Young Gun: James Gibbons – Gloucester prop

A teenage U-turn resulted in Gloucester prop James Gibbons abandoning a fledgling football career, but it was mum’s encouragement that eased the transition to rugby.
Gibbons, involved in Leicester City’s academy in his early teens, began to fall out of love with the round ball aged 13.
Now 20 and hoping to break into Nigel Davies’ plans at Kingsholm the switch appears to have gone smoothly, but the tighthead prop was not always sure his decision would bear fruit.
However, mum Judy’s unwavering support and a place a Hartpury College meant his leap of faith was rewarded – most recently with an Aviva Premiership debut in October.
“I’m from a football family,” said Gibbons. “I only started playing rugby at 14 or 15. I was in the Leicester academy, playing football, and I left that when I was 13.
“It was always football. I’m not really sure why I stopped but it came to the point where I had to choose. I sat down with mum and she said ‘do what you want’ and I was a bit bored of football. She’ll back me with whatever – she was always the one who took me to training and games.
“You can hear her from the sidelines. Even if you had the worst game of your life she’ll say I played well. I had to come to Gloucester three times a week from my home in the Midlands but I enjoyed it.
“In my second year at Hartpury I got pre-season with Gloucester academy.
“I was happy – from playing football you don’t know whether you’re going to get back into being a pro sportsman.”
Through Gloucester’s strong Hartpury links the prop was welcomed into the Premiership set-up.
The same link-up has allowed him to return to the League 2 South leaders on loan, alongside a host of Kingsholm prospects. They are enjoying life at a winning side and while Gloucester endure a tricky campaign, the next generation are preparing to move up.
Gibbons said: “There are a couple of other Gloucester boys here: Lewis Ludlow, Steph Reynolds, Billy Burns, Jonny Hill and Ross Moriarty. It’s a very professional environment but sometimes you can have a bit of a laugh.
“I will try and get a couple of first-team appearances and sneak a couple of bench appearances as well. Hopefully I will be ready in a couple of years to play more regularly.”
Kingsholm is proving a useful place to learn his trade, with veteran tighthead Nick Wood taking a special interest.
It was Wood’s ban that allowed Gibbons to make his Premiership bow against Bath last year, but the inexperienced prop has been offered much more on the training pitch.
And with the imminent arrival of world-class front-rowers Richard Hibbard and John Afoa, there will be plenty more wisdom to pick up. “It will be good to go up against the likes of John Afoa – it’ll be good to see where I stand compared to him,” said Gibbons.
“At the moment I have got quite a lot of props that I talk to. Nick Wood has been the one that has been finding me at the end of scrum sessions.
“I got my Premiership debut against Bath – it was only because of Nick Wood’s ban. But I suppose you need little things like that in your career.”