EnglandEngland
Debut 2015
Test caps
61
Points
55
Tries
11
England
Luke Cowan-Dickie
Hooker
Nationality
England
Senior international
England
Test caps
61
Current club
Sale Sharks
Competition
Premiership Rugby
Test caps
61
Age
33
Reported · 2026-11-06
Height
183 cm
Reported · 2026-10-27
Weight
111 kg
Reported · 2026-10-27
Two-Tour British & Irish Lion
Selected in 2021 and 2025 · started the first two Tests and scored in the 2021 series
Career · Sale Sharks Captain
A physical and emotional leader within Sale's senior group
Player data & sources
Caps use dated, reviewed snapshots. Measurements require a source; estimates also require a dated basis. Missing facts remain unrecorded while review continues.
- England Test record · snapshot 2026-10-28 · reviewed 2026-10-28
- Age: 33 · reported · as of 2026-11-06
- Height: 183 cm · reported · as of 2026-10-27
- Weight: 111 kg · reported · as of 2026-10-27
Recorded call-up history
- England · training · selected · 2026-10-25 to 2026-10-27 · October 2026 training camp
Player spotlight
They Call Him the Cockroach
Luke Cowan-Dickie earned the nickname 'the Cockroach' because neither opponents nor adversity could keep him down. An explosive carrier, breakdown threat and fearless leader, his career has been defined as much by the injuries he survived as the trophies he won.
Career rating
8.0/10
Career Record
The Numbers
Full name
Luke Anthony Cowan-Dickie
Born
Truro, Cornwall, England
Two Six Nations titles · Rugby World Cup silver medallist · active international
British & Irish Lions
Debut 2021
Appearances
3
Points
5
Tries
1
Sale Sharks debut
2023
England debut
2015
Lions debut
2021
Player spotlight
Leadership
Cowan-Dickie leads through toughness, honesty and physical sacrifice. His authority comes from doing the painful work first: carrying into traffic, attacking breakdowns and putting his body into moments others avoid. Teammates are pulled with him because his standards are visible and because his own recovery proved that resilience can be practised rather than merely discussed.
Career Success
Honours
Premiership Rugby
2titles
2017 · 2020
Champion with Exeter Chiefs
European Champions Cup
1title
2020
Champion with Exeter Chiefs
Six Nations
2titles
2016 · 2020
Grand Slam winner in 2016
Rugby World Cup
Silver medal 2019
British & Irish Lions
1title
2025
Member of the series-winning touring squad in Australia
Test Career
International
National team
England
Caps
61
Verified senior national Test snapshot
Points
55
Total international points
Tries
11
Five points each
Test record dates and sources below
Career Journey
Club History
Plymouth Albion
2011–2012
Appearances
21
Points
25
Exeter Chiefs
2011–2023
Appearances
164
Points
200
Sale Sharks
2023–Present
Appearances
36
Points
70
Career Story
Career Highlights
2016 — Helped England complete a Six Nations Grand Slam during his breakthrough at Test level.
2017 — Started Exeter's Premiership final victory over Wasps.
2019 — Scored three tries during England's run to the Rugby World Cup final.
2020 — Scored in the European final as Exeter completed a Premiership and Champions Cup double.
2021 — Started the opening two Lions Tests in South Africa and scored the tourists' try in the first-Test victory.
2025 — Completed his comeback from career-threatening injury by earning a second Lions selection.
Defining Performances
Standout Matches
17 October 2020European Champions Cup Final
Exeter Chiefs vs Racing 92
Exeter Chiefs 31–27 Racing 92 · Ashton Gate
Scored the opening try as Exeter won their first European title and completed the foundation of a historic double.
24 July 2021First Test · 2021 Lions Tour
South Africa vs British & Irish Lions
British & Irish Lions 22–17 South Africa
Started at hooker and scored the Lions' only try as the tourists took a 1–0 series lead.
Great Campaigns
Standout Tournaments
2019
Rugby World Cup
England · Runner-up
Scored against Tonga, the United States and Argentina before appearing in the final.
2019–20
Exeter double-winning season
Exeter Chiefs · Premiership and European champions
Started both finals and scored the opening try of Exeter's European triumph.
Career Assessment
Legacy
His 8.0 rating recognises a career containing almost every major club and international honour available outside a World Cup victory. Lineout inconsistency, injuries and periods outside England's preferred group prevent a higher score, but his trophies, Lions Test impact and refusal to remain broken make him one of the defining English hookers of his era.
Career rating
8.0/10
Assessed 2 September 2026
Player Profile
Player Summary
Luke Cowan-Dickie is a Cornish England hooker and two-tour British & Irish Lion who became a cornerstone of Exeter Chiefs' rise from challengers to domestic and European champions. His low carrying power, jackal threat and try-scoring instinct helped redefine the attacking possibilities of his position. A serious neck operation left him without normal strength in one arm and kept him out for 16 months, while a move to France collapsed and further health setbacks followed. He rebuilt himself at Sale, returned to England and earned selection for the 2025 Lions tour.