Kai Owen (rugby union)
| Birth name | Kai James Owen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 27 February 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 115 kg (18 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kai Owen (born 27 February 1999) is an English rugby union player who plays for Doncaster Knights in the RFU Championship. His main position is loosehead prop.
His first played junior rugby with Telford Hornets at age eight, he was part of Worcester Warriors junior academy before released from the club. He gained senior experience with Coventry, Bridgnorth, Shropshire-based Newport and North Midlands U20s, before returning to Worcester senior academy for the 2017–18 season.[1][2]
He made his senior debut for Worcester in a European Rugby Challenge Cup match against Stade Francais as a replacement back in October 2018.[3] His home debut came 12 months later when Owen replaced Ryan Bower in the opening minutes of the Premiership Rugby Cup match against Exeter Chiefs.[4]
Owen started the 2019–20 season on a dual registration with Championship clubs Hartpury University and Yorkshire Carnegie in the same competition on a similar arrangement in November 2019.[5][6]
Owen again came off the bench for Bower in the European Rugby Challenge Cup victory over Enisei-STM in Russia in November 2019,[7] and made his Premiership debut as a replacement against Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate in February 2020.[8]
He made his England U20s debut in the 2019 Six Nations Under 20s Championship and his consistent performances secured Owen a place in England's squad for the 2019 World Rugby Under 20 Championship in Argentina.[9][10]
On 27 June 2020, Owen signed his first professional contract to stay with Worcester at Sixways Stadium, thus promoted to the senior squad from the 2020–21 season.[11] He signed a deal in March 2021 that would also see him dual registered with Championship side Coventry.[12] Due to the administration of Worcester Warriors, all players had their contracts terminated on 5 October 2022.[13]
After his Worcester contract was terminated he signed for Championship side Doncaster Knights.[14]
References[edit]
- ^ "KAI OWEN, FROM TELFORD HORNETS 8 YEAR OLD TO ENGLAND U20 ELITE PLAYER". Telford Hornerts RFC. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "What it takes to turn schoolboy prodigies into Premiership stars". Talking Rugby Union. 14 April 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "Stade Francais 27-38 Worcester Warriors". Sky Sports. 13 October 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "Premiership Rugby Cup: Worcester Warriors 19-34 Exeter Chiefs". BBC Sport. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "Kai Owen Hartpury RFC Profile". Hartpury RFC. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "Carnegie make three changes for trip to Scottish". Yorkshire Carnegie. 31 October 2019.
- ^ "Enisei STIM 14-57 Worcester". Sky Sports. 15 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "Bristol Bears 13-10 Worcester Warriors". Ultimate Rugby. 23 February 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "Kai Owen starts for England U20s against Italy". Warriors. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "Kai Owen in England call for World Under-20s". Shropshire Star. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "Kai Owen becomes sixth academy graduate to join Worcester Warriors first team". Worcester News. 27 June 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
- ^ "As Dolly departs, another Premiership dual-registered hooker arrives at Butts Park – Coventry Rugby". www.coventryrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ^ "Worcester player and staff contracts terminated after high court ruling | Worcester | The Guardian". amp.theguardian.com. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ^ "Knights Sign Prop Kai Owen". Doncaster Knights. 7 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.