England’s poster boy Freddie Steward is learning to deal with the limelight

When Freddie Steward came home from the tour of Australia with a discreet ink marsupial as a memento of the England series win, he faced the threat of parental disapproval.

This was new territory for the Leicester fullback, but there is plenty of body art within Red Rose’s squad and he decided it was a fitting way to mark a special event in his rugby career. “The tattoo was inspired by Gengey (Ellis Genge),” Steward told Sportsmail. “He got a sumo tattoo when he was at the World Cup in Japan.

“He actually has a lot of tattoos on his feet from other campaigns. So some guys got their heads together and Jack Nowell designed the koala. I think eventually there were about seven or eight of us who did it. A few guys have kangaroos, but most of us have koalas. I just got a little one on my ankle.

Freddie Steward – usually not used to being in the spotlight – learns to handle the attention

“My mom wasn’t too happy when I told her, but when she saw it, she didn’t mind. So it’s good. I wasn’t actually going to tell her, but my brother did when he saw a clip about it on one of the Inside Line things (video diaries in the camp).

“It’s on the inside of my ankle, so it’s easy to hide, which is probably a good thing! It is there as a reminder of the journey. Thank goodness we won 2-1 so it’s a good memory as we got the tattoos done leading up to the third test, at a salon on Bondi Beach.

“I surprised myself by doing it. My mom always said I should never get a tattoo, but the guys wanted a reminder of what a great tour it was, so I figured it wouldn’t be a bad idea. I might do it for every tour we take – a little reminder of every country – but I’ll keep the tattoos hidden!”

The fullback has become one of the key players on Eddie Jones’ side in England

For Steward, the trip to that salon was a rare trip out of his comfort zone, having been involved with England. After making his debut against the USA at Twickenham 16 months ago, he started all of the national team’s last 13 tests and was remarkably confident from the start. The rookie Tiger is a fixture in Eddie Jones’ first-choice XV as an extremely reliable last line of defense, air master and a highly effective attacking runner.

So has his meteoric rise to international fame been life-changing, for someone who is certainly not an attention seeker by nature?

“Yeah,” Steward said — admitting it’s been hard to come to terms with control and expectation. “Everything has exploded since I played for England. I think it took some getting used to. Last year I was still in college in my digs in Loughborough with my roommates, so it was very surreal to begin with.

Steward recognizes his and his teammates’ responsibility to grow the game of rugby

‘I’m not sure if I like it too much; be in the spotlight. I’m quite a private man so I enjoy going back home to my family, which I did last weekend, seeing them and getting away from things in Norfolk.

“There’s an expectation that comes with more exposure, but it’s a challenge, so it’s exciting. I’ve done a lot of work with a psychologist at Leicester on how to handle expectations – trying to go into games with the right attitude and not feeling like there’s tremendous pressure to deliver an incredible performance and go through two or three tries. to score.

It’s about staying sober and understanding that you just have to do your job, because that’s what you’re chosen to do – and be happy with that.’ Helping Leicester win the Premiership title last year and become a top-class English regular, Steward has quickly made a name for himself.

The full-back preparing for England’s autumn test opener against Argentina late last month

“Obviously there’s a bit of recognition — people are asking for photos and a few autographs — but there’s not too much of it, which is good,” he said. “I’d hate it if it got to the point where you’re stopped in the street, because then I’d feel like there’s not too much privacy. It’s nice to just break through.’

But at a time when the sport is striving to increase its appeal and attract a whole new audience, this new darling of English rugby understands and accepts the bigger picture.

“Yes, it’s difficult because as players we have a responsibility to grow the game,” he added. “Part of that in this day and age is things like social media. It’s a balance between being able to keep certain things to yourself, but also being a role model and promoting the game.’

In addition to his day job, Steward has started playing golf – but is not yet confident enough to bet on matches against his teammates – and is in the fourth and final year of studying economics. Next year there will be some “big” exams after the Six Nations, “which could be interesting,” he joked.

But for now, his priority is the upcoming tests on the pitch and further cementing his status as one of England’s men of choice. As he goes now, Steward is destined to add a lot more discreet body art in the coming years.

Steward crossed the line in the 2-1 series win over Australia over the summer – he got his first tattoo on the trip