Kealan Freeman-Price’s rise through the Gloucester ranks has gathered pace rapidly, but last weekend marked a moment that truly underlined how far the 18-year-old has come.
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The hooker made his Champions Cup debut against Munster, stepping onto the pitch for 11 minutes in front of around 36,000 supporters at Páirc Uí Chaoimh — a setting few teenagers ever experience, let alone on their European debut.
A boyhood Gloucester fan, Freeman-Price is already living out a childhood ambition. Having progressed through the club’s pathway as a centre and then back row, he now finds himself firmly on the senior radar, balancing life in the Cherry & Whites’ academy with involvement in national age-grade setups.
Best of luck to the six Gloucester Rugby players involved in the U19 fixture between @EnglandRugby & @WelshRugbyUnion this afternoon. 👏
🏴 Kealan Freeman-Price
🏴 Harry Wright
🏴 Krystof Wood
🏴 Freddie Ogden-Metherell
🏴 Luca Woodyatt
🏴 Tomos Evans pic.twitter.com/ML7HvUvSST— Gloucester Rugby 🍒 (@gloucesterrugby) December 19, 2025
He is part of England’s U20s wider Elite Player Squad, an experience he believes is accelerating both his development and self-belief.
“I think it gives me more of a sense of belief that I can make it,” he said. “It’s a wider squad so they’re not going to take everyone but for me it’s just a good opportunity because the coaches come out and give you IDPs, stuff to work on, and constant communication and that’s good for me to keep working towards and hopefully get in and around that squad come Six Nations or World Cup.”
That confidence has translated into opportunities at club level. Freeman-Price has already been named in a couple of Premiership matchday squads and made his senior debut earlier this season in the Prem Rugby Cup, earning valuable exposure with the first team after fellow hooker Jack Singleton was unfortunately stood down after a cardiac issue.
While he acknowledges the circumstances, he is determined to make the most of every chance.
“It’s been unreal,” he explained. “It’s not ideal with the way I’ve had my opportunity because of injuries but at the end of the day, it’s an opportunity for me. Getting more reps and more exposure with the first team coaches and players around me… learning from Seb Blake and Jack Innard has been great and getting that gametime at adult level as well.”
🗣️ "It's the stuff you dream of."
Academy graduate, Kealan Freeman-Price, on try-scoring performance in derby day win.
📺 https://t.co/H9aSgNj1kR
🤝 @QuaysideWealth #GLOvBAT | 🍒🛀 pic.twitter.com/qY07nPr9Ng— Gloucester Rugby 🍒 (@gloucesterrugby) November 15, 2025
That learning curve was perhaps never steeper than in Cork. Introduced late on in Gloucester’s Champions Cup defeat to Munster, Freeman-Price was thrown into an intense European atmosphere that contrasted sharply with age-grade rugby.
“Going into the Champions Cup game against Munster, it was a hell of an experience,” he said. “It was at that Gaelic Football stadium so there was about 45,000 [official attendance was over 36,000) people there and it was unreal.
“Most of the time I was looking around and trying to find my parents and I couldn’t even see them because there’s so many people, because there’s so many people, whereas in under 18s games they’re probably the only ones on the sidelines watching.”
📢 Gloucester Rugby is pleased to announce the signing of ten players from last season’s U18s squad to the Academy and Sub-Academy ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Freddie Ogden Metherell (Second row)
Jonno Balding (Second row)
Kealan Freeman-Price (Hooker)
Dan O'Reilly (Second row… pic.twitter.com/hQiMolhhw2— Gloucester Rugby 🍒 (@gloucesterrugby) June 18, 2025
Honest in reflection, Freeman-Price admitted the occasion may have played a part in his performance, but the experience itself was invaluable. “I didn’t play as well as I wanted to… I don’t know if it was nerves or something, but it was a great opportunity otherwise.”
Fresh from also featuring for England U19s in a dominant win over Wales, Freeman-Price’s trajectory shows no sign of slowing. With senior debuts already under his belt and European rugby now ticked off, the young hooker is embracing the challenge of adapting to the highest level.
