These are the brilliant 2021 Lions squad nicknames and the reasons they’ve been given them

Tuesday, 11 May 2021 at 11:29

byRugby Rucker

So we bring you The Briefcase, Pinball, Gwyn Boots, One Man Band , a front-rower nicknamed after a former WWE champion and the Wales back likened to a popular musical...

2021 Lions squad nicknames

#1. LIAM WILLIAMS (SANJAY)

It was while he was on holiday in Greece as a small boy that another British family reckoned the Saracens-bound star looked like Sanjay Kapoor, the former market trader from Eastenders! The name stuck.

#2. ROBBIE HENSHAW (ONE MAN BAND)

His musical and sporting versatility have earned him the nickname "One Man Band" and "Old Man Bob Henshaw" amongst his teammates. His family has a lot of musical talent, with Henshaw himself playing the accordion, fiddle, guitar and piano.

#3. ELLIOT DALY (BRIEFCASE)

The England star got his nickname after turned up at his first Wasps training session in his Whitgift school uniform and carrying you know what!

#4. ALI PRICE (AH-HA-LI PRICE)

His nickname amongst his team mates at Glasgow is "Ah-ha-li Price" in reference to another famous Norfolk resident, Alan Partridge.

#5. MAKO VUNIPOLA (SNORLAX)

In England camp he shares a room with brother Billy. But when the No.8 is out injured teammates can find sharing with the loosehead something of an experience given his liking for sleeping. Hence Snorlax after the hulking Pokémon with narcolepsy.

#6. HAMISH WATSON (PINBALL)

The nickname is in reference to his unique running style which sees him bounce off several players over a short distance whilst carrying the ball.

a rebuilt terminator 2 pinball machine by wayne patrick finn melbourne australia 38

#7. TADHG FURLONG (RIKISHI)

The Irish tight-head says of his nickname: "My belly gets a good flash on national television.

"It came up in the video review, Joe Schmidt said "Oh, here comes WWF...", not even WWE so, WWF, we're going back a few years. And of course the lads jumped on the bandwagon and started calling me Rikishi, the big fat wrestler!"

#8. TAULUPE FALETAU (TOBY)

As a young boy, his school friends struggled to pronounce his Tongan name, and so he picked up the nickname Toby. In recent years, he has requested that his rugby squad name be recorded more accurately as Taulupe, but does not mind being called Toby by his teammates.

#9. MARO ITOJE (PEARL)

Called 'The Pearl' by Saracens and England team-mates for a perceived preciousness to the sides he plays in.

#10. LOUIS REES-ZAMMIT (REES-LIGHTNING)

A play on his rapid speed and Grease Lightning from the famous American musical.

#11. CONOR MURRAY (BIEBER)

Has spent years trying to shed his nickname that he was lumbered with by the Irish squad on their 2012 tour to New Zealand. Not sure if he likes the pop idol or just shared the boyish good looks.

#12. ALUN WYN JONES (GWYN BOOTS)

The Welsh skipper said: "In one of my first training sessions at the Ospreys – when I was 18 – I wore a pair of borrowed boots, which were bright white. White in Welsh is ‘gwyn’."

#13. KEN OWENS (SHERIFF)

In a nod to his grandfather having been mayor of Carmarthen and council chairman, Scarlets hooker Ken Owens is The Sheriff. Also known as Cannonball Ken for his ball carrying.

#14. COURTNEY LAWES (CORPSE OR BIG GOOSE)

George North announced to the media the nicknames of his Northampton team-mate but not the reasons behind them. You can work out tipping the tape measure to 6ft 7in is behind Big Goose while Corpse is a play on his name.

#15. IAIN HENDERSON (THE LLAMA)

Given his nickname by former Ireland lock Donncha O'Callaghan after first clasping eyes on the bearded Ulsterman at a training camp tucking into a bowl of cereal at breakfast.