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.
.jpg) Gailleton with France U20 in 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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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Early life and youth career
editÉmilien 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
editSU Agen
editGailleton 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
editIn 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
editFrance U20
editGailleton 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
editOn 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
editGailleton 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
