Sunday, 27 October 2013

England rising star Marlande Yarde quit football to concentrate on rugby



PUBLISHED:


23:18, 26 October 2013




|

UPDATED:


23:18, 26 October 2013




Marlande Yarde grew up on the Caribbean island of St Lucia kicking a ball and wanting to be the new Ronaldo or Michael Ballack. But when the international call came for the 21-year-old, it was from England — and the sport was not football but rugby.


Yarde, who scored two tries for England on his debut in Argentina, is in line to face Australia in the first of the QBE autumn internationals at Twickenham on Saturday.


The London Irish winger said: ‘I moved to England when I was nine, but back home my heroes were Ronaldo and Ballack, and cricketers Brian Lara and Ridley Jacobs. In England I threw myself into football, cricket and athletics, and I was signed up by the QPR academy.’


Snub: Marlande Yarde quit football to concentrate on rugby... and he could play against Australia on Saturday


Snub: Marlande Yarde quit football to concentrate on rugby… and he could play against Australia on Saturday



Speed: The London Irish man scored on his debut against Argentina


Speed: The London Irish man scored on his debut against Argentina



Yarde’s sporting destiny changed at 14 when someone at west London’s Gunnersbury School threw him a rugby ball. He said: ‘I started playing for my school and in no time I was picked for my county, then the south-east of England and England Under-16s.  I think they liked my raw speed and saw the rest as a work in progress.


‘I quit QPR to focus on rugby. I was very reluctant to give up my education when there were no guarantees in football.’


He switched to Croydon’s Whitgift School to complete his  A-levels while honing his rugby skills. He said: ‘I reckon I’ve made the right choice. Phoning my mum, Marina, my stepdad Ky and my dad, Scotland — yes, he really is called Scotland Yarde — who lives in St Lucia, was one of the proudest moments of my life after my England debut.’



 








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Article source: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/other-sports/347496/Rugby-Union-Stuart-Lancaster-to-give-players-the-Fergie-treatment


England rising star Marlande Yarde quit football to concentrate on rugby
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