Oliver Gildart

Early life

Gildart was born in Hindley, Greater Manchester to parents Claire and Ian, a former rugby league player for Wigan, Wakefield, and Oldham. He is of Italian descent through his mother, and is eligible to represent the Italian national team.

Club career

A product of Wigan's junior system, Gildart made his Super League début on loan for Salford Red Devils in 2015, making a total of three appearances before returning to his parent club. He made his début for Wigan in the Super 8s match against Warrington Wolves on 21 August 2015, scoring a try. He then kept his place in the Wigan team for the remainder of the 2015 season, including an appearance in the 2015 Super League Grand Final in only his tenth career match. Gildart continued to show promise throughout the course of the 2016 season. One of the signature tries of the year was scored by him in an away match in Perpignan as he straightened up the line and seared his way to the try-line after a flowing length-of-the-field attack by Wigan. He became a fixture in the centres for Wigan. Gildart scored a try in the 2016 Super League Grand Final against Warrington Wolves which brought Wigan level at 6-6 before they'd go on to win 12-6.

2017

He was also part of the Wigan team who defeated NRL champions, the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 22-6 to win the World Club Challenge, which ensured Oliver would join father Ian (who was an interchange in the 1987 and 1991 wins) as a World Club Challenge medal winner. Oliver also scored a try in that game. After starting the season is great form he broke three vertebrae in his back following a Brett Ferres 'crusher' tackle. Ferres received a 6 match ban which some fans thought was lenient after Gildart was ruled out for three months.