Nathan Brew
Encyclopedia
Nathan Brew is a Welsh
international rugby union
player. Brew is capable of playing both in the centre and on the wing.
when he was six, around the time his brother Aled
was born. Brew was brought up as a Welsh-speaker.
club in a Celtic League
match at home to Edinburgh on 1 September 2001. He had to wait nearly six months, however, to score his first try
for the club, eventually crossing in a WRU Challenge Cup
match against Bonymaen RFC
. Brew was then not selected and did not play again for Newport for almost a year. He made his comeback appearance on 8 February 2003 against Bedwas RFC
, again in the WRU Challenge Cup, and followed this up by scoring a try in a Welsh Premier Division
match against Cardiff RFC
on 25 April.
regional side. He was selected for the Dragons' first match in the revamped Celtic League, an away match against the Llanelli Scarlets
. Brew made 25 appearances in all competitions in the 2003–04 season, scoring three tries along the way. However, these three tries did not come until the last three games of the season, which perhaps was a reflection on the brand of rugby the squad played. The 2004–05 season was slightly hit and miss, with Brew only making 17 appearances and scoring just two tries before an injury to his groin (which seemed to be pretty common amongst the Welsh squad during this period with such players as Shane Williams & Barry Davies having similar operations) in March which ruled him out for the rest of the season. Brew returned to the Dragons side just before Christmas 2005, and was in scintallating form; he scored four tries in the twelve appearances he made that season and earned himself a late call up to the Welsh squad for the Argentina tour .
After being deployed mainly as a winger for the majority of his Dragons career, Brew moved into the centre for most of the 2006–07 season where he demonstrated perhaps that this was his best position. It was his ability to create space from the centre that helped Brew scored all of his five tries that season, as well as landing one drop goal
in an EDF Energy Cup
match against the Northampton Saints
. An ankle injury kept Brew out of the Dragons team for four months from December 2006 to March 2007.
, before his contract was terminated by mutual agreement on 5 December 2008. Which was partially due to lack of game time opportunities created as a result of the tremendous form of Regan King.
. He had a spell with Bristol earlier in his career, before he signed for Newport in 2001.
, making a try-scoring debut in an Autumn Test against Romania
at the Racecourse Ground
in Wrexham
. He has been a part of two Welsh tours the first being in 2004 to South Africa and the second when he was selected for the tour to Argentina
whereby he was selection on the bench for the second Test.
Brew has also turned out several times for the Welsh national team at a number of different levels. He began his international career when he played for the Welsh Senior Schools side, before moving on to the Under-19 and Under-21 sides. Since then, Brew has been involved with the Welsh Sevens team
.
, currently plays as a winger for the Newport Gwent Dragons
, and has also appeared for the Welsh national team
. Aled was on loan at the Newport Gwent Dragons during the 2006–07 season and lined up alongside his brother on a number of occasions.
Brew also owns a stonegrill restaurant in Swansea
called Papa Sanchos.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international 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...
player. Brew is capable of playing both in the centre and on the wing.
Early life
Brew was born in Cardiff, but moved back to his mother's home town of BrynammanBrynamman
Brynamman is a village sitting on the south facing side of the Black Mountain, part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. The village is split in two into Upper Brynamman and Lower Brynamman by the River Amman which also acts as the boundary between the counties of Carmarthenshire and Neath Port...
when he was six, around the time his brother Aled
Aled Brew
Aled Brew is a Wales international rugby union player who plays as a winger for Newport Gwent Dragons in the Celtic League. He made his debut with the Wales national rugby union team against Ireland in the 2007 Six Nations Championship.-Biography:...
was born. Brew was brought up as a Welsh-speaker.
Newport RFC
Brew began his professional rugby career at Newport RFC, signing for the Black and Ambers when he was still only 19. He made his debut for the Rodney ParadeRodney Parade
Rodney Parade is a stadium in the city of Newport, south Wales. Located on the east bank of the River Usk in Newport city centre it is primarily used for rugby matches and is the home ground of Newport RFC and the Newport Gwent Dragons regional team.-History:...
club in a Celtic League
Celtic League (rugby union)
The Celtic League is an annual rugby union competition involving professional sides from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
match at home to Edinburgh on 1 September 2001. He had to wait nearly six months, however, to score his first try
Try
A try is the major way of scoring points in rugby league and rugby union football. A try is scored by grounding the ball in the opposition's in-goal area...
for the club, eventually crossing in a WRU Challenge Cup
WRU Challenge Cup
The WRU Challenge Cup , or its full name of the Welsh Rugby Union Challenge Cup, is Wales' premier knockout rugby union competition and is organised by the Welsh Rugby Union....
match against Bonymaen RFC
Bonymaen RFC
Bonymaen Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in the village of Bon-y-maen, Swansea, South Wales. Bonymaen RFC currently play in the WRU Division One West league and are a feeder club for the Ospreys....
. Brew was then not selected and did not play again for Newport for almost a year. He made his comeback appearance on 8 February 2003 against Bedwas RFC
Bedwas RFC
Bedwas RFC is a rugby union club located in the Welsh village of Bedwas. The club is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.-Club history:...
, again in the WRU Challenge Cup, and followed this up by scoring a try in a Welsh Premier Division
Welsh Premier Division
The Welsh Premier Division is a rugby union league in Wales first implemented by the Welsh Rugby Union for the 1990–91 season.-Competition history:...
match against Cardiff RFC
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club is a rugby union football club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, but soon relocated to Cardiff Arms Park where they have been based ever since...
on 25 April.
Newport Gwent Dragons
Before the start of the 2003–04 season, regional rugby was introduced to Wales, and Brew made the move to the Newport Gwent DragonsNewport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
regional side. He was selected for the Dragons' first match in the revamped Celtic League, an away match against the Llanelli Scarlets
Llanelli Scarlets
The Scarlets are one of the four professional Welsh regional rugby union teams. Based in Llanelli, south-west Wales the team play at the Parc y Scarlets stadium. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, as well as competing in the LV= Cup and the Heineken Cup...
. Brew made 25 appearances in all competitions in the 2003–04 season, scoring three tries along the way. However, these three tries did not come until the last three games of the season, which perhaps was a reflection on the brand of rugby the squad played. The 2004–05 season was slightly hit and miss, with Brew only making 17 appearances and scoring just two tries before an injury to his groin (which seemed to be pretty common amongst the Welsh squad during this period with such players as Shane Williams & Barry Davies having similar operations) in March which ruled him out for the rest of the season. Brew returned to the Dragons side just before Christmas 2005, and was in scintallating form; he scored four tries in the twelve appearances he made that season and earned himself a late call up to the Welsh squad for the Argentina tour .
After being deployed mainly as a winger for the majority of his Dragons career, Brew moved into the centre for most of the 2006–07 season where he demonstrated perhaps that this was his best position. It was his ability to create space from the centre that helped Brew scored all of his five tries that season, as well as landing one drop goal
Field goal (rugby)
A drop goal, also referred to as a dropped goal or field goal, is a method of scoring points in rugby union and rugby league. A drop goal cannot be scored in open play by punting the ball, and instead must be scored by drop kicking the ball over the crossbar and between the uprights. After the...
in an EDF Energy Cup
EDF Energy Cup
The Anglo-Welsh Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the LV Cup , is an English and Welsh rugby union knock-out cup competition featuring the twelve Aviva Premiership clubs and four Welsh Regions...
match against the Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
. An ankle injury kept Brew out of the Dragons team for four months from December 2006 to March 2007.
Scarlets
In February 2007, it was announced that Brew had signed a two-year contract with the Llanelli Scarlets for the 2007–08 season. The transfer came as a surprise to many Welsh rugby and Dragons fans, due to Brew being a real crowd pleaser at Rodney Parade. Brew made 12 starts for the Scarlets in his time at Stradey ParkStradey Park
Stradey Park was a rugby union stadium located near the centre of the town of Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was the home of the Scarlets region and Llanelli RFC rugby teams. The stadium was a combination of seating and standing with a total capacity of 10,800...
, before his contract was terminated by mutual agreement on 5 December 2008. Which was partially due to lack of game time opportunities created as a result of the tremendous form of Regan King.
Bristol
On 18 December 2008, Brew signed for English Premiership side BristolBristol Rugby
Bristol Rugby is a rugby union club based in Bristol, England. The club currently plays in the RFU Championship and competes in the British and Irish Cup. They rely in large part on the many junior rugby clubs in the region, particularly those from 'the Combination'...
. He had a spell with Bristol earlier in his career, before he signed for Newport in 2001.
Newport Gwent Dragons
In August 2010, Brew rejoined the Newport Gwent Dragons on a one year contract. He was released by Newport Gwent Dragons at the end of the 2010-11 season.International career
Brew has only ever made one appearance and benched twice for the Welsh national teamWales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, making a try-scoring debut in an Autumn Test against Romania
Romania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
at the Racecourse Ground
Racecourse Ground
The Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
in Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
. He has been a part of two Welsh tours the first being in 2004 to South Africa and the second when he was selected for the tour to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
whereby he was selection on the bench for the second Test.
Brew has also turned out several times for the Welsh national team at a number of different levels. He began his international career when he played for the Welsh Senior Schools side, before moving on to the Under-19 and Under-21 sides. Since then, Brew has been involved with the Welsh Sevens team
Wales national rugby union team (sevens)
The Wales national rugby union sevens team is the international rugby sevens side for Welsh rugby union players. They currently compete in the IRB Sevens World Series, the Rugby World Cup Sevens and in the Commonwealth Games....
.
Personal life
Brew's brother, AledAled Brew
Aled Brew is a Wales international rugby union player who plays as a winger for Newport Gwent Dragons in the Celtic League. He made his debut with the Wales national rugby union team against Ireland in the 2007 Six Nations Championship.-Biography:...
, currently plays as a winger for the Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons
Newport Gwent Dragons are one of the four professional Rugby Union regional teams in Wales. They are jointly owned by Newport RFC and the Welsh Rugby Union and play all their home games at Rodney Parade, Newport. They play in the RaboDirect Pro12, the Anglo-Welsh Cup and the Heineken Cup...
, and has also appeared for the Welsh national team
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
. Aled was on loan at the Newport Gwent Dragons during the 2006–07 season and lined up alongside his brother on a number of occasions.
Brew also owns a stonegrill restaurant in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
called Papa Sanchos.