Mike Brown

Podcast Episode - 4

Michael Noel Brown

Full-Back - England & Harlequins

2014 RBS Six Nations player of the championship

Born: 
04/09/1985

Wife: 
Eliza Woodcock

Weight: 
90kg

Height: 
183cm

England

Caps: 60
Tries: 10

Harlequins

Caps: 276
Tries:   83

Michael Noel Brown was born in Southampton on 4th September 1985. He attended Wyvern College in Salisbury, Hampshire up to the age of 15 before moving to Peter Symonds College in Winchester in Hampshire.

Other Notable Alumni from Peter Symonds College include:

Ben Ainslie (Olympian)

Andy Burrows (Razorlight)

Will Champion (Coldplay)

Jack Dee (Comedian)

My personal favourite! Lucy Pinder (Glamour Model)

Initially Mike Brown was a Fly Half but moved to full back (reluctantly) following the advice of the Peter Symonds coach, Mike Marchant.

As a youngster he also played rugby for Melksham RFC and Salisbury RFC and gained representitive honours for Dorset & Wilts U14-18, South West U18 & Hampshire U20's.

In the summer of 2016 he married his long term partner, fashion designer Eliza Scarlett Woodcock who is also the daughter of former England footballer Tony Woodcock.

He is an avid Manchester United fan and his sporting hero is David Beckham. He states that his go to karaoke song is Wannabe by Spice Girls!

International Career

His International career began for England U21, where he was part of the 2006 Grand Slam winning Six Nations team. He also competed for the U21's later that year in the U21 World Championships. Shortly after this in the 2006-2007 season he was capped by England Saxons.

In 2007 he was selected as part of the England squad to tour South Africa and his first full cap was as part of the team that suffered a record 58-10 defeat to South Africa.

Playing for England, he won 7 caps as a winger between November 2012 - March 2013, before he was picked and has remained as England's first choice Full Back, 

In 2013 QBE Autumn Internationals, he was named as England's Man of the series. He continued this form into the 2014 6 nations, a tournament in which England finished 2nd behind Ireland, where he was named as the 6 Nations player of the tournament. I believe this award was only introduced from 2004 onwards and Mike Brown is still the only English player to have won it!!

He has also played an integral part in 2016, 6 Nations grand slam and perfect year and 2017 6 nations winning squad.

His 60 caps for England. 54 of them have been as a starter and 6 as a substitute. 41 of those 60 caps have been as part of a winning England team and 19 as part of a losing team, which gives him a 68% win record in an England shirt.

Domestic Career

Mike Brown is a one club man and first joined the Harlequins Academy in 2002-2003 season. His first appearance for the 1st Team was in 2005 vs Doncaster. His first start was a week later vs Coventry.

He made an immediate impact and was named as 2005-2006, young player of the season for Harlequins and the following year was named the clubs player of the season.

For Harlequins he has won the Amlin Challenge cup in 2010-2011 season, beating Stade Francais in the final and he won the Premiership with Quins in 2011-2012, beating Leicester Tigers in the final.

Career Highlights & Lo-Lights
Mike Brown's nickname is Mr Angry, which i understand just refers to his Rugby persona rather than his personal life.

He is a proper Rugby man and loves the game he makes his living from. He also has a clear set of standards he expects of himself and others. Following the 2015 World Cup let down, stories were leaked to the papers about some of the issues that occurred in the England camp.

Mike Brown went on record saying that his trust of the squad had been completely shot. He felt that no one had been good enough to make these comments, especially under the 'cloak of anonymity', which is what he was most let down by. He stated that he was sure it would come out who said what and he would be one of the first to speak with those people.

He's had some tough times throughout his career, most notably of which was when he was struck down with the potentially life threatening Septicaemia, which he believes might have been as a result of the gruelling tour to Australia in which England whitewashed the series 3-0.

A good example of Mike Brown's approach to the game is Tunnel Gate in 2015, where England had got word that Wales were going to let them run out onto the pitch and make them wait for a while before they joined them. Rather than me bore you with the commentary, I will let you watch the video below to see England's response and Mike Brown's part in it!

Podcast Episode - 4