4. Ali Price – Scotland
Scotland scrum half Ali Price was born in the Norfolk port town of King’s Lynn, and grew up attending Wisbech Grammar School in Cambridgeshire. Price qualifies for Scotland threw his Mother, who’s extended family stretches across Troon, South Ayrshire.
Upon completing his studies, a fresh-faced Price made the venture up North, and joined up with Stirling County. The 29-year-old’s career soon progressed to a contract with Ayr, in the Scottish Premiership. Glasgow Warriors soon came looking for the talented prospect, and signed Ali to a development contract in 2013. It was a long road to a Warriors debut for Price, as he was sent back to England with brief loan spells at Bedford Blues and Saracens, to gain valuable game time and exposure.
The Glasgow Warriors debut finally arrived in 2015, which ignited Price’s career and fast-tracked him into the Scottish national team. After a rapid start to his Scotland career, Price was injured in eerily similar circumstances to that of his England-born teammate Hamish Watson. Price suffered a foot injury in the 2019 Rugby World Cup opener against Ireland, ending his inaugural World Cup campaign before it have even really begun.
Like Watson, Price wasted no time in feeling sorry for himself, and when fully fit continued to establish himself in the Scotland starting XV. This took the 29-year-old on the 2021 British and Irish Lions Tour of South Africa, where he scored a try on his first Lions start, against the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg. Price will be looking to make up for lost time in this year’s Rugby World Cup, and take the fight back to Ireland and South Africa, as they re-unite in Pool B.