Hidden amidst the close losses and resulting criticism that have characterized England’s last two seasons, one man’s impressive individual achievements may have slipped under the radar. This is surprising because you really can’t miss Chandler Cunningham-South on the field.
Standing just under 19 and standing at 6ft 4in, the hulking flanker with long, dreadlocked hair is a fearsome and imposing physical specimen. But Cunningham-South is no show pony.
He hit hard. Just ask New Zealand’s Tupou Vaa’i. In England’s autumn opener with the All Blacks, Cunningham-South cut Vaa’i in half with a tackle so brutal that the Twickenham crowd let out a huge, guttural roar.
At one point, Cunningham-South gave the team valuable impetus. He scored two tries against Australia.
‘That aggression has always been there,’ Cunningham-South told Mail Sport. ‘I have continued to improve in the gym to have the strength and endurance to complete the full 80 minutes. It’s definitely something I’ve been working on.
‘Moments like that give you a huge boost of energy. I no longer feel tired, I just listen to the crowd. It feels amazing.’
Standing just under 19 inches tall and standing at 6 feet 4 inches with long, dreadlocked hair, Chandler Cunningham-South is a formidable and imposing physical specimen.
Hidden amid England’s narrow loss and subsequent criticism, his impressive individual performances may have flown under the radar.
There is no doubt that the 21-year-old has shown this year that he will be a key figure in the future of Harlequins and England.
Cunningham-South performed well in 2024. He refuted suggestions that the past 12 months had been a breakthrough, but the 21-year-old is confident this year will see him take Harlequins and England into the future.
He made his senior international debut against Italy in the Six Nations in March and never looked back, impressing again in the summer and autumn on New Zealand’s summer tour of his London-born countryman. Often suffer losses.
Cunningham-South started all three matches in England’s narrow defeats to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in November before coming off the bench against Japan.
“It’s been a great year,” says Cunningham-South. His physical stature and young age are incredible. ‘I’m definitely heading in the right direction. I was very happy to get a lot of games for Harlequins and England and now it’s just a case of building from there and trying to keep getting better.
‘I think there’s definitely more things I want to do. For me, it’s about coming out on the field as the complete package and having a game where I know I performed well. That’s why I’m still trying.
‘It’s definitely improved a lot. I think I played a good game, but it wasn’t a game where I could say to myself, “I played really well today.”
‘It was definitely a big step to go to the England camp and play international games. The coaches there were very helpful. The first camp I attended before the Six Nations blew me away with all the details. We’ll have to catch up pretty quickly.’
He did exactly that. He appears to have the ability to deliver at key moments in big games and is in many ways the best modern forward.
When he scored twice against Australia, Cunningham-South marked his try by imitating Chelsea footballer Cole Palmer’s trademark celebration.
He says: ‘I definitely like Chelsea! I’ve seen the football players and the celebrations they have and I think it’s really cool.’
The former London Irish back row is a one-man wrecking ball. He has the valuable ability to make the first tackle and create forward meters after contact. This is like manna from heaven for coaches. But he’s just as good in loose situations as he is in tight ones.
Cunningham-South is comfortable in wide channels and runs well when given room to move. His ball skills are also excellent.
The good news for Harlequins and England is that there is further improvement to come.
Cunningham-South is a Six Nations certainty for England in early 2025. The better news for the growth of English rugby overall is that he appears to be a player eager to embrace his burgeoning international reputation.
With rugby struggling to compete with other sports globally and struggling financially, it needs to promote its stars as individuals if it is to grow. Cunningham-South believes it is important to do so. This does not make him arrogant or above his station. In fact, far from it.
When he scored twice against Australia, Cunningham-South marked his try by imitating Chelsea footballer Cole Palmer’s trademark celebration.
He added: ‘I definitely like Chelsea! I’ve seen the football players and the celebrations they have and I think it’s really cool. I thought I would try it out and see what happens. I don’t have my own celebration event yet, so I think I’ll keep imitating others until it comes out.
‘I think it’s important for the players. I think young players need to be able to show who they are and that they know something about themselves. Celebrations are a way to do that.
He scored two tries against England, but England lost narrowly.
In England’s autumn opener against the All Blacks, Cunningham-South cut Tupou Vaa’i in half with a tackle.
‘I think you should be able to do what you want, although sometimes you might feel a bit pressured about it. Once you succeed in your attempt, you have so much energy and passion inside you. So why not celebrate?’
So will there be an original Cunningham-South celebration in 2025?
‘Let’s wait and see! ‘I don’t try much, so when I do something, it just seems to come to me,’ he said. ‘I think we were a little underwhelmed against Australia!’
Cunningham-South and England will be looking to turn the small margin defeats that seemed to define them in 2024 into wins come the new year.
If he continues his upward trend, there’s a chance Cunningham-South could tour Australia with the British and Irish Lions this summer.
But the first is the club’s obligation. Cunningham-South and Harlequins face Leicester for ‘Big Game 16’ at the Allianz Stadium on December 27.
The home of English rugby is sold out for a double-header of festive fixtures, including a meeting between the two clubs’ women’s teams.
Cunningham-South lives in Surbiton with Harlequins team-mate Will Joseph, with both players crossing the border from the capital when London Irish went into administration.
Cunningham-South also lost narrowly to world champions South Africa.
Cunningham-South is a certainty for England’s Six Nations in early 2025.
He never looked back after joining London Irish in 2023 despite the club going bankrupt.
The pair spent Christmas separately, with Cunningham-South visiting his grandparents and younger sister as his family still lives in New Zealand.
Cunningham-South’s rugby pedigree was nurtured in the Southern Hemisphere where his father Richard coached him at Silverdale Rugby Club.
Despite his son’s rapid and impressive growth, Richard remains a stern critic and regularly sends feedback via WhatsApp from the other side of the world.
‘My dad coached me at Silverdale last year. Last year we didn’t have a coach so he stepped up and took over the team. We only lost one game,’ says Cunningham-South.
‘Growing up in New Zealand, rugby was everything there. I think I’ve always wanted to play rugby because I’ve been playing soccer since I was 4 years old.
‘Ever since I started running barefoot with my friends, I wanted to throw a ball, whether on the beach or on the grass.
‘I went to my local rugby club and joined when I was four. I was always running around, and it gave me a chance to blow off some steam and use some of the energy and aggression I had growing up as a young boy.
‘Harlequins have helped me a lot. Having good friends here has been important and helpful in my development. Moving with Will made the transition much easier.
Cunningham-South lives in Surbiton with Harlequins team-mate Will Joseph.
Harlequins sit seventh in the Premiership standings ahead of their massive clash with Leicester.
‘That person is nice to live with. I had to take him under my wing a few times when he got a little messy. I keep checking on him and making sure everything is running smoothly.
‘We love living together, but I don’t think we can make a turkey in our apartment!’
New Zealand is a country with little rugby skills. Their huge talent pool meant Cunningham-South was not offered an academy contract with his hometown Super Rugby team, the Crusaders, so he returned to England to take his chance with the Irish.
He hasn’t looked back since, despite the club he started going bankrupt in 2023.
Harlequins sit seventh in the Premiership standings ahead of the massive Leicester clash and are looking to respond after defeat to Gloucester at Kingsholm.
Cunningham-South is used to producing big results for England at Twickenham. Now he gets the chance to play in his club’s famous quarters.
‘I’m looking forward to the big game and hopefully we can win it. This Christmas period is a big part of our season. We have some difficult games and big challenges ahead,’ says Cunningham-South.
Fortunately for Harlequins and England, it is a challenging environment in which players can thrive. After a good year, the rugby world is Cunningham-South’s oyster.
