Draft:Oliver Simpson
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Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest policy, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. 188.39.66.253 (talk) 10:31, 24 June 2025 (UTC)
Oliver "Ollie" Simpson (born c. 2001) is an English semi-pro rugby union player who plays as a forward for Brighton Rugby Club. He began his career at Portsmouth RFC and has also represented at county level. Known for his leadership and physicality, Simpson has captained club sides and overcome serious injury setbacks to remain a consistent performer at the semi-professional level.
Early Career
[edit]Simpson started playing rugby with Portsmouth RFC at a young age, beginning in the club’s tag rugby section and progressing through every age group. As a youth, he played up an age group regularly, including appearances with the Colts side while still under-16. He eventually broke into the Portsmouth first XV and was named captain.[1] at the age of 23.
During his development, Simpson was selected for the London Irish Development ‘Bronze’ Camp, part of the club's extended player pathway. Though he did not progress into the senior academy setup, the experience provided valuable exposure to a professional training environment.
Simpson attended Hartpury College, a school well-known for its rugby programme[2]. While there, he trained alongside a number of high-performance athletes, including Welsh International and NFL Superstar Louis Rees-Zammit[3]. Simpson has spoken a lot on how hard working Rees-Zammit’s was during their time together. The two even followed each other on Instagram at one point, until Rees-Zammit unfollowed him.
While at Hartpury, Simpson was selected to tour South Africa[4] with a representative college squad.[5] He later described the trip as an “incredible experience” that further fuelled his ambitions in rugby. Although surrounded by elite-level talent at Hartpury, Simpson never quite broke into the top-tier performance squads, often finding himself just outside the selection bubble. While others around him pushed on to academy or pro setups, Simpson continued to work hard and enjoy the game, embracing the experience for what it was rather than where it could take him.
Senior Rugby
[edit]As Portsmouth RFC’s senior men’s captain[6], Simpson led the team to a usual but solid mid-table finish in league competition. His performances during the campaign attracted attention from scouts[7][8], leading to a move into semi-professional rugby with Brighton RFC.
His debut season for Brighton RFC, where he turned semi-professional was a mix of personal triumph and collective misfortune. Despite being voted Players’ Player of the Year in his debut season, Brighton were relegated[9] to Regional 2, highlighting another strong individual campaign, amid collective misfortune.
In 2025, Simpson was called up to play for Hampshire[10] (his first county-level appearance). Both games ended in losses[11], continuing his light-hearted reputation for being “committed, impactful, and consistently on the wrong side of the scoreboard.” He attracted interest from Havant RFC, but chose to remain with Brighton.
Injuries and Recovery
[edit]Simpson has endured significant setbacks during his career, including a full ACL rupture and knee reconstruction after being stepped during a game of touch rugby in the COVID lockdown period. The injury saw him sidelined for 18 months, during which he reached a peak weight of 136kg[12]
Through a dedicated training and diet regime, Simpson made a notable transformation, returning to competitive play at 102kg. In 2025, he suffered a torn bicep while representing Hampshire, ruling him out of the pre-season.
Personal Life
[edit]Outside of rugby, Simpson is a professional window cleaner[13], often referring to himself as "the best window cleaner on the south coast."
A self-proclaimed dating enthusiast, Simpson jokingly calls himself "Mr Worldwide" after travelling to the Isle of Wight for a string of dates.
Simpson has cited Matt McLean as a player he looks up to, admiring his achievements[14] at the national league level and aspiring to follow a similar path through the rugby pyramid.
References
[edit]- ^ "Portsmouth – Portsmouth Rugby Football Club". Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ "Men's Rugby Academy | Hartpury College". www.hartpury.ac.uk. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ "Louis Rees-Zammit". Rugby Journal. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ "Hartpury ready to take on the world in South Africa". thelocalanswer.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ College, Hartpury (29 March 2019). "Teamsheet of Hartpury Sqaud Selected". x.com. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ "Player Stats | Rugby Football Union". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ "Portsmouth vs Alton, Counties Hampshire 1, Sat 26th Nov 2023 – Portsmouth Rugby Football Club". 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ "39569474-Pictured is: Portsmouth Player Ollie Simpson Picture: Keith Woodland 170921-110". National World | Newsprints. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ "Horsham RFC battle bravely in defeat and are relegated". SussexWorld. 2025-04-07. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ "Match centre | Rugby Football Union". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ "Player Stats | Rugby Football Union". www.englandrugby.com. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ "Gosport & Fareham vs Portsmouth, Saturday 24th February 2024 – Portsmouth Rugby Football Club". 2024-02-26. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ "Purgo Cleaning Services". Purgo. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ "All time leading top scorers National Two South". Statbunker. Retrieved 2025-06-25.