Courtney Lawes

Courtney Lawes (born 23 February 1989 in Hackney, England)[2] is an English professional rugby player for Northampton Saints, who plays in the Aviva Premiership.

Courtney Lawes
Date of birth (1989-02-23) 23 February 1989
Place of birthHackney, London, England
Height2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Weight115 kg (18 st 2 lb; 254 lb) [1]
SchoolKingsthorpe College
Northampton School for Boys
Moulton College
Children4
Rugby union career
Position(s) Lock / Flanker
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
Northampton Old Scouts ()
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2007– Northampton Saints 218 (35)
Correct as of 3 April 2018
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
2009–
2017		 England
British and Irish Lions		 80
2		 (5)
0
Correct as of 26 October 2019

Lawes is a versatile player, and can play either in the second or back row. Lawes grew up near Northampton. Lawes is a product of Northampton Old Scouts, the same club that produced his former teammate Rob Milligan as well as Ben Cohen and Steve Thompson, amongst others. Lawes has won England representative honours for the U18 and U20 sides and won his first senior cap against Australia in November 2009.

Career

He toured Australia with England Under 18s in 2007 and made his Saints first team debut against Esher in National One in the 2007–08 season.[3] He missed out on the 2008 U20s Six Nations through injury but featured in the IRB Junior World Championship that year.

The following season (2008–09) he played in the Guinness Premiership, the EDF Energy Trophy and the European Challenge Cup, receiving the Man of The Match award in the home game against Montpellier.[4] He established a reputation as a tackler, notably in the final of the ECC Tournament against Bourgoin where he dislocated his shoulder tackling Morgan Parra[5] and in the 2015 Six Nations Championship match against France with a tackle on Jules Plisson.[6]

Lawes was also instrumental in the season that lead up to Saints securing both the Aviva Premiership and European Rugby Challenge Cup titles in 2014.[7][8]

Lawes was shortlisted for the Saints Supporters' Player of the Season in 2016/17 but lost out to teammate, Louis Picamoles.[9]

International

In the summer of 2009 Lawes was a member of the England Under 20 team that reached the final of the JWC in Tokyo.[10]

On 7 July, Lawes was selected for the England Saxons squad.[11] On 26 October, Lawes received his first call-up to the England Rugby Elite Squad.[12] He made his England debut on 7 November in the 18–9 defeat against Australia at Twickenham, replacing Leicester's Louis Deacon for the last 12 minutes of the match.

Most recently, Lawes was named in the 2020 six nations squad where he played in almost all the matches at blindside flanker. He also was instrumental in England's 2019 World Cup (especially in their famous victory over the All Blacks of New Zealand) where they ended up losing in the final against South Africa.

On 19 April 2017, it was announced that Lawes would be heading to New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions for their summer tour, with his Saints teammate George North.[13] Lawes was handed his first Lions starting place for the Lions' second game of the tour, facing the Blues.[14]

International tries
As of 7 July 2019 [15]
TryOpposing teamLocationVenueCompetitionDateResultScore
1 South AfricaLondon, EnglandTwickenham Stadium2016 Autumn Internationals12 November 2016Win37 – 21

Personal life

As of 2017, Lawes and his wife have four children.[16]

References
  1. "RFU-England:Courtney Lawes". RFU website. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  2. "Courtney Lawes: England's hopes are looking up". The Independent. London. 17 January 2010.
  3. "Northampton Saints 74–10 Esher". Official Northampton Saints Website. 20 October 2007. Archived from the original on 14 June 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  4. "Second bonus point puts Saints top of Euro pool". Official Northampton Saints Website. 18 October 2008. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  5. "Northampton 15–3 Bourgoin". BBC. 22 May 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  6. "Courtney Lawes' massive hit on Jules Plisson, England v France, 21st March 2015". RBS 6 Nations Youtube Channel. 21 March 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2015.
  7. "Amlin Challenge Cup final: Bath 16-30 Northampton". BBC. 22 May 2014.
  8. "Premiership final: Saracens 20-24 Northampton Saints". BBC. 31 May 2014.
  9. "Picamoles the toast of the town at Saints awards". www.northamptonsaints.co.uk.
  10. "England lose out to New Zealand in Junior final". RFU. 21 June 2009. Archived from the original on 24 June 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
  11. Wilkinson returns to England fold BBC Sport. 2009-07-07. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
  12. Injury-hit England make changes BBC Sport. 2009-10-26. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
  13. "Saints pair off to New Zealand with the Lions". www.northamptonsaints.co.uk.
  14. "Lions unleash Lawes on the Blues". www.northamptonsaints.co.uk.
  15. "Courtney Lawes". 7 July 2019.
  16. Williams, Hattie (21 August 2020). "England forward Courtney Lawes backs pro-marriage campaign". Church Times. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
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