Rising Son: Courtney Lawes
Find out more about the grassroots journeys of England's Rising Sons.
You wouldn’t describe Courtney Lawes’s presence on the pitch as shy and mild-mannered.
In fact it would be just the opposite. But as a youngster at Northampton Old Scouts RFC that’s exactly what he was according to his coach Chris Parr.
“When he first came to us at 13 he had barely picked up a rugby ball before,” says Parr.
“He was this tall lad, well over six foot by the time he was 15, but there wasn’t much on him! He was laid back, very shy."
Courtney had spent his early years playing football, inspired by his dad Linford, and arrived at the rugby club without much appreciation for his own ability.
“He was probably quite naive at the time, he was just playing rugby for fun rather than as a serious thing,” says Parr. “He definitely didn’t know how good he could be.”
It was his raw athletic talent that particularly stood out for Parr and his now famous signature tackling ability was crafted as a teenager.
‘He was never bad’
“He was athletically superb, you don’t see many like him. Tackling was what he loved and we didn’t tell him to hold back so you can imagine what he was like playing in age grade matches.
“We wanted him to train like he would play so that meant with full intensity and not holding anything back.”
His relatively late start to rugby meant Lawes didn't immediately catch the eyes of local scouts, but it was only a matter of time.
“We had to do a bit of work to convince Northampton Saints scouts to come down and see him play,“ recalls Parr.
“For me what really stood out for Courtney was his temperament when he stepped on the pitch and when the whistle went.
“He had a hardness about him, he liked the battle. People ask me if there is a particular match that stands out from him or one moment but there isn’t, he was just never bad. He never didn’t perform well.”
Just over 15 years later, he has amassed 75 caps for England and established himself as one of the country's most successful forwards.
“It is amazing to see how far he has come but still now, after so many years at the top, he inspires youngsters at the club coming through.
“For me it has been so special to see him become the player he is. I was there at his 50th cap and I’m watching every time he pulls on an England shirt.”
