Former Rover Louis Brown loving life at Yorkshire Carnegie

Brown made a try-scoring debut in the win at Nottingham in the second game of the season before finishing off a sensational move in the draw at Hartpury and has featured in six of the eight games so far this season. However, it could have been so different for Brown.

He grew up playing the 13-man code and thought he would be able forge a career at Post Office Road with Featherstone Rovers before an off-season spell at Pontefract RUFC gave him his shot at Yorkshire Carnegie.

Brown revealed: “I originally started out playing rugby league all through my youth and managed to break into the first team with Featherstone Rovers.

“I played a few first-team games for them, including pre-season matches against Castleford Tigers and Leeds Rhinos.

“In the off-season, I got a shot with Carnegie after Hugh Gumbs, my coach at Pontefract, recommended me to the Carnegie Academy coaches and got me a trial.

“I got my chance in the junior academy and then earned a senior academy contract. I had played a bit of union in the league off-season before that and was in the Doncaster Knights Academy for a couple of years before playing in the first team at Pontefract.”

Brown says he is enjoying his rugby at present ahead of Yorkshire Carnegie’s return to Greene King IPA Championship action on Sunday against Bedford Blues at Headingley. He said: “It has been really good so far. I have had a lot of involvement with the first team and I have really enjoyed that experience.

“It was a tough start to the season but I thought we have gelled very well after that and hopefully that can carry on of the rest of the season.”

Brown says that working with Carnegie head coach James Lowes in particularly has produced massive improvements in his game.

He added: “Jimmy is a great coach. He is really detailed on skills, which I have never really been coached on before. I have been fixing my skills up and developing my game in other areas where I haven’t had much focus on previously.

“I think I have become a more rounded player since Jimmy has been coaching me and I am grateful for that.”

With Alex Davies and Callum Irvine still both sidelined by injury, Pete Lucock will continue at fly-half alongside Will Homer in Sunday’s Championship clash with Bedford.

Despite the injury problems, coach Lowes is able to name a very experienced back line.

Skipper Richard Mayhew returns from the foot injury that has forced him to miss the five games and is amongst the replacements.

Ben West starts his first league game of the season after returning from injury last week against London Scottish in the Cup.

Yorkshire Carnegie team to play Bedford: McColl, Watkins, Forsyth, Casson, Elder, Lucock, Homer, Thomas, Mayhew, Millar-Mills, Whetton, Myerscough, Beck, Bainbridge, Stedman. Replacements: Newborn, Beech, Thraves, West, Mayhew, Green, Brown.