Alex Brown (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Alex Brown is an English
rugby union
footballer, who plays lock for Gloucester Rugby
.
He attended the famous Colston's Collegiate School
in Bristol
.
After a brief period with Bath
and Pontypool
, he joined his home city club Bristol Shoguns and was a key player when they won the first Under 21 Zurich Premiership. Under the tutelage of rugby director Dean Ryan
, he was voted the club’s player of the year in the 2000–01 season. Brown's father also played rugby for Bristol Shoguns.
Brown signed for Gloucester Rugby
in the summer of 2003 rejoining Dean Ryan
. The England Saxons
international topped the line-out
statistics charts during the 2003–04 season and was voted the players’ player of the year.
He played for England Saxons
in the first Churchill Cup
and was called into the England
senior squad for the 2005 Autumn Internationals
.
Brown was expected to make his international debut against Australia
in November, but he suffered a neck injury and was ruled out of the entire Autumn programme.
He made his senior international debut for England
during their 2006 summer tour, in a defeat to Australia
.
Brown then played in both tests on the 2007 summer tour, England
losing both games to South Africa. He picked up the Gillette Power Award for the 2006–07 season. He is widely regarded as one of the most consistent performers in the Premiership
and has signed a three-year contract extension with Gloucester until 2011.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer, who plays lock for Gloucester Rugby
Gloucester RFC
Gloucester Rugby are a professional English rugby union club situated in the west country city of Gloucester. The club plays in the domestic Aviva Premiership...
.
He attended the famous Colston's Collegiate School
Colston's Collegiate School
Colston's School is an independent school in Bristol, England and is a member of the The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
in Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
.
After a brief period with Bath
Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
and Pontypool
Pontypool RFC
Pontypool Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in the town of Pontypool. Pontypool RFC has a long history within Welsh rugby and is one of the most notable clubs, being present at the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881, but disbanding before the turn of the 19th century...
, he joined his home city club Bristol Shoguns and was a key player when they won the first Under 21 Zurich Premiership. Under the tutelage of rugby director Dean Ryan
Dean Ryan
Dean Ryan is a former corporal in the Corp of Royal Engineers and England Rugby Union Number 8, and was Head Coach at Guinness Premiership side Gloucester Rugby.-Playing career:During his on-field career Ryan played for Saracens, Wasps, Newcastle and Bristol...
, he was voted the club’s player of the year in the 2000–01 season. Brown's father also played rugby for Bristol Shoguns.
Brown signed for Gloucester Rugby
Gloucester RFC
Gloucester Rugby are a professional English rugby union club situated in the west country city of Gloucester. The club plays in the domestic Aviva Premiership...
in the summer of 2003 rejoining Dean Ryan
Dean Ryan
Dean Ryan is a former corporal in the Corp of Royal Engineers and England Rugby Union Number 8, and was Head Coach at Guinness Premiership side Gloucester Rugby.-Playing career:During his on-field career Ryan played for Saracens, Wasps, Newcastle and Bristol...
. The England Saxons
England Saxons
England Saxons is the current name of England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England A...
international topped the line-out
Line-out
A line-out is the means by which, in rugby union, the ball is put back into play after it has gone into touch. It is the equivalent of the throw-in in soccer. Rugby league abolished line-outs in 1897...
statistics charts during the 2003–04 season and was voted the players’ player of the year.
He played for England Saxons
England Saxons
England Saxons is the current name of England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England A...
in the first Churchill Cup
Churchill Cup
The Churchill Cup was an annual rugby union tournament, held in June, contested by representative men's teams from Canada, England, the United States, and other invited teams from a wide array of countries....
and was called into the England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
senior squad for the 2005 Autumn Internationals
End of year rugby tests
The End of year rugby tests, known as Autumn internationals in the Northern Hemisphere or Guinness Autumn Series in the Republic of Ireland, are a series of rugby union matches contested approximately each November...
.
Brown was expected to make his international debut against Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
in November, but he suffered a neck injury and was ruled out of the entire Autumn programme.
He made his senior international debut for England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
during their 2006 summer tour, in a defeat to Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
.
Brown then played in both tests on the 2007 summer tour, England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
losing both games to South Africa. He picked up the Gillette Power Award for the 2006–07 season. He is widely regarded as one of the most consistent performers in the Premiership
Guinness Premiership
The English Premiership, also currently known as the Aviva Premiership because of the league's sponsorship by Aviva, is a professional league competition for rugby union football clubs in the top division of the English rugby system. There are twelve clubs in the Premiership...
and has signed a three-year contract extension with Gloucester until 2011.