ben howard

Your dad Chris played for England Colts, Bristol and Rugby. When did you first play?

At Sandal when I was six. We moved to Warwick when I was eight and after that most of my rugby was at Warwick School.

When did you join Worcester Warriors?

When I was 18, straight from school. I had been training with them for a few months already.

Have you always played on the wing? 

I was at fly-half until 15, then found I could get more space at full-back. Worcester put me on the wing and I’ve played all my first-team games there.

Who are your mentors? 

Gary Meechan and Andrew Stanley from the Worcester Academy, and Richard Hill helped me a lot last season.

You’ve just helped England win the U20 World Cup, but weren’t capped for any other age group. Why is that?

I went to a Midlands U18 trial and didn’t get picked. At trials, it’s about how you do on the day. My first year at Worcester helped me a lot and I’m pretty unrecognisable from the player I was at 18.

Who do you admire?

Jonny Wilkinson for his dedication, and Israel Dagg for his running and ability to beat a defender.

What are your aims for the next year?

I started the last two Premiership games and want to play as many as I can. I’ve been on loan to Bromsgrove and Rotherham but Worcester is where I want to be.

RW Verdict: A great find for England U20, Howard looks set to make his mark with Worcester next term.

 This appeared in the August 2013 issue of Rugby World. Click here to see what’s in the current edition.