Young Gun

This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Young Gun news, interviews, reports, opinion and other content.

Young Gun – Tom Woolstencroft – Bath & England U20s hooker

13 June 2014 0 comments

England‘s problems at hooker in New Zealand are not just limited to the senior squad, the U20s have already called up reinforcements of their own […]

Young Gun: Steph Reynolds – Gloucester wing

6 June 2014 0 comments

There aren’t many silver linings from a lacklustre season at Gloucester but the emergence of pint-sized flyer Steph Reynolds is one. Reynolds, 20, one of […]

Young Gun: Alex Lozowski – Leeds full-back

30 May 2014 0 comments

Not many teenagers would choose exams over professional football, but as he prepares for life as a Premiership rugby player, Alex Lozowski’s tricky decision appears […]

Young Gun: Jack Dixon – Dragons and Wales U20s centre

23 May 2014 0 comments

If it wasn’t for an untimely foot injury, Jack Dixon, 19, could have been preparing for a trip to South Africa – as it is […]

Young Gun: Louis Grimoldby – Harlequins fly-half

16 May 2014 1 comment

English fly-halves with rugby league backgrounds are all the rage at present and in Louis Grimoldby, Harlequins look to have unearthed the next along the […]

Young Gun: Jack Cosgrove – Worcester and Scotland U20s prop

9 May 2014 0 comments

Jack Cosgrove is a prop with plenty of ambition and while Worcester might be on the verge of relegation from the Premiership, the loosehead insists […]

Young Gun: Lewis Boyce – Leeds and England U18s prop

2 May 2014 3 comments

Lewis Boyce wants to forge a career as a loosehead against the grizzled old warhorses in the Championship – so it’s a good thing he […]

Young Gun: Lucas Slowik – Bristol and England U18s centre

25 April 2014 1 comment

Bristol‘s Lucas Slowik is no stranger to setbacks but having already taken his place in the record books, the 18-year-old is becoming well versed in […]

Young Gun: Stanley South – Harlequins

18 April 2014 0 comments

The Harlequins Academy is fast becoming a conveyor belt of talent within the Premiership – and teenage lock Stanley South cannot wait to take his […]

Young Gun: Maro Itoje – Saracens lock

11 April 2014 1 comment

Until the U20s Six Nations, lock Maro Itoje, 19, didn’t list try-scoring among his strengths but after touchdowns in all five of England‘s matches that’s […]

Young Gun: Seb Adeniran-Olule – Harlequins hooker

4 April 2014 0 comments

Young English props moving to hooker are all the rage and in Seb Adeniran-Olule, Harlequins hope they have unearthed yet another. The 18-year-old has been […]

Young Gun: Aaron Morris – Bedford full-back

28 March 2014 0 comments

The England U20s are traditionally packed with Premiership elite academy talent, but Aaron Morris takes great pride in being a Championship man. The Bedford Blues […]

Young Gun: Joel Matavesi – Exeter fly-half

21 March 2014 0 comments

Joel Matavesi doesn’t just want to emulate his two older brothers – the dream is to one day play alongside them. The youngest of three […]

Young Gun: Harry Mallinder – Northampton centre

14 March 2014 0 comments

With his dad in the top job, Franklin’s Gardens seems a logical place for Harry Mallinder’s prodigious talent. But given the 17-year-old’s pre-teen loyalties and […]

Young Gun: Mike Haley – Sale full-back

7 March 2014 0 comments

Mike Haley has played in every position in the backline during his young career but now the Sale Sharks tyro has finally nailed his colours […]

Young Gun: James Gibbons – Gloucester prop

28 February 2014 0 comments

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. […]

Young Gun: Terrence Hepetema – Leicester back

21 February 2014 1 comment

Born in England but raised in New Zealand, Leicester centre Terrence Hepetema admits his first season back in his ‘home’ country has been a real […]

Young Gun: Ben Morris – Newcastle flanker

14 February 2014 1 comment

When Ben Morris first tried his hand at rugby he was thrown in at the deep end – and the Newcastle Falcons flanker admits he […]

Young Gun: Tom Hendrickson – Exeter centre

7 February 2014 2 comments

With a lineage tracing back to the Land of the Long White Cloud, it was perhaps inevitable that Tom Hendrickson would try his hand at […]

Young Gun: Jack Carty – Connacht fly-half

31 January 2014 0 comments

Fresh from the first Pro12 and Heineken Cup starts of his career, fly-half Jack Carty is already being tipped as one of next big things […]

Young Gun: Rhodri Williams – Scarlets scrum-half

24 January 2014 2 comments

The Scarlets have been awash with Williams but while he stands at just 5ft 9in, scrum-half Rhodri is determined to be seen in the crowd. […]

Young Gun: Paul Hill – England u20s & Leeds prop

17 January 2014 2 comments

Paul Hill is being forced to play something of a balancing act at the moment between club and country but the U20 England prop insists […]

Young Gun: Cory Hill – NG Dragons lock

10 January 2014 1 comment

As Wales‘ brightest talents spark an exodus from the Valleys it’s surprising to see one of their hottest prospects heading the other way – but […]

Young Gun: Sam Olver – Northampton fly-half

3 January 2014 0 comments

Labelled a ‘softie in the backs’ by his dad, a former England hooker, Northampton Saints fly-half Sam Olver is already plotting his revenge – eclipsing […]

Young Gun: Jack Walker – Leeds & England U20 hooker

27 December 2013 1 comment

For the last few years it’s been his older brother Chris making the headlines at Leeds Carnegie, but fresh from beating Australia with England U18s, […]

Young Gun: George de Cothi – Worcester scrum-half

20 December 2013 0 comments

When a team are struggling at the bottom of the table they may look to their youngsters to provide the inspiration – and Worcester Warriors […]

Young Gun: Harry Thacker – Leicester hooker

13 December 2013 0 comments

Making your father proud is something that every son seeks and Harry Thacker couldn’t have done much more to test his parent’s emotions with his […]

Young Gun: Teddy Thomas – Biarritz and France U20 winger

12 December 2013 0 comments

Wasps have Tom Varndell and Christian Wade but another of Europe’s traditional superpowers has discovered their own lightning quick double act in Takudza Ngwenya and […]

Young Gun: Richard Palframan – London Irish prop

6 December 2013 2 comments

On his arrival at London Irish, Brian Smith insisted the Exiles had a gem on their hands and after a year at the club Richard […]

Young Gun: Sam Davies – Ospreys fly-half

29 November 2013 0 comments

He’s the IRB Junior Player of the Year but Sam Davies is yet to make a league start for the Ospreys. So patience remains a […]

Young Gun: Tom Ellis – Bath lock

22 November 2013 1 comment

Tom Ellis has been hooked on rugby since the age of six but he took an unorthodox route to reaching his physical peak. The 19-year-old […]

Young Gun: Alex Lundberg – London Wasps prop

15 November 2013 0 comments

Alex Lundberg has completed a tricky conversion from back row forward to prop – his next challenge is an economic history degree. The 18-year-old London […]

Young Gun: Lewis Ludlow – Gloucester flanker

8 November 2013 0 comments

Lewis Ludlow is still a teenager but if he is to emulate his childhood idols the Gloucester flanker can expect to go all the way […]

Young Gun: Howard Packman – Northampton full-back

1 November 2013 1 comment

It’s not always about what you know, but who you know – and in Howard Packman’s case it was his dad’s rugby connections that landed […]

Young Gun: Charlie Ewels – Bath lock

25 October 2013 0 comments

Charlie Ewels has been nurtured by Bath and England since the age of 15 but there is only one man the second row is happy […]

Young Gun: Cameron Neild – Sale hooker

18 October 2013 0 comments

Cameron Neild is rising through the ranks at Sale Sharks and is part of this year’s England U20s setup, but he is already planning for […]

Young Gun – Jonny Hill – Gloucester lock

11 October 2013 1 comment

When his college application fell apart Jonny Hill was forced into an unexpected gap year – but it proved a vital step to an unlikely […]

Young Gun: Sam Stuart – Harlequins scrum-half

3 October 2013 0 comments

After three anterior cruciate ligament injuries in as many years Sam Stuart is finally ready to start repaying the faith Harlequins displayed in him despite […]

Young Gun: George Catchpole – Leicester back

26 September 2013 0 comments

North Walsham is a famed breeding ground for Leicester Tigers but it was two of their Lions that inspired centre George Catchpole to roar back […]

Young Gun: Tom Chapman – Worcester wing/scrum-half

20 September 2013 0 comments

Tom Chapman is only 19 but the speedster has already been on the books of Saracens, Bath and Blackheath. But after joining Worcester this summer, […]

Young Gun: Ed Hoadley – London Irish scrum-half

13 September 2013 1 comment

There are not many better places to learn your trade as a scrum-half than at London Irish and Ed Hoadley does not intend to let […]

Young Gun: Tom Howe – Wasps and England U18 wing

6 September 2013 1 comment

Wasps wingers are all the rage and their depth of talent doesn’t stop at Christian Wade and Tom Varndell – just ask France U18s who […]

Young Gun: Josh Peters – Northampton lock

29 August 2013 0 comments

It’s a country renowned for tiki-taka rather than rucks and mauls but after honing his skills with the oval ball in Spain, lock Josh Peters […]

Young Gun: Tom Fowlie – London Irish centre

21 August 2013 2 comments

England‘s new elite squad may have a glaring dearth of outside centres, but thanks to London Irish‘s Tom Fowlie, the future outlook may not be […]

Young Gun: Scott Steele – Leicester scrum-half

15 August 2013 0 comments

It’s never easy to make your breakthrough at Leicester Tigers – just ask Billy Twelvetrees – but in Ben Youngs, scrum-half Scott Steele believes he […]

Young Gun: Will Bigley – London Wasps prop

1 August 2013 0 comments

He may not be a Wasps regular just yet, but with the tutorage of a former All Black captain 21-year-old Will Bigley is well prepared […]

Young Gun: Zach Kibirige – Newcastle winger

26 July 2013 0 comments

The Newcastle production line appears to have hit the buffers in recent years but with the Falcons ready to unleash flyer Zach Kibirige on the […]

Young Gun: Tom Dunn – Bath hooker

20 July 2013 0 comments

Tom Dunn rose so rapidly through the Bath ranks last season he had a parody Twitter account set up in his name – and now […]

Young Gun: Josh Sharp – Saracens England U18s fly-half

13 July 2013 0 comments

Josh Sharp capped a season of European U18 glory with a first full-time contract at Saracens – but the young fly-half knows the hard work […]

Young Gun: Harry Wells – England U20s lock

6 July 2013 1 comment

He may just have a watching brief during today’s JWC final but England U20s and Leicester lock Harry Wells believes that patience will prove his best […]

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