Seb Atkinson might be one of English rugby’s brightest young talents, but at times he can struggle to outshine the achievements of his girlfriend Siena Horton – a Harvard graduate and credit analyst with investment banking giants Goldman Sachs.
‘Goldman Sachs is a very different environment to professional sport,’ Atkinson told Daily Mail Sport. ‘They’re a team, but maybe don’t work together in the same way as you do in rugby. It’s a bit more cutthroat!’
Atkinson, 23, prefers the rugby field to the high-pressure city life his partner experiences in London on a daily basis. But he has also had more than his fair share of career success at a young age.
The centre won his first two England caps in Argentina in the summer and made an immediate impression on Steve Borthwick. He would almost certainly have started England’s autumn campaign in the No 12 shirt too were it not for a cruel knee injury suffered at Bath on October 11. That was something of a sliding doors moment for the ex-Worcester man.
With Atkinson ruled out of all four November Tests, England went unbeaten to extend their winning streak to 11 matches. Atkinson had to watch from the sidelines as first Fraser Dingwall and then Max Ojomoh impressed in his position.
Ojomoh’s man-of-the-match display in the series-ending win over Argentina has led to a clamour for him to start at No 12 when the Six Nations begins. But don’t rule out an immediate return for Atkinson. Borthwick is a big fan.
Seb Atkinson was primed to make the England No 12 shirt his own this autumn before a cruel injury struck
He won his first two caps over the summer, scoring a try against Argentina in San Juan
Gloucester have endured a troubled season, winning just one of seven PREM games with as many as 14 players out injured at times
‘I was competing for the ball and then three Bath players, who all had a 10-metre run-up, just wiped me out,’ Atkinson said of the blow which ended his November hopes. ‘My leg got a bit caught, but it could have been a lot worse. I suffered a grade two ligament injury on the inside of my knee and also tore a few muscles in my hip.
‘It was definitely tough to miss the autumn. For the first two games, I was still sat in a dark room moping a little bit.
‘You work so hard to get your first chance and when you do, you want to ride the momentum from there. At first, I was really disappointed to not be playing.
‘But when I got a little bit of perspective, I knew I was still on the right track. The England coaches gave me some good feedback from the summer, so I know they respect my game.
‘I’m doing all the right things. I’m glad those other guys got their opportunity – competition makes everyone better. From being with England in the summer and watching in the autumn, there’s a great atmosphere in the squad. It makes you want to be part of it even more.’
Now back fit and firing, Atkinson is nigh on certain to return to the England squad for the 2026 Six Nations.
In pre-season, he set a new world-record time for the ‘bronco’ – a traditional rugby running fitness test comprising five rounds of 20m, 40m and 60m shuttles. Four and a half minutes is considered elite but Atkinson went supersonic, his mark of four minutes eight seconds beating the previous best set by New Zealand’s Beauden Barrett and immediately putting the Englishman on the map.
Atkinson is supremely fit, but he can play too. He has a strong all-round game, one rare in a player still making his way. He is a strong distributor and defender and has been working on his power game while on the sidelines to add extra oomph to his ball-carrying.
Atkinson is renowned for his natural fitness and set a world record in the ‘bronco’ running test
Now back fit and firing, Atkinson is nigh on certain to return to the England squad for the 2026 Six Nations
He is exactly the sort of ‘glue’ player Borthwick likes at inside centre and is a key player for Gloucester too, who take on Saracens on Saturday. Kingsholm will be sold-out for the game, with Atkinson set to test his credentials in direct opposition to a Saracens side packed with England regulars.
‘I’ve always had that natural fitness,’ Atkinson said. ‘So, the speed of Test rugby wasn’t necessarily the biggest thing for me. The game plan was a lot simpler than I expected. I think Steve enjoyed parts of my game, while giving me a few things to work on.
‘Hopefully, he continues to watch what I’m doing.’
Gloucester have won just one of seven PREM Rugby games so far, not helped by what was an injury crisis in the season’s first block, with 14 players on the sidelines at one point.
Having moved to Gloucester after the demise of Worcester, Atkinson realises how lucky he is have already reached the game’s highest level.
Many of his former Warriors academy team-mates haven’t been so fortunate, dropping down the tiers and going to university because they couldn’t pick up a contract when the Sixways club entered administration in 2022.
Like former Worcester men Fin Smith and Ollie Lawrence, Atkinson has risen from that wreckage to become a full international.
‘I was 20 when Worcester went under,’ he said. ‘It was a weird time and I was very lucky to get an opportunity with Gloucester.
‘I was living with people who don’t play professional rugby any more, so that’s opened my eyes to the fact things could be very different for me. The biggest thing I learned from that experience was to take every opportunity you get.
Like former Worcester men Fin Smith and Ollie Lawrence, Atkinson has risen from that wreckage to become a full international
‘I was 20 when Worcester went under,’ said Atkinson. ‘It was a weird time and I was very lucky to get an opportunity with Gloucester’
‘Whether it’s playing for Gloucester or England, you’ve got to make the most of those first moments, make a good impact and never let off. I don’t take where I am now for granted. But it’s also motivated me at the same time.
‘I’ve never actually been to watch an England game at Twickenham – I’ve only ever played there for Gloucester, which is a bit weird.
‘It’s a hugely exciting time to be a young player in England, especially with all eyes now slowly turning towards the World Cup.
‘I need to keep playing well for Gloucester but playing in the Six Nations and then the World Cup would be a dream of mine. I’m still young and can’t look too far into the future, but those are the big goals I’m chasing.’