The rugby masters at Barnard Citadel have an unerring capacity to recognise excellent expertise, notably in units of brothers with Man and Max Pepper the newest to seize the headlines from a college that has produced England and British and Irish stars and a Rugby World Cup referee.
Flanker Man, 21, has already been picked by England A and was included in Steve Borthwick’s preliminary coaching squad for this summer time’s checks whereas Durham College pupil Max, 23, is within the GB Sevens squad in Croatia this weekend constructing as much as the Olympics and has been named the BUCS Tremendous Rugby Participant of the Season. A scrum half or wing, Max has simply signed for Newcastle Falcons – the membership Man is leaving to affix Bathtub.
The Peppers have joined Rory and Tony Underwood, Mathew and Alex Tait and Karl and Lee Dickson in breaking into high class rugby collectively from a County Durham college that’s enhancing its already spectacular document for producing ‘household’ rugby expertise.
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One instructor who’s understandably pleased with Man and Max is Martin Pepper, their father, who’s second grasp at Barnard Citadel and a former hooker/flanker with England B and Harlequins. Martin was one of many first “undertaking” gamers in England having been a flanker for England College students however switched to hooker whereas at Quins following a suggestion by Dick Greenwood, then England head coach and father of Will, the World Cup successful centre.
England and Lions exterior half Rob Andrew was additionally a pupil at ‘Barney ‘ -as its pupils discuss with the varsity – concurrently the Underwoods and the present head of rugby Lee Dickson is a former England scrum half and a Premiership title winner with Northampton in 2014. With this type of pedigree their capacity to nurture rugby expertise on the college is spectacular and exhibits no indicators of abating.
Pepper, whose nephew Oisín Pepper is a wing within the Munster U20s, informed RugbyPass: “Max and Man are completely different lads and being the oldest, Max was at all times his personal individual and it was one in every of prep college academics who actually obtained him taking part in. Man at all times wished to get on the market within the wind and rain, hitting a sort out bag and their sister loves her hockey. Each boys confirmed the eagerness and talent they usually obtained caught into sport.
“In Yr 11, Man got here in and performed up within the final three video games of the season and that’s the solely time they’ve performed collectively though they have been additionally at Durham College on the similar time. Man has had a few accidents and a foot ligament damage which was fairly uncommon. This season at Newcastle he has been concerned in round 20 video games and confirmed he’s maturing and getting that toughness you want and has solely simply turned 21-years-old.
“Hopefully, that’s the again finish of his accidents and his physique has been by way of the mill a bit with the tackles he needed to make at Falcons and driving mauls. He has put himself up there to be reckoned with. Certainly one of his greatest traits is that he doesn’t hand over misplaced causes and is a typical gatherer and chaser – searching the ball. I don’t suppose that’s coachable – that’s simply his mindset.
“I wouldn’t need that to be coached out of him and whereas there may be loads of stuff written about Man defensively, which is admirable, hopefully will see him in a extra attacking position as he progresses in his profession – rising up he performed 10 and 12 attacking with ball in hand.
“Our daughter Eve is at college in Cardiff and so we’re used to that journey and so will probably be a bit additional to get to Bathtub.”
Whereas Man is getting ready to affix the Bathtub squad and battle it out for recreation time with England’s Sam Underhill and Scotland’s Josh Bayliss, his older brother has his personal packed schedule with GB sevens and pre-season with Newcastle Falcons.
His father defined: “After college Max had taken a 12 months out and was sitting in Beijing airport when Covid hit and was heading out to New Zealand and the nation went into lockdown. He managed to get a couple of dozen video games after lockdown in Christchurch after which selected to come back dwelling. Max has at all times proven an curiosity in sevens and obtained concerned within the Shoguns and has loved that circuit and obtained into the GB squad, then picked up a shoulder damage however is again and has headed out to Croatia with GB sevens this weekend.
“Max has had an exceptional season being named BUCS Participant of the Season and has proven loads of toughness and resilience to get a contract with Falcons.”
Pepper’s personal profession spanned the top of the beginner recreation and the beginning if skilled rugby and noticed him recognized as a possible hooker for England after he performed at flanker for England College students. The transfer got here at a time when England most well-liked tall timber within the again row like Bathtub’s Ben Clarke and Northampton’s Tim Rodber but it surely was left to the Quins coaches to assist the transition which he discovered robust.
He defined: “I used to be contacted by the RFU and having 6ft 3ins gamers at No7 was one thing England have been selecting and gamers like myself have been seen as too small. I didn’t’ really feel I wasn’t going to get anymore consultant honours except I made that change and in my third 12 months at Quins I made the change in 1995. Throughout that 12 months’s World Cup in South Africa I gave up my educating job in Staines and travelled out to Durban to study the commerce taking part in for an area membership.
“I then got here again able to play hooker and Dick Greatest (Lions and England) was the Quins coach and I did attend a training session placed on by the RFU however I simply obtained on and performed. I used to be in my late 20s and possibly it was too late to make that change and Gareth Adams at Bathtub was persuaded to do it as effectively and was in the same boat. The road out throwing with out lifting was completely different and also you had eagle-eyed coaches like Dick telling you by how a lot you missed the jumper.
“I left London in1999 and obtained a job right here at Barney and have remained and the remaining is historical past. We now have a bunch of gamers within the Falcons academy and for a small college we punch above our weight and that’s testomony to Lee (Dickson) who heads our rugby employees and leads the best way. After we obtained to Twickenham within the colleges finals in 2003 Lee was the captain. Lee has three boys on the college and his eldest is a scrum half however I feel he’s a ten!”
The Barnard Citadel rugby taking part in brothers:Man Pepper (England A, Newcastle, Bathtub) Max Pepper (BUCS Participant of the Season, GB Sevens, Newcastle)Rory and Tony Underwood (England and Lions wings)Karl and Lee Dickson ( Ex-Harlequins and World Cup referee – England scrum half, Premiership winner with Northampton)Mathew and Alex Tait ( Leicester and England worldwide – Newcastle again)
Different pupils:Rob Andrew (Lions and England) was a category mate of Rory Underwood on the college.Tim Visser (Scotland and Harlequins wing)Ed Williamson (Newcastle)Rory Clegg (Harlequins and Glasgow Warriors)Alex Grey (GB Sevens, Atlanta Falcons, Bathtub)Ross Batty (Bathtub)Freddie Lockwood ( present Newcastle flanker)
