Ale Loman Interview: ‘Playing in England is something I never imagined - It is a dream come true’
Ale Loman is the first Swedish international to play in the Championship
©Christer Thorell / Rugby Europe
The fury, disgruntlement and fallout following reports that RFU chief Bill Sweeney was paid £1.1 million this year despite the governing body being under considerable financial strain has, not for the first time, left people feeling disconnected from the game.
But while those at the top come under increased scrutiny, those at the coalface of the sport continue to crack on and enjoy their rugby with a smile on their face.
Sweden and Nottingham prop Ale Loman is an example of this, describing playing in the Championship this season as a dream come true.
Speaking to TRU’s Francisco Issac, the 24-year-old shared his journey to date.
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“On the whole? Yes. It would be crazy to say anything else,” Loman begins.
“I am very satisfied with where my rugby has taken me, internationally and as a club player. Particularly playing for Nottingham is something I wouldn’t have imagined I’d ever do, so the fact that I can do it weekly is a dream come true.”
Earlier this month, he made his first start for Nottingham against Northampton Saints in the Premiership Rugby Cup in what was an unforgettable afternoon.
“It was an awesome experience,” he continues. “We went to play in the historical [cinch Stadium at] Franklin's Gardens.
“We started well and got ahead, but in the last 15 minutes, everything just started to click for the Saints. It shows that if you want to beat those teams you need to shut them out for the whole game. We were unlucky to not come away with it in the end [losing 31-29]. Tough opposition, but it was a great game, and I think it shows the value of the Premiership Rugby Cup.”
Loman has played a total of six games for Nottingham, playing mostly as a finisher. For the prop, the Championship has been a great way to get into a higher level of competitive rugby.
“This is the highest level I have ever played, and I am very happy to be here,” he adds. “I can’t speak about other leagues, but the Championship is a place where scrummaging is valued highly, which I like. It is a very competitive and intense league. You need to be switched on every week to get points.”
Ahead of the return of the Championship this weekend, Nottingham sit fifth in the standings and welcome Bedford Blues to Lady Bay on Friday evening.
Like most of his teammates, Loman came to England to finish his studies but he also sought a professional rugby experience, or something of the kind, with Nottingham providing that opportunity.
“I came to Nottingham originally to study, having travelled here in the exchange student program,” he explains.
“I am currently close to finishing my engineering degree, having concluded already one semester at the University of Nottingham and having played for their team as well [in BUCS Super Rugby last season].
A few months later, I was able to get in contact with Nottingham Rugby’s head coach Craig Hammond who gave me a chance to join the club.
“Thankfully, things worked well and led to the possibility of me staying with Nottingham further than I had planned. I took the exchange student program as an opportunity to learn more about England and make some valuable contacts with different people. It worked out better than I could’ve hoped!”
But what about his origins? How and when did Loman’s rugby journey start?
“I started my rugby quite late as I was already 17 years old when I first gave rugby a go,” Loman adds.
“I had a mate who was playing rugby at the time in a local Swedish rugby club saying to me; ‘Why don’t you give rugby a go? We practice at these hours, so why don’t you come by?’
“I went there and I immediately took to the sport. I had already built quite a good physique so I was able to use it to my advantage in the beginning. I didn’t start playing rugby with any goal other than to have fun. I enjoyed the sport for what it was and I had no plans of taking it further.
“After some time, I realised I had a bit of talent and started to take it more seriously, especially how I trained. After some years of playing for the Lugi Lions [a club in Sweden], I went to train with the Swedish national team, and at some point, I was called to play for my country and it was thanks to that national program that I sought a new challenge which led to me moving to England.”
In just a few years, Loman went from playing club rugby to becoming an international standout for Sweden, but not before making a massive positional change.
“When I first started, I played as a loose forward, mostly as blind or openside. Eventually, I moved to number eight but when I got called to the national team camp, the head coach told me ‘Look Ale, we have a bunch of really good loose forwards, but we need some help up in the front row. Do you want to try to move up front?’
“I think the coach thought I had the potential to become a valuable asset for the team as a prop. I treated it as an opportunity and started to train hard to become a loosehead. After two years playing on the left side of the scrum for Sweden, I expected to play in that position for Nottingham, but the head coach had another idea and picked me as tighthead.”
But how did Loman become a trustworthy prop? When did the change first start?
“That change began in 2021. The fundamentals of scrummaging come down to your physique and technique. After some practice, I started to feel more comfortable in what is a very unnatural position for your body to be. Then it is just a matter of refining the dark arts as they like to call them. It is important to figure out what works best for you, and that comes from experience, video analysis and individual training. It is an ever-going journey.”
Now a firm member of the front-row squad, Loman shares the opinion that the position is still not treated as it should be.
“First of all, I think front-rowers are undervalued. In World Rugby’s recent awards, there wasn’t even a prop nominated for the best player of the year. It is such an important position as we have a massive impact on the game, particularly in the scrum.
“The scrum can change the outcome of any game, and some teams base their strategy on it. For me, the transition from back row to loosehead wasn’t a big deal as I just wanted to play for my country. It was a challenge to learn the right scrummaging techniques, but after I did get the hang of the art of the scrum, I find myself in a good place right now.”
Of course, putting his best foot forward for Nottingham will be Loman’s current focus with the Midlands club set for a busy Christmas period but internationally for Sweden, the young prop is hoping to build on his 16 caps in 2025.
“When I had my first cap, I was still recovering from an ankle injury,” Loman reflects.
“I wasn’t fully recovered, but the coach asked me if I was good enough to play. Naively I said yes! The game was against Luxembourg [who Sweden play in March] in 2021 and I came on from the bench at some point in the second half.
“Unfortunately, quite soon after getting on, I had to be subbed off because I injured my ankle again. It wasn’t how I envisioned my first game for my country, but I was still so proud of having had the chance to play for Sweden. At least the next 15 caps have been far more productive than that first game and I am hoping for more of the same!”
Loman has already scored three tries for his country, with one of those five-pointers going viral on social media as the prop ran unopposed for more than 50 metres. So, is he a more attacking or defending kind of player?
“I’m more attack-oriented. What I really enjoy about rugby is playing beautiful attacking rugby, scoring tries, making offloads, etc. That doesn’t mean I don’t like to tackle, because I do enjoy it but if I had to pick one, attack would be my first choice.”
Sweden have excelled in the 2024/2025 Rugby Europe Trophy and are currently sitting top of the table with three wins following victories against the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Croatia. Is there any secret behind this growth?
“I think it comes down to the fact that we have some good athletes who apply themselves even if they are fully amateur. We have some great coaches, particularly our head coach Alexander Laybourne, who has believed in us since the start. We are doing our best all year to put out the best performances and I hope we can inspire people in Sweden to join us.
“Right now, Sweden is playing in the Rugby Europe Trophy, but I hope that we can come out on top in the next couple of years and get promoted to the Championship. I want us to test ourselves against Portugal, Spain, Georgia, Romania, and the top teams.
“It would be a great challenge and experience for us, and I do hope we get to play at that level in the future. It can inspire people in Sweden to get involved with rugby, be it as a player, coach, administrator, volunteer, etc.”
