England A star wins Gallagher Player of the Month after stellar rise
Leicester Tigers fly-half Billy Searle has been awarded the Gallagher Player of the Month for January.
Leicester Tigers fly-half Billy Searle has been named the Gallagher Player of the Month for January.
The 29-year-old achieved 54% of the votes, beating teammate Cameron Henderson and Northampton Saints duo Alex Coles and Callum Chick to the prize.
Searle played a pivotal role in back-to-back Leicester victories over Saracens and Harlequins, earning the Player of the Match award against Saracens in a top four thriller at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
Across the two rounds, he added 20 points from the tee to take his season tally to 75. With a flawless 100% kicking record in January, the fly-half extended his lead as the league’s most accurate kicker, boasting a 91% success rate for the campaign.
The rise, fall and rise again
His standout club form has also been recognised on the international stage, with Searle handed the No.10 jersey for England A in their clash with Ireland XV at Thomond Park last weekend.
These achievements come about after a turbulent period in his rugby career. In 2022, after establishing himself as the first-choice number 10, he found himself out of work when Worcester Warriors went into administration, leaving him to make do with short stints with Bath and Toulouse.
Needing to rebuild his rugby career after almost a decade of rising through the English leagues, Searle settled in France with first Biarritz and then Agen.
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It was only in 2025 that he returned to England, replacing double World Cup winner Handre Pollard in the Leicester Tigers ranks. Head coach Geoff Parling’s trust was gratified with the arrival of the Exeter-born star, who has since had a stellar start to his time in the green, both domestically and in Europe.
Nick Harris, CEO of Gallagher’s insurance broking business, said: “It has been fantastic to watch Billy find excellent form following his return to the Gallagher PREM this season, maintaining a flawless kicking record in January.
“Securing over half of the vote underlines how deserved this award is. We wish him the best of luck for the remainder of the season and beyond.”
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