Ollie Phillips

From his origins on the boggy back fields of Hove Park to captaining his country on the hallowed turf of Twickenham Stadium, the Brighton-born titan’s adventure through the world of rugby has left no one in any doubt of his commitment to the game.

Known for his versatility as a wingback or fullback, the former Newcastle Dragons, Stade Français and Gloucester man has competed in twenty World Series games and scored almost fifty tries for his country on the way to three victories and six finals, which led to him being recognised by World Rugby as the best player to grace a Sevens field in 2009. As a domestic player Ollie has participated in three Heineken Cups and a European Cup Final. He was also voted 2011’s Best Overseas Player when at the Parisian club.

Ollie is also well known for his work outside rugby and his participation in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race gained him many plaudits – as well as this, he has been commended for his status as a team leader and positive role model within the world of sports. Ollie’s work as a sports speaker has garnered a great deal of public attention, ultimately leading to him being awarded the Independent National Community Award in 2009 for his work with a number of global community outreach programmes.

"We chose Ollie as the after dinner speaker at our international sales & marketing conference in Istanbul in May 2015. We needed someone to add an independent, thought-provoking perspective to support the overall theme of the conference – ‘collaborate with purpose’. In light of his achievements, there was so much to pack in! He gained an enormous amount of respect from the room for his rugby achievements alone, but that was just his intro. He captivated us with his tales of sailing the seas during the clipper round the world race, bringing a disparate bunch of individuals together and teaching them to live and work together for a common goal. His experience resonated with our international audience and the feedback we received for him was overwhelmingly positive.” - Clear Channel

"I thought you were brilliant tonight, ollie. Funny, interesting, engaging, inspirational and approachable." - Shelle Luscombe