Austin Healey

The story

Austin Healey was the kind of player opponents loved to hate and team mates wanted on their side. Quick, versatile, needling, and good enough to win a Grand Slam with England and back to back European Cups with Leicester Tigers. The nickname, the Leicester Lip, was earned honestly.

Born in Wallasey in 1973, Healey came through Waterloo before signing for Leicester in 1996, where he would spend the next decade and become one of the most decorated players in English club rugby. At Welford Road he won four consecutive Premiership titles between 1999 and 2002 and back to back Heineken Cups in 2001 and 2002, often switching between scrum half, fly half and wing in the same tournament.

For England he won 51 caps between 1997 and 2003, including the 2003 Grand Slam, and toured with the British and Irish Lions to South Africa in 1997 and Australia in 2001. The 2001 Lions tour is where the Leicester Lip became a headline. Healey wrote a newspaper column describing an Australian opponent in colourful terms, and the resulting row cost him his place in the third Test.

Since retiring he has become one of the most recognisable rugby pundits and broadcasters in Britain, working for BT Sport, TNT Sports and the BBC, and reaching the Strictly Come Dancing semi final in 2008.

On the speaker circuit he is exactly what you would expect. Fast, funny, fearless and difficult to follow. He will tell the story about the Wallaby column and he will not spare anyone, least of all himself.

Career highlights

• 51 England caps, 1997 to 2003, including the 2003 Grand Slam
• Two British and Irish Lions tours, 1997 and 2001
• 4 Premiership titles with Leicester Tigers, 1999 to 2002
• Back to back Heineken Cup winner, 2001 and 2002
• Played scrum half, fly half and wing for club and country
• BT Sport, TNT Sports and BBC rugby pundit
• Strictly Come Dancing semi finalist, 2008