Plymouth Albion’s unbeaten start to the season has been boosted by the arrival of two highly rated Exeter Chiefs prospects, with hooker Louie Gulley and lock Oscar Beckerleg joining on dual registration for the 2025/26 campaign.
The pair, who have both represented England at age-grade level, continue the strong pathway between Albion and the Premiership club, following in the footsteps of Iwan Jenkins and Charlie Bell.
Exeter Chiefs Loan Duo
Gulley, 19, has been part of the Chiefs Academy since the age of 15 after beginning his rugby journey with Crediton RFC. Already capped by England U20s in this year’s Six Nations, he is also preparing to feature in the upcoming World Rugby U20 Championship.
Beckerleg, born in Truro, started with Penzance and Newlyn RFC before moving through Truro College and into the Chiefs system. Like his new teammate, he has international honours to his name, representing England U18s and U19s and featuring in Mark Mapletoft’s U20 Six Nations squad earlier this year.
Strengthening The Squad
Head Coach Ryan Lamb welcomed the signings, saying:
“We’re delighted to bring Louie and Oscar into the group. Both are outstanding young players who have shown real quality in their development with Exeter and on the international stage.
Having them here at Albion will not only strengthen our squad but also give them the opportunity to play competitive senior rugby and continue their growth. The dual registration pathway has been hugely valuable for us in recent years, and we’re excited to see how these two lads make their mark with us this season.”
Leicester Lions Vs Albion Saturday
That strength will be tested again this weekend when Albion host Leicester Lions in only their second home fixture of the campaign. After three straight wins, including a dominant display away at Bishop’s Stortford, Albion sit top of the National One table with maximum points and will be aiming to extend their perfect start in front of their Brickfields supporters.
Leicester, by contrast, arrive still searching for their first win after three defeats, conceding 142 points in the process, and will be desperate to turn their fortunes around.
Albion’s impressive form has been underpinned by set-piece power and a watertight defence, conceding just 20 points across their opening fixtures and only a single try at home.
Final Words From Lamb
Lamb said ahead of the fixture:
“We’re excited to be back at Brickfields in front of our own fans after three good performances, two of which were away. It’ll be a good opportunity to bring in a few new faces and a couple of loanees from Chiefs all getting an opportunity with us this weekend.
We’re looking forward to a big team on Saturday, and we’ll hopefully put a good performance together.”
Kick-off against Leicester Lions is at 3:00pm on Saturday, 27 September, with fans encouraged to head to Brickfields to cheer on the league leaders and catch a first glimpse of Gulley and Beckerleg in Albion colours.
