ironsides in Earlsfield. Sinckler attended

Graveney School Graveney School is a secondary school and sixth form with academy status in the Furzedown area of Tooting, southwest London, England. The school has a partially selective admissions policy. At the beginning of 2023, the school was assessed i ...

and

Epsom College Epsom College is a co-educational independent school on Epsom Downs, Surrey, England, for pupils aged 11 to 18. It was founded in 1853 as a benevolent institution which provided a boarding school education for sons of poor or deceased members ...

Club career

Harlequins

Sinckler began his Harlequins career when Academy coach Collin Osborne saw him, aged 12, playing at one of his various positions, this time full back, against King's College School OB, Wimbledon, where his talent was immediately spotted. Sinckler graduated from the Harlequins Academy squad after playing his first game for the club in their 42–6 thrashing over

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

in round 2 of the 2011–12 Premiership although he only appeared for the last 5 minutes of the game. Sinckler only went on to play one more game for Harlequins in that same season, coming off the bench against

Sale Sharks Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club from Greater Manchester, England, United Kingdom. Its team play in Premiership Rugby, and have been in England's top division of rugby union continuously since 1995. Originally founded in 1861 as ...

during their 37–25 victory in the

2011–12 LV Cup The 2011–12 LV Cup (styled as the LV= Cup) was the 41st season of England's national rugby union cup competition, and the seventh to follow the Anglo-Welsh format. The competition consisted of the four Welsh Pro12 teams and the 12 English Pr ...

. During this season, Sinckler was sent to

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

on loan, where he helped them earn promotion to

. Sinckler then spent the whole of the following season playing at Harlequins where he made seven appearances, all of which were from the bench. He played in various competitions, and made his

Heineken Cup The European Rugby Champions Cup (known as the Investec Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons) is an annual rugby union tournament organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the top-tier competition for clubs who compete in a pre ...

debut against

Zebre Zebre Parma (, meaning " Zebras") are an Italian professional rugby union team competing in the United Rugby Championship and EPCR competitions from the 2012–13 season. They are based in Parma (Emilia-Romagna), Italy. They are operated by t ...

which Harlequins went on to win 53–5. Sinckler highly contributed to their

2012–13 LV Cup The 2012–13 LV Cup (styled as the LV= Cup) is the 42nd season of England's national rugby union cup competition, and the eighth to follow the Anglo-Welsh format. The competition consists of the four Welsh Pro12 teams and the 12 English Premie ...

winning campaign, playing in four out of the six games, including the semi-final against

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

. Sinckler was sent on loan to

Ealing Trailfinders Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club is an English professional rugby union club based in West London. The club's first team are the reigning RFU Championship champions of 2024–25 but were considered ineligible for promotion to Premiership Rugby a ...

at the beginning of the 2013–14 season; though intended to be for the entire league campaign, he was recalled by Harlequins. Sinckler made his way into the Harlequins match-day team, when Paul Doran-Jones sustained an injury early on in the season. He made his first appearance for the season during a 37–13 victory over

Worcester Warriors Worcester Warriors are a professional rugby union club based in Worcester, England. They most recently played in Premiership Rugby, the top division of English rugby union, before being suspended by the Rugby Football Union, RFU in September 2 ...

. However, Sinckler did have to wait until mid-February to gain his first start for the team, which occurred in a 25–20 defeat to

. A week later, Sinckler went on to play his first full game for the club, which Harlequins narrowly defeated Worcester 21–20. Sinckler went on to start in their Premiership semi-final play-off tie against

Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century History of Germany, German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to ...

, which resulted in a 31–17 defeat. In May 2016, Sinckler was a member of the side that lost to

Montpellier Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...

in the final of the

European Rugby Challenge Cup The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception i ...

Bristol Bears

On 27 January 2020, it was confirmed that Sinckler would join fellow Premiership side

Bristol Bears Bristol Bears (officially Bristol Rugby Club or Bristol Rugby) are a professional rugby union club based in Bristol, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded as Bristol Football Club in 18 ...

, signing onto a two-year deal. It was agreed that Sinckler would remain at Harlequins for the remainder of the 2019–20 season, officially joining Bristol during the summer. On 16 October 2020 Sinckler started for the Bears side that defeated

in the final of the

EPCR Challenge Cup The EPCR Challenge Cup is an annual rugby union competition organised by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR). It is the second-tier competition for clubs based in European leagues behind the European Rugby Champions Cup. From its inception i ...

to win their first ever European trophy. Sinckler extended his contract with Bristol until the end of the 2023/24 season in October 2022.

Toulon

On 29 March 2024, Sinckler would end his England career as he signs for top French side

in the

competition from the 2024-25 season.

International career

Youth levels

Sinckler was named in the England under-20 ''Elite Player Squad'' ahead of the 2011–12 season. In his first season, he played ten times, across both the

and

2012 IRB Junior World Championship The 2012 IRB Junior World Championship was the fifth IRB Junior World Championship, an annual international rugby union competition for Under-20 national teams. This competition replaced the now defunct Under 19 and Under 21 world championship ...

s. At the Junior World Championship in South Africa, Sinckler scored in pool stage victories against

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. He was reinstated into the squad for the 2012–13 season, playing in just three matches in the 2013 Junior Six Nations, due to his commitments with Harlequins.

England senior team

His form for Harlequins across the

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

and 2013–14 seasons landed Sinckler a place in the England national side for the uncapped annual fixture against the

Barbarians A barbarian is a person or tribe of people that is perceived to be primitive, savage and warlike. Many cultures have referred to other cultures as barbarians, sometimes out of misunderstanding and sometimes out of prejudice. A "barbarian" may ...

. He was named in the starting line-up for the "England XV", in a 39–29 defeat. After his performance against the Barbarians, Sinckler was picked over Will Collier to go on tour with the rest of the England squad. Sinckler was called up to the senior

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

squad again by new head coach Eddie Jones, on 8 May 2016, for a three-day training squad. He made his debut for the Senior team on 12 November 2016, coming on for Dan Cole during the remaining 10 minutes against

. Sinckler was a member of the side that retained their title during the

2017 Six Nations Championship The 2017 Six Nations Championship was the 18th series of the Six Nations Championship, the annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship. The tournament was also known as the RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by NatWest ...

, missing out on a grand slam with defeat in the last game of the tournament away to

. During the

2019 Six Nations Championship The 2019 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) was the 20th Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union competition contested by the national teams of England national rugby union team, England ...

, Sinckler was referred to by

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

head coach

as an "emotional timebomb", because of some incidents that had occurred during his stint in the 2017 tour to New Zealand with the

. In the match against Wales that followed, Sinckler gave away several penalties that proved critical to the match result, and was taken off in the 57th minute. Despite his drop in form, Sinckler was later selected in England's squad for the

2019 Rugby World Cup The 2019 Rugby World Cup () was the ninth edition of the Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's rugby union teams. It was hosted in Japan from 20 September to 2 November in 12 venues all across the country. The opening matc ...

. He was named in the starting line-up in all but one match, and scored his maiden test try in their quarter-final victory over

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. The team's excellent form during their campaign saw them qualify for the final against South Africa; in the third minute, Sinckler made accidental contact with teammate

's elbow while attempting to tackle

Makazole Mapimpi Makazole Mapimpi (born 26 July 1990) is a South African professional rugby union player for the in the United Rugby Championship and South Africa national team. He usually plays as a winger and centre. He was part of the winning Springboks o ...

and was knocked out. After being helped on the field by the medical staff, he was helped off and ruled out for the rest of the match, in which they were defeated 32–12. Sinckler was a member of the team that won the

2020 Six Nations Championship The 2020 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) was the 21st Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union competition contested by the national teams of England national rugby union team, England ...

and later that year started for the side that defeated

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

in the final of the

Autumn Nations Cup The Autumn Nations Cup was a rugby union competition held in November and December 2020 in place of the usual Autumn rugby union internationals, Autumn internationals series typically held in the same period each year, as many teams were avoidin ...

. He scored his second try at international level against

during the

2022 Six Nations The 2022 Six Nations Championship (known as the Guinness Six Nations for sponsorship reasons) was the 23rd Six Nations Championship, the annual rugby union competition contested by the national teams of England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, ...

and the next round against Wales saw him make his fiftieth appearance for England.

British & Irish Lions

On 19 April 2017 Sinckler was included in the list of players selected for the

tour to New Zealand in June and July. On 6 May 2021 Sinckler was left out of the squad to tour South Africa. On 6 June 2021, Sinckler was called up to the

as a replacement for Andrew Porter due to injuries.

Personal life

In July 2017, Sinckler was arrested in

Central Auckland The Auckland isthmus, also known as the Tāmaki isthmus, is a narrow stretch of land on the North Island of New Zealand in the Auckland Region, and the location of the central suburbs of the city of Auckland and the central business district. ...

, during a night out with his teammates on the conclusion of the British & Irish Lions' tour to New Zealand. According to reports, Sinckler was involved in a "minor incident" whilst celebrating the Lions' 15–15 draw against

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. He was placed under arrest though was not prosecuted; police officers escorted Sinckler back to his hotel shortly after the incident. Sinckler openly apologised for his actions. He has a dog called Brody.

Career statistics

List of international tries

Honours

; England * 2×

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

* 1×

Rugby World Cup The Men's Rugby World Cup is a rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams, the winners of which are recognised as the World championship, world champions of the sport. The tournament is administer ...

runner-up:

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

; Bristol * 1×

; Harlequins * 1×

Anglo-Welsh Cup The Anglo-Welsh Cup (), was a cross-border rugby union knock-out cup competition that featured the 12 Premiership Rugby clubs and the four Welsh regions. It was a created as a replacement for the RFU Knockout Cup, which featured only English clubs ...

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

* 1×

runner-up:

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

References

External links

*
Bristol Bears profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sinckler, Kyle 1993 births Living people Rugby union props English rugby union players England international rugby union players Harlequin F.C. players Richmond F.C. players RC Toulon players Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club players Bristol Bears players British & Irish Lions rugby union players from England Rugby union players from the London Borough of Wandsworth People from Wandsworth 2019 Rugby World Cup players 2023 Rugby World Cup players