Fin Lloyd-Gilmour, a rugby sevens star for Great Britain, has been nominated for a prestigious World Rugby award after overcoming a four-year absence from the sport due to a knee condition. The former Salisbury RFC youngster, who also came through the Bath youth system, is now in contention for the Men's SVNS Rookie of the Year award in his debut season with the GB sevens team.
Remarkable comeback from injury
Lloyd-Gilmour was diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans at the age of 17, a knee injury that, combined with the Covid-19 pandemic, kept him away from the game for four years. He explained: 'I didn't touch a ball for four years partially due to Covid and a backlog of surgeries. It took a while to get back. I went to Loughborough University and ended up playing there, it was a bit like Thibaut Flament's story, I was in the sixth team. I played about seven games tops over the course of my university career.'
His perseverance paid off as he eventually made his GB sevens debut in Singapore, describing the moment as 'a lot sweeter' after the long wait. 'I was just relieved to finally step on the pitch this season. I’d been in the GB set-up the year before but didn’t manage to get my first cap that year. So that made the first run-out in Singapore a lot sweeter and I didn’t take any moment for granted, which hopefully translates to what you see on the pitch,' he said.
Nominated for Rookie of the Year
Lloyd-Gilmour's performances on the HSBC SVNS circuit earned him a spot among the three nominees for the Men's SVNS Rookie of the Year award. He found out about the nomination while traveling with the team from Spain to France. 'It was a nice surprise to be nominated. The news came through when we were on the coach from Spain into France, so one of the boys saw that the women's nominations got posted and we crowded round the phones, just to see whether my name would pop up. It was an amazing surprise to be within that group of boys and be up for the awards. There was a big eruption from the boys on the back of the coach when that came through,' he recalled.
Playing alongside a British & Irish Lion
In the Bordeaux leg of the World Championship, Lloyd-Gilmour played alongside Scotland and British & Irish Lions winger Darcy Graham, who returned to his sevens roots. Both players scored tries as GB stunned overall champions South Africa in the group stages, with Lloyd-Gilmour clinching the win with an extra-time try. GB reached the quarter-finals, where they were eventually beaten by New Zealand.
Family ties and future prospects
Lloyd-Gilmour's father was born in Papua New Guinea and spent much of his life in Queensland, Australia, even playing representative sevens for the Wallabies at Under-18s level. Despite his Australian heritage, he cheered for GB when the two sides met in Spain, with Lloyd-Gilmour scoring a try in a narrow defeat. The New Zealand winner of the Rookie of the Year award, Kele Lasaqa, took the crown ahead of Lloyd-Gilmour, but making the top three capped off a remarkable debut season.
World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin said: 'The HSBC SVNS Awards recognise the exceptional talent, commitment and performances that have defined another outstanding year of rugby sevens around the world. From season-long standout performers to exciting new players making their mark on the international stage, these nominees represent the very best of our sport.'
After 12 events across HSBC SVNS, SVNS 2 and SVNS 3, just one tournament remains in Bordeaux (5th-7th June) as excitement builds to a season-ending crescendo, after which the HSBC SVNS World Champions 2026 will be crowned. For more information, please visit www.svns.com. Fans in the UK can catch every match live on Rugby Pass.
