Mike Brown (rugby union)

Mike Brown (born 4 September 1985) is an English professional rugby union player who plays fullback for Harlequins and the England rugby team. Brown joined the Harlequins senior team in 2005, having had previous youth career spells at Salisbury and Melksham, and began playing for the England first team two years later.

Mike Brown
Birth nameMichael Noel Brown
Date of birth (1985-09-04) 4 September 1985
Place of birthSouthampton, England
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight90 kg (14 st 2 lb; 198 lb)[1]
SchoolPeter Symonds College
Wyvern College
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback
Youth career
Salisbury
Melksham RFC
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2005– Harlequins 309 (445)
Correct as of 12 January 2019
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2007– England 72 (65)
Correct as of 23 June 2018

During his career, he has won three Six Nations Championship titles with England and one English Premiership title with Harlequins.

Early life

Born in Southampton, he was educated at Wyvern College, until aged 15 when he moved to Peter Symonds College. Having mainly played football and little rugby, he initially wanted to play fly half. Under the coaching of Mike Marchant, he changed position to fullback. This brought him to the attention of Salisbury RFC, where he moved to age 18, before a short stint at Melksham RFC.[2]

Club career

He made his First XV debut for Quins during the 2005/06 season, scoring a try on debut in the pre-season friendly against London Irish on 12 August 2005. He was part of the England Under 21 team that won the 2006 Six Nations Grand Slam and also competed in the Under 21 World Championships later that year. Brown was discovered by Welsh rugby scout Craig Presdee-Salathiel, who contacted his friend Harlequins chairman David Morgan regarding Brown.

In the 2006–07 season, although still in a part of Harlequins' Academy side, he established himself as first choice full back. A standout season by Brown resulted in him collecting 9 tries, earning him a place on the Sky Sports Dream Team.

Mike had a successful 2010–11 season with Quins, culminating in winning the Amlin Challenge cup, beating Munster at Thomand Park on the way to the final against Stade Francais. This form continued into the 2011/12 Aviva Premiership season, resulting in a call up to the EPS squad. He started for Harlequins in their 2011–12 Premiership final victory over Leicester Tigers.[3]

At the start of the 2019/2020 season, while still an active player, one of the bars at Harlequins’ home ground (The Stoop) was renamed in Brown’s honour.

International career

In the 2006–07 season, although still in a part of Harlequins' Academy side, he was capped by the England Saxons in the first two matches of the year.

Brown playing for England, 2018

Brown got selected for the 2007 England rugby union tour of South Africa. Unaffected by a severe incidence of food poisoning within the England camp, Brown picked up his first full England cap in the record 58–10 defeat to South Africa. Brown was called into the England Saxons side that defeated Ireland A on 1 February 2008.[4][5][6] On 1 June 2008, he started for England against the Barbarians at Twickenham in an uncapped match. On 14 June 2008, he started for England in their 37–20 defeat to New Zealand.[7]

Brown vied with Ben Foden for the England full-back spot in 2012, coming off the bench in the victory over Scotland at Murrayfield. He spent the 2013 Six Nations playing on the left wing with Alex Goode taking the number 15 jersey. He was finally picked at fullback by Stuart Lancaster and was subsequently named England's Man of the Series following his form during the 2013 Autumn Internationals. Brown scored his first try for England in the 2014 Six Nations Championship match against France on 1 February 2014 and his second came a week later in a comprehensive 20–0 victory against Scotland.[8][9] He then scored two tries and was named Man of the Match for the third time in the tournament in the 52–11 away win over Italy in Rome. In recognition of Brown's form throughout the 2014 Six Nations Championship, he was selected by the general public for the 2014 RBS Six Nations player of the championship award.[10]

Brown was an integral part of the England team that won the RBS Six Nations Championship in 2016 and played every match in the 3–0 whitewash of Australia.

Brown was named Man of the Match for his outstanding performance during the England vs Wales' Six Nations game on 10 February 2018.

International tries
As of 7 July 2019 [11]
TryOpposing teamLocationVenueCompetitionDateResultScore
1 FranceParis, FranceStade de France2014 Six Nations1 February 2014Loss26 – 24 [12]
2 ScotlandEdinburgh, ScotlandMurrayfield2014 Six Nations8 February 2014Win20 – 0[13]
3  Italy Rome, Italy Stadio Olimpico 2014 Six Nations 15 March 2014 Win 52 – 11[14]
4
5 New ZealandDunedin, New ZealandForsyth Barr Stadium2014 Tour of New Zealand15 June 2014Loss27 – 28[15]
6 SamoaLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2014 Autumn Internationals22 November 2014Win28 – 9[16]
7  Fiji London, England Twickenham Stadium 2015 Rugby World Cup 18 September 2015 Win 35 – 11[17]
8
9 IrelandLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2016 Six Nations27 February 2016Win21 – 10
10 AustraliaSydney, AustraliaSydney Football Stadium2016 Tour of Australia25 June 2016Win44 – 40
11 SamoaLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2017 Autumn Internationals22 November 2017Win48 – 14[18]
12 South AfricaJohannesburg, South AfricaEllis Park Stadium2018 Tour of South Africa9 July 2018Loss42 – 39[19]
13 South AfricaBloemfontein, South AfricaToyota Stadium2018 Tour of South Africa16 July 2018Loss23 – 12[20]

Personal life

Brown married long term partner, fashion designer Eliza Scarlett Woodcock, the daughter of former England international footballer Tony Woodcock, in summer 2016. [21]

gollark: I concur.
gollark: What?
gollark: I think - though may also be wrong - that M.2 can contain both SATA and NVMe devices.
gollark: Why would you want such a thing?
gollark: Quote from Australian prime minister:```The laws of mathematics are very commendable, but the only law that applies in Australia is the law of Australia.```

References
  1. "Harlequins 1st XV". Harlequins. Archived from the original on 19 October 2011. Retrieved 13 June 2011.
  2. http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/sport/13744669.England_s_Mike_Brown_s_gratitude_to_Hampshire_college_ahead_of_Rugby_World_Cup/
  3. "Harlequins 30–23 Leicester". BBC Sport. 26 May 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  4. "England Saxons squad for Ireland A match". Rugby Football Union. 23 January 2008. Archived from the original on 2 April 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
  5. "Varndell shines in Saxons victory". BBC. 2 February 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
  6. "Mike Brown and England Saxons". Quins. 4 February 2008. Retrieved 5 February 2008.
  7. "Rugby Union – ESPN Scrum – New Zealand v England at Auckland, Jun 14, 2008". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  8. "Last gasp try breaks English hearts". ESPN. 1 February 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  9. "England ease past pointless Scotland". ESPN. 8 February 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  10. "England's Mike Brown named as Six Nations Player of the Championship". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  11. "Mike Brown". 7 July 2019.
  12. Tom Fordyce. "Six Nations 2014: France 26–24 England". BBC. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  13. Tom Fordyce. "England 20 – 0 Scotland". BBC. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  14. Tom Fordyce. "Six Nations 2014: England hammer Italy and wait on Ireland". BBC. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  15. Ben Dirs. "New Zealand beat England 28–27 in second Test to seal series win". BBC. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  16. "England 28–9 Samoa: Home side earn first autumn win". BBC Sport. 22 November 2014.
  17. "England 35–11 Fiji: Rugby World Cup 2015: England 35–11 Fiji". BBC Sport. 18 September 2015.
  18. "Autumn international: England 48–14 Samoa". BBC Sport. 25 November 2017.
  19. "South Africa beat England 42-39 in first Test in Johannesburg". BBC Sport. 9 July 2018.
  20. "South Africa 23-12 England: Tourists lose second Test for fifth defeat in row". BBC Sport. 16 July 2018.
  21. https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/meet-england-world-cup-wags-6453341
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