Émilien Gailleton
Date of birth | 13 July 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Place of birth | Croydon, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 89 kg (14 st 0 lb; 196 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Émilien Gailleton (born 13 July 2003) is a French rugby union player, who plays as a centre for Top 14 club Pau and the France national team.
Early life and youth career
[edit]Émilien Gailleton was born in Croydon, England, to a French father and a British mother.[1] He moved with his family to Cahors, Lot (department), at the age of three.[2] He began playing rugby in 2008 with Cahors Rugby, before joining the SU Agen academy in 2017.[3]
Club career
[edit]SU Agen
[edit]Gailleton made his professional debut for SU Agen on 15 October 2021, at the age of 18, in a match against Rugby Club Vannes during the 2021–22 Rugby Pro D2 season.
Section Paloise
[edit]In December 2021, Gailleton signed with Section Paloise, joining them for the 2022–23 Top 14 season.[4] Despite interest from ASM Clermont Auvergne and Stade Toulousain, he chose Pau, partly due to the opportunity to work again with Sébastien Piqueronies,[5] whom he had known during his time at the Centre national du rugby in Marcoussis with the French youth teams.[6]
During his first season in the Top 14, Gailleton scored 14 tries in 24 matches, finishing as the league’s top try-scorer.[7] His performance earned him a nomination for the Oscars Midi Olympique in both the Espoir and Oscar d'Or categories and inclusion in the league's team of the season.[8]
In the 2023–24 Top 14 season, Gailleton continued to develop as a player, although he faced stiff competition from other emerging talents.
International career
[edit]France U20
[edit]Gailleton was selected for the France U20 team for the 2021 Six Nations Under 20s Championship at just 17.[9] He played in four matches, starting in three. In 2022, he captained the team during the Six Nations Under 20s Championship, scoring a try against Scotland.[10] He also played in the U20 Six Nations Summer Series, adding further international experience.[6]
France senior team
[edit]On 30 October 2022, Gailleton was first called by Fabien Galthié to the France senior team for the Autumn internationals.[11] Gailleton did not play. In 2023, he was included in the extended squad for the 2023 Six Nations Championship[12] but was later released to rejoin the U20s team. He made his senior debut on 5 August 2023 in a test match against Scotland.
International tries
[edit]No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 13 July 2024 | José Amalfitani Stadium, Buenos Aires, Argentina | Argentina | 21–18 | 33–25 | 2024 Argentina and Uruguay test series |
2 | 9 November 2024 | Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France | Japan | 10–0 | 52–12 | 2024 Autumn internationals |
Personal life
[edit]Gailleton is bilingual, speaking both English and French fluently. His language skills have been useful in international competitions, especially when captaining the France U20 team.
Honours
[edit]- 1× Top 14 leading try-scorer: 2023 (14 tries)
- 1× Top 14 team of the season: 2023
- 1× Nuit du rugby Breakthrough Player of the Season: 2023[13]
References
[edit]- ^ "Gailleton gearing up for thrilling Six Nations Under-20s Summer Series". Isle of Wight County Press. 24 June 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ Corée, Adrien (11 February 2022). "Émilien Gailleton monte en puissance au centre de l'équipe de France U20". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ Cornu, Pierre (24 February 2021). "SU Agen : Émilien Gailleton, joyau d'Académia". La Dépêche du Midi (in French). Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ Azzola, Jean-Marc (30 March 2022). "Émilien Gailleton (SUA) : " Pau était la meilleure option "". Le Quotidien du Sport (in French). Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ Sowden, Patrick (29 October 2022). "Émilien Gailleton, la révélation de Pau". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ a b Corée, Adrien (11 February 2022). "Émilien Gailleton monte en puissance au centre de l'équipe de France U20". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ "Toulouse meilleure défense, Mercer inépuisable... Toutes les stats à retenir de la phase régulière". rugbyrama.fr (in French). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ "Dupont, Alldritt, Tuisova... Tous les nommés pour les Oscars Midi Olympique 2023". rugbyrama.fr (in French). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ "6 Nations 2021. France U20 avec 7 Toulousains et 2 Champions du monde pour le Tournoi". actu.fr (in French). 8 June 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ "Tournoi U20 : Émilien Gailleton reconduit capitaine, Matis Perchaud remplaçant avec les Bleuets". L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ "Cyril Baille de retour dans le groupe France, Emilien Gailleton appelé pour la première fois". L'Équipe (in French). 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ "Tournoi des Six Nations 2023 : La liste des 33 joueurs de France moins 20 ans pour l'Irlande". Fédération Française de Rugby (in French). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
- ^ Reyrat, David (20 November 2023). "Nuit du Rugby : élu meilleur joueur du Top 14, Antoine Dupont rafle (encore) la mise". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 21 November 2023.
External links
[edit]- Émilien Gailleton at ItsRugby.co.uk
- France profile at FFR
- Section Paloise
- All.Rugby
- 2003 births
- People from Cahors
- Living people
- French rugby union players
- Rugby union centres
- SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne players
- Section Paloise players
- Sportspeople from Lot (department)
- Rugby union players from Occitania (administrative region)
- People from Croydon
- Rugby union players from the London Borough of Croydon
- French people of English descent
- France international rugby union players