Nick Easter

Easter is the brother of Sale Sharks player Mark Easter and the nephew of author Anne Easter Smith. His father, John, played squash professionally and reached No. 1 in Britain and No. 9 in the world. His great grandfather, Pieter Le Roux, played for the Springboks. He attended the South London public school Dulwich College and Nottingham Trent University.[2]

After a period working in London, Easter moved to Rosslyn Park F.C. before moving onto Orrell. In 2004, Easter signed for Harlequins.

Easter has won the Harlequins Player of the year award four times in 2004–05, 2005–06, 2012–13 and 2014–15 season at the age of 36.

In the penultimate game of the 2013–14 season, against Bath, Nick became the most capped Harlequin in the professional era with 233 appearances.

Easter playing for England in the 2011 World Cup

A skilful and powerful No 8, Easter a late comer to professional rugby made his England debut in their Six Nations victory over Italy on 10 February 2007.[3] On 4 August 2007, Easter scored four tries as England defeated Wales by a record 62–5 at Twickenham Stadium, in a World Cup warm-up fixture, which made Easter the first ever number 8 to score four tries for England.[4] He started six matches of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, where he was a key influence in England's route to the final, where they suffered a 6–15 defeat to South Africa in the final.[5][6][7]

During the 2008 Six Nations,[8] he was named man of the match in England's 24–13 success over France. In their following campaign, Easter started in all five of England's matches.[9] During England's tour to Australia in 2010, he was named man of the match in their second test victory, 21–20 over Australia, helping secure England's first win over The Wallabies since their World Cup success on Australian soil in 2003. Later that year, he captained his country during the autumn internationals, where they defeated Samoa 26–13.

Easter was part of the England squad that won the 2011 Six Nations, despite defeat to Ireland 24–8, which resulted in them missing out on the grand slam. He lifted the Six Nations trophy as England captain, their first trophy win since the 2003 World Cup. He was also part of England's squad in the World Cup, and was reported to be the player to have reacted to England's quarter-final defeat to France in Auckland, by saying "There's £35k just gone down the toilet."

Between 2012 and 2014 he found his road into the England squad blocked, before being recalled to the squad for their 2015 Six Nations campaign. In their opening game, he came on as a substitute in their 21–16 success over Wales at the Millennium Stadium. In their following fixture, he scored a try against Italy, becoming the oldest player ever to score for England, before winning his fiftieth cap away to Ireland.

After being overlooked for the initial 31-man England squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Easter was called up as injury replacement for Billy Vunipola. He put in a man of the match performance in England's final, albeit dead rubber, fixture against Uruguay, scoring a hat trick of tries.[10]

In 2016, immediately after confirming his retirement as a player, Easter became Harlequins' defence coach.[11] He left his position in July 2018, following a change of management, ending his fourteen-year association with the club. He then joined the Natal Sharks in South Africa as forwards and attack coach for the Currie Cup campaign in 2018 which they won beating Western Province in the final 17–12. He re-signed with the Sharks for Super Rugby & Currie Cup 2019 as forwards and defence coach.[12]

Easter has appeared in three episodes of BBC One programme A Question of Sport between 2008 and 2010.[13] In 2016, he appeared in an episode of Pointless Celebrities, partnered with former rugby union and rugby league footballer; Martin Offiah.[13]

In 2020 he launched a podcast with World Cup winner Kyran Bracken called Ruck It!

• Report about Nick Easter