Rugby College: How England"s Burrell forged a trail from rugby league"s heartland in the ...

By

Martha Kelner

PUBLISHED:

22:58, 15 February 2014

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UPDATED:

22:59, 15 February 2014

Rugby union is rarely played on the rain-soaked school fields at All Saints Catholic College on the hilltops above Huddersfield. But at Luther Burrellâ€™s former school, they recognise with fondness the unruffled and skilful powerhouse who has burst on to the international scene.

By spinning and sidestepping his way to two tries in his first two England games, Luther, born in the birthplace of rugby league, has put himself in prime position to face one of the all-time rugby union greats.

If he does line up against Irelandâ€™s Brian Oâ€™Driscoll in the Six Nations championship next Saturday, it will be the culmination of years of toil by Burrell and those who supported him along the way – particularly the parents who battled ill health and bad fortune to see him realise a dream.

Dream debut: Centre Luther Burrell has scored a try in each of his first two appearances for England

Other ways: Burrell was brought up in Huddersfield, where rugby league dominates union – he played both

At St Patrickâ€™s Catholic primary school, which Burrell began attending aged seven, deputy headteacher Chris Schofield remembers a gentle giant.Â

â€˜I approached his mum at church one Sunday to ask if he could play with the kids who were a year older,â€™ said Schofield.

â€˜He was powerful, quick and a really big lad. At that age I think his size was intimidating for other children and I even had parents asking if he was older than he said – but he was such a lovely boy.â€™

Gentle giant: Burrell was so strong at age seven at St Patrick

Gentle giant: Burrell was so strong at age seven at St Patrick’s Catholic school he played with kids a year older

Burrellâ€™s parents still live in the modest, semi-detached house in the suburb of Lindley where Burrell grew up. Both have suffered health problems. Father Geoff, now a security worker at Leeds Bradford airport, was made redundant from his job at a chemical engineering factory when his son was 13. He developed a tumour in his foot and was unable to work with chemicals again.Â

Mother Joyce, 64, was diagnosed with suspected bowel cancer last November before being given the all-clear just hours after being told her son was to make his England debut last month.

â€˜Itâ€™s been tough for Luther to make it,â€™ said Joyce. â€˜Heâ€™s the first England rugby union player from Huddersfield for 67 years. Weâ€™re just ordinary, working-class people. The public schools tend to be the feeder schools for rugby union and Lutherâ€™s not from that background, so we just did what we could to make sure he was in the position where his hard work got noticed.â€™

Back in the day: Burrell, who now plays for Northampton and England, at St Patrick

Signs of success: Burrell towers over his mates at school, aged 11, in 1996 and in action as a 15-year-oldÂ

For Geoff, that meant starting work at 4am so he could finish in time to take Burrell to practice and sitting rugby coaching exams so he was best placed to help further his sonâ€™s career.

â€˜His mum was his biggest fan and dad his biggest critic,â€™ said Paul Sharrock, Huddersfieldâ€™s coaching co-ordinator who coached the player from the age of 10 to 16.

â€˜Luther left us for half a season at 13 and the side actually progressed because they had to work a lot harder as a team, whereas before it was get the ball to Luther and heâ€™ll create the tries. He had a brilliant skill set from playing league on a Saturday and union on a Sunday.

â€˜Weâ€™d worry he was too laid-back. He looked like he wasnâ€™t interested before one game so I got hold of a tackle shield and said, â€œCome on, tackle meâ€. He sent me sliding across the grass on my backside.â€™

Fast and strong: Just like when he was a kid, Burrell

Fast and strong: Just like when he was a kid, Burrell’s speed and strength was too hot for Scotland to handle

Tough task: Veteran Ireland centre Brian O

Tough task: Veteran Ireland centre Brian O’Driscoll is likely to be Burrell’s next opposite number

Burrell v O

At 26, Burrell is relatively mature to be making his first foray into the national side. Until he joined Northampton Saints 18 months ago, his career had been a story of boundless promise but stilted progress. It began when he was overlooked for a place in the Leeds academy at 15.Â

Wrath: Now England coach got a scathing letter from Burrell

Wrath: Now England coach got a scathing letter from Burrell’s mother Joyce when he wasn’t picked for the Leeds academy as a teen

Joyce wrote an angry letter to Stuart Lancaster
- the future England coach then in charge of the academy – and her son was invited for a trial. He excelled.

â€˜We always thought he was the full package,â€™ said Joyce, â€˜Over the years when heâ€™s changed clubs I used to think he didnâ€™t get a good shot at it. Itâ€™s hard when heâ€™s sat on the sidelines and you feel as a parent that he could do a better job than the people who are picked.â€™

Burrell was confronted by Lancaster during his early days at Leeds when he continued to turn out for the Huddersfield Under-17 team, such was his love for the game.

â€˜We sneaked him back for a few games,â€™ said Sharrock. â€˜We won the West Yorkshire Floodlit Cup and he scored two tries in the final. He ran the length of the field, zig-zagging, not just running over players but using his skills to
beat them. But he got quite a telling off from Stuart for playing.â€™

Sharrock is confident he can retain his place even after the return of the injured Manu Tuilagi to the England squad.

â€˜I think heâ€™s better than Billy Twelvetrees because heâ€™s the better passer,â€™ said Sharrock. â€˜Theyâ€™ll be daft if they donâ€™t try Luther at 12 and Tuilagi at 13 because heâ€™s played 12 most of the season. As a pair they could be just what we need.â€™