Young Gun: Ollie Curry – London Irish lock

Ollie Curry was signed straight from school by London Irish but with his contract being only one-year, he has had to prove his worth this campaign to earn an extension.
The former St Paul’s lock had to work relentlessly to show he could cut it in men’s rugby and last month, his efforts were rewarded by a new deal which will see him remain with the Exiles for another season at the least.
Playing most of the season on loan with Esher in National One, Curry still managed to make five appearances for London Irish including a Premiership debut at Sale in November.
With his new deal signed, he is looking to push on and become a first-team regular.
“The club have great aspirations and I’d love to be part of it so it’s great for me to have got a new deal,” he told The Rugby Paper.
“Getting a contract out of school last year was brilliant but it was only a one-year deal and players often get let go at the end of it so my big target this season was to work very hard and earn myself a second contract.
“The LV=Cup was a good experience and so was my Premiership debut. It was only three minutes off the bench but it was a brilliant feeling.
“Breaking into men’s rugby and getting used to the physicality has been key. I had only played two halves of A-League when I was at school but I’ve played 20-odd games this season so far which has been great.
“I feel like I can go through the games well but looking after my body to make sure I can play again the following week is crucial at this level.
“My new contract is only one year again so I’ll be going into the season with the same mindset as this one. I’ll probably play on loan again but I’m looking to push through and earn a long-term deal.”
Growing up in a London Irish-supporting family meant there was only one club Curry dreamed of playing for.
He picked up the game aged 10 at Winchester’s Westgate School as well as playing for his local club. Three years later, he went for a trial to integrate into the Exiles’ EPDG programme and he hasn’t looked back.
In 2012, he progressed to the AASE programme at St Paul’s and he is now coached by the club’s legends he used to cheer for.
He added: “It’s amazing to have Nick Kennedy and Declan Danaher as coaches. I grew up cheering them on so it was a bit weird at first to be coached by them. They’re passing down all the tricks they have whether it’s at the lineout or the breakdown.
“Being in the AASE for two years meant I was around the first team a bit so I could see the standards required to play in the second row.
“I’ve been working with Nick Gallagher in the gym since joining the club and that’s been great because he followed my progress from the start.
“I’ve put on 10 kilos since the start of the season to meet the demands of men’s rugby. I’m 113kg now and want to become a bruising type of lock.
“The lineout is hugely important too so having Nick helping me can only be a good thing to become a complete player.”