The England prop has transformed himself into a role model and is at the forefront of rugby’s push to become more inclusive
Certain perceptions can be hard to shake. If Ellis Genge had a quid for every time he has been called a hothead or a potential liability on social media, he could retire to his own tropical island. “People on social media still throw out comments about things they’ve seen five years ago,” murmurs the Leicester and England prop. “Everyone says: ‘He’s got such a bad track record.’ I don’t know if it’s my problem that people are still that blind and don’t do their due diligence.”
On the eve of the Six Nations, with England preparing to enter the Caledonian cauldron of Murrayfield, it is easy to understand his mild frustration. The other day, even before Owen Farrell’s latest injury setback, none other than Sir Clive Woodward was tipping Genge to lead England into the 2022 championship. Two years ago, in the corresponding fixture, the latter also delivered the late winning try which clinched a narrow visiting Calcutta Cup success.
