Will Warden set to realise dream with Gloucester Rugby
HARLEQUINS and London Irish are tracking imposing Richmond captain Will Warden – but the Clevedon-born Gloucester supporter's ultimate ambition would be a career with the Cherry and Whites.
The bullocking lock continues to makes rapid strides through the rugby ranks, and is quickly attracting more and more admiring glances from London's top-flight clubs.
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The Shed
The 24-year-old lock can now add the Richmond captaincy to his leadership duties at Loughborough University and with England Students.
Warden has represented England Counties this term, after becoming club captain at National League One side Richmond in the summer.
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The 6ft 5in second-row tips the scales at the best part of 18 stone, and is considered capable of coping with the physical rigours of stepping through the levels to the Premiership in the next couple of years.
Former Marling School pupil Warden only started playing rugby at 16, joining first Stroud then Old Patesians in Cheltenham. But after specialising as a goalkeeper in football in his youth, once he caught the rugby bug he was an immediate convert.
A gap year representing Napier Pirates in New Zealand helped proved the making of him though, and he progressed quickly through the ranks at Loughborough University.
The physics and management graduate also completed an MSc in sport management at Loughborough, representing Gloucestershire Under-20s and captaining England Students in that time.
Warden's consistent progress after arriving late to the sport mirrors that of Tom Savage.
The odd eyebrow was raised when Gloucester handed Savage a two-year senior deal straight out of Hartpury.
But those quizzical expressions came from those who reckoned without the now 23-year-old's grit, physicality, sheer graft and resolve to cut it at the highest level. In two years with Gloucester's first team Savage has transformed from rookie to mainstay – and is now in serious consideration for the Kingsholm club captaincy next term.
Comments
by corsa-corsa
Saturday, March 16 2013, 8:38AM
“We are short of locks but we need a top flight experienced lock to replace Hamilton. Warden could be one to develop such as Gloucester has done so successfully with Savage and Rupert Harden, our best and first choice tight head by light years. Harden owns the number 3 shirt because he is so consistently our most powerful and most accomplished tight head.”