Ollie Chessum has expressed his enthusiasm for leadership but insists he is not chasing the England captaincy, despite being touted as a potential long-term successor to current skipper Maro Itoje. The 26-year-old forward, who has earned 38 caps since his debut in February 2022, has become a cornerstone of England's pack, equally comfortable in the second row or at blindside flanker.
A Natural Leader
Chessum, who captains Premiership leaders Leicester and toured with the British and Irish Lions last year, told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast that while he appreciates the compliment, he believes captaincy is a role that should not be actively pursued. "It's nice that people can tickle your ego a little bit and give you that compliment, and I do really enjoy the leadership side of the game, but it's certainly not one for now," he said. "It is maybe further down the line that I have leadership ambitions, but I feel like captaincy is not really something you go after. I feel like it's a role that almost finds the right individual."
For now, Chessum is focused on learning from Itoje, who was appointed captain in January 2025, taking over from Jamie George. "Right now we've got a very, very good captain in Maro and I'm picking his brains as part of an incredibly experienced senior leadership group," Chessum added. "Who knows what's down the line in years to come? Of course, it would be a pretty special thing to do, I'm sure."
Putting Club Rivalries Aside
Chessum also addressed recent on-field clashes with England teammates during club duty. He was involved in a half-time skirmish with Henry Pollock in Leicester's win over Northampton and had a brief confrontation with Bristol's Ellis Genge a week later. However, the forward insists there is no lingering animosity when they join up with the national squad.
"It's not difficult at all to put all that behind you," Chessum said. "They are two of my close mates in camp. Gengey is someone I've known for a number of years since he was my captain at Leicester, and Henry's obviously someone I've got to know very well the last couple of years. It is strange coming up against him in a different shirt, but I'd expect nothing less of Gengey than to try and get under your skin somehow. It's all part of the game. He loves it. You see the smile on his face as he's walking away from you in that game. I'd expect nothing less of them, and they'd I'd hope would expect nothing less of me than to give 100% for whatever shirt I'm wearing."
Eyes on Australia
England return to Allianz Stadium on Sunday to face Australia, their first appearance there since a 42-21 defeat by Ireland in February, one of the low points of a disappointing Six Nations campaign. Since then, England have lost to world champions South Africa but secured wins over Fiji and Argentina.
Chessum acknowledges the frustration among fans but remains optimistic about the team's potential. "I can totally understand the frustration because we as a group feel it," he said. "We've got a huge amount of talent in the room. We've got an incredible coaching set-up who couldn't really give us any more. We're constantly trying to improve and find ways, but we as a team have let ourselves down at times. We've failed to hit the sort of mark that, not only we expect of ourselves, but I think that England fans expect of their team."
Despite the setbacks, Chessum is excited about the future. "The talent we've got in this group hasn't really got a ceiling. Some of the young guys that are coming through and have only got a handful of caps, you can really see being part of this England team for a very, very long time. Couple that with the leadership we've got at the top with Maro, Ellis Genge, Jamie George, George Ford and those sorts of figures, and we've got a real good balance in the squad."
