Young Gun: Cameron Redpath – England U18s centre

Given his name, Cameron Redpath was always going to have a head start in rugby but he is determined to prove he is worthy of playing at the highest level in his own right.
The 17-year-old, son of former Scotland captain Bryan, has caught the eye in recent weeks with standout performances for England U18s despite being a year young.
Between a famous father and the fact he opted to represent England rather than Scotland, Redpath Jnr is fully aware his every move would be analysed but it only fuels his desire to succeed even more.
“I often hear I’m being picked because of who my dad is,” he told The Rugby Paper. “But as great as his career was I don’t want it to define me and I want to prove I’m actually a good rugby player.
“He is proud of me playing for England. At the moment it’s all about developing as much and as quickly as I can and England gives me a great opportunity in that sense.
“I live in England, go to school in England and play my academy in England with Sale. Everything I do is in England so it made sense to decide to play for England.
“He came watch me play against Scotland and people were having little digs at him with me playing for England. Not everyone sees it from our point of view so it can be hard to hear but we just get on with it and I make sure I do my best to keep improving.
“I developed quite early and I’m now 6ft 2in and 13st 7lb. So being the bigger and faster player always helped me but my dad quickly reminded me it wasn’t always going to be the case, so I’ve tried to stay ahead of the game whether it’s my kicking game or my conditioning in the gym.
“You always hear about players who were bigger than everyone else at school but their career died slowly once they reached the senior level. I don’t want to be like that.
“I like playing inside centre and being another playmaker on the pitch. It was tough to play U18s because I was less physical than the other centres.
“If anything it opened my eyes to the level I need to be at. I’m sure the experience I got from those six games will help next season.”
Another busy period beckons for Redpath with two tours on the cards, in New Zealand with Sedbergh in July and in South Africa with England U18s in August, but Redpath is quick to again look at the bigger picture.
He added: “With the school tour being late in July, if I’m picked for South Africa, which I hope to be, I’d have to go there straight from New Zealand.
“But I’m not sure what’s going to happen because it’d mean playing rugby every day for six weeks and that might be too much.
“I’m going to sit down with my dad and a few other people and see what’s best for me. I’ve been lucky with injury this season and that’s why I’ve done well but I had shoulder and foot injuries last season.
“Next year will be massive for me as I’ll be chasing a contract with Sale so I have to manage my body. I don’t want to break it too early. My dad wasn’t very sensible with his body during his career and he doesn’t want me to do the same.”