All Golds v Doncaster KPL1 2017 Final

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100 NOT OUT WRITTEN BY CHRIS WILSON 20 In stepping onto the Craven Park pitch on Saturday 1 July, Phil Cowburn became the first All Golds player to reach 100 appearances for the club. When a 19-year-old Phil Cowburn headed to the West Country to study at Hartpury College along with his good friends Matt Bradley and Callum Mulkeen, he could hardly have envisaged being the first player to notch up a century of appearances for a local professional side. On reaching the unique milestone, he said: “It’s been a long, hard journey, the first game back in 2013 seems ages ago. To be the first All Gold to reach 100 appearances is a big honour for me.” Although Phil’s club rugby was in the 15-a-side game he was no stranger to rugby league having played the game at school. He continued at Hopwood Hall College - North West champion college at the time - and for England Colleges in the Under 18s European Cup in the Czech Republic. Deep in the heartland of rugby union, it seemed unlikely that a rugby league career would blossom but, after a chance meeting with Steve Lee, then head coach at Gloucestershire Warriors, Phil’s destiny changed. Along with Matt and Callum, Phil was an integral part of the Warriors side that lost just once in the summer of 2011 winning the West of England title and reaching the semi final of the national Harry Jepson Trophy. Phil was a massive hit with the Warriors, scoring eight tries in just four matches for the side, including four on his debut against Bristol Sonics. www.allgoldsrugby.com @AllGolds facebook.com/AllGoldsRugby
Sticking together, the three friends all transferred to the University of Gloucestershire on rugby league scholarships in 2011, playing for the BUCS side for two years before all three made their professional debuts for the senior All Golds side in their debut season as a League 1 club. Phil showed the toughness and durability he is renowned for by being an ever-present in the BUCS side of 2012 that secured the national championship and was instrumental in their Challenge Cup win over Rochdale Mayfield, scoring twice in a 33- 14 win. It is no surprise to learn that in his record-making run, Phil has missed just 11 games for the Golden Fern. He has also amassed 41 tries, including a hat-trick against Coventry Bears in 2016, and seven goals, earning himself a reputation as being one of the best finishers in the division. Having literally kicked off the All Golds’ rugby league adventure in their first game against Hemel Stags, Phil has been happy to re-sign each season and has played under three coaches at the club in Brad Hepi, Steve McCormack and, present incumbent, Lee Greenwood. “The first game was quite a shock to be honest, a massive step up from university rugby,” he said. “It probably took us a season to get used to the speed and intensity of the professional game. “As soon as we became more experienced we started winning more games. That month in the summer of 2014 was fantastic, we beat York and Hunslet, who were two of the top teams in the league then.” Paying tribute, Lee Greenwood said: “Phil has been an excellent professional during my time at the club. He has played every position in the backline and given his best in each, no questions asked. It is a great achievement for him to become the first All Gold to reach 100 appearances and it is also fantastic for the club that these personal milestones are being reached on a regular basis now.” Now in his fifth season with the club, Phil has played in every position in the backs, starting off at full back, but prefers playing at centre and he has grown from a relatively inexperienced young player into one of the senior members of the squad who can always be relied upon to give nothing less than 100%. Playing against Oldham in each of the All Golds’ first three seasons has been a highlight for Phil as he supported the Roughyeds from a young age, was a ball boy there and played in the same school teams as prop forward Michael Ward who has made over 100 appearances for the Oldham club. But there have been other highlights as Phil explains “Obviously this season has been great as well. We’ve shown what we can do by beating great teams like Keighley and Workington (Phil is much too modest to add that he scored the winning try against Workington). No one gave us a chance in those two games so to come away with the win was incredible, there’s no better feeling. I’ve really enjoyed this season, playing at centre has been great, I’ve struck up a good partnership with Mo Agoro who is the leading try scorer in the division. To be honest I’ll play wherever I’m asked but I do prefer centre.” Almost a West Country native now, Phil has the dubious privilege of being a housemate of second row forward Joe McClean in Gloucester and a near neighbour of recently returned forward Richard Jones; so what price Phil being the first to reach 150 for the Golden Fern? “I’ve loved every minute of my time at the All Golds,” Phil said. “Of course there have been a few heavy defeats along the way but you tend to remember the great wins more than the losses. “Rugby League is a brutal game and playing alongside your best mates makes it easier.” 21 Subscribe to our website mailing list to get exclusive All Golds news first.
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All Golds v Doncaster KPL1 2017 Final

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