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A different ball game for Aberdeen Grammar winger Nathan Brown

CR0013452
First round of the Scottish Cup - Aberdeen Grammar (red) v Marr RFC (purple) at Rubislaw.
Picture of Nathan Brown jumping for the ball.

Picture by KENNY ELRICK     31/08/2019
CR0013452 First round of the Scottish Cup - Aberdeen Grammar (red) v Marr RFC (purple) at Rubislaw. Picture of Nathan Brown jumping for the ball. Picture by KENNY ELRICK 31/08/2019

Aberdeen Grammar winger Nathan Brown is pleased his decision to choose rugby over football is paying off.

The 19-year-old was a standout performer and chipped in with two tries as the Rubislaw side marked their return to the Premiership with a 30-17 home win against Edinburgh Accies.

Brown, a second year law student at Aberdeen University, has opted to focus on rugby this season after several years of letting football take priority.

The talented sportsman, who represented his country at both sports at youth level, was offered the chance to play full-time with St Johnstone but opted to accept an offer to study law at Aberdeen University.

He said: “I was offered a professional contract with St Johnstone when I was 18.

“At the end of S5, St Johnstone wanted me to go full-time with them but that would have meant leaving school.

“Instead, I joined Spartans on loan and I had the same offer at the end of the S6.

“I also had the offer to study law and, after speaking to my dad, I felt doing the law degree was the better option.

“I have always played football and rugby. I captained Scotland schoolboys at under-18 level and I also played for Scotland at rugby at under-16s.

“I knew I was always going to have to make a decision between the two.

“At the moment, I am at a better level with rugby so I am trying to pursue that.

“I was training with Peterhead FC last year and didn’t play as much rugby.

“I am still playing a little bit of football by myself but rugby is the priority now.

“I always played football when I was young but I went to Stewart’s Melville in Edinburgh when I was S1 and that’s a big rugby school.

“They saw that I was already 6ft when I was in first year and fast so they tried to get me into rugby as soon as possible.

“I had no idea about the rules or anything but I managed to play both sports throughout school.”

Brown is not ruling out a return to the football pitch in future but is enjoying life at Aberdeen Grammar for the time-being.

He said: “Whatever happens, happens for a reason. I may end up going back down the football route in the future but at the moment rugby is the focus.

“I’m pleased with the start to the season. I played for the university rugby team last season and I was involved with the Scottish students rugby team as well, so I was keen to take it to the next level by playing for a club as well as the university this year.

“Saturday was a good start but hopefully I can keep it going.”

Grammar head coach Ali O’Connor is thrilled with the impact Brown has made.

He said: “He is a quality player and when the ball is in his hands the whole place comes alive. He is a really elusive runner.

“He reads the game very well and has a very strong skillset.

“We are delighted we have been able to prise him away from his football.

“He is a really talented footballer but he fancies turning his hand to rugby now and we are the beneficiaries of that. He has been a quality addition.”

This weekend the Rubislaw men travel to Glasgow Hawks, who will be looking to bounce back after a 50-15 defeat at Selkirk.

O’Connor added: “We have come away from games at Selkirk a bit embarrassed in the past so we know how they will be feeling.

“They will be stung into a positive reaction. They will be hurting and looking to make up for what happened on Saturday.

“We are well aware of the risk and quality they will bring.”