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| Date of birth | 11 July 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Trowbridge, Wiltshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 96 kg (15 st 2 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Monkton Combe School Milton Abbey School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Bath | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Laurence Ovens (cousin) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Joshua James McLaren Ovens (born 11 July 1989) is an English former rugby union player who played as a flanker.
Ovens was educated at the Prep School for Monkton Combe School, [1] an independent school for boys and girls up to the age of 13 in Combe Down, a village on the edge of Bath in Somerset. After Monkton Prep, he went to Milton Abbey School, [2] [3] an independent day and boarding school in Milton Abbas, near Blandford Forum in Dorset.
In 2008, Ovens joined Bath, and went on loan to Newbury in the 2008–09 season, where the club won the Berks/Bucks & Oxon Premier. He later had a spell on loan to Bristol in the 2011 Aviva Championship season, before returning to Bath for the start of the 2012 season. He re-signed with Bristol on a one-year deal after the club facilitated his rehabilitation by allowing him to train with the squad, almost two years after recovering from a potentially career-ending back injury in 2012. Ovens returned to the field in August 2014 against Clifton RFC for the annual pre-season friendly match between the two sides. [4] In March 2016, he went on loan to London Welsh until the end of the season. [5]
After falling out of favour at Bristol, Ovens decided to combine part-time work at his family farm with part-time rugby for Rosslyn Park, where he joined former senior players such as Hugo Ellis and Mark Lilley, dropping down a division to prepare for a future career outside rugby. Ovens has left the door open to returning to professional rugby, continuing to work part-time on his farm while training two days a week before Saturday match days.
Bath Rugby is a professional rugby union club in Bath, Somerset, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
A combe can refer either to a steep, narrow valley, or to a small valley or large hollow on the side of a hill; in any case, it is often understood simply to mean a small valley through which a watercourse does not run. The word "combe" derives from Old English cumb, of the same meaning, and is unrelated to the English word "comb". It derives ultimately from the same Brythonic source as the Welsh cwm, which has the same meaning. Today, the word is used mostly in reference to the combes of southern and southwestern England.
Combe Down is a village on the outskirts of Bath, England in the Bath and North East Somerset unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Somerset.
Bristol Bears are a professional rugby union club based in Bristol, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
Gavin Lloyd Henson is a Welsh former professional rugby union player, who played as a fly-half, fullback and inside centre.
Monkton Combe School is a public school, located in the village of Monkton Combe near Bath in Somerset, England. It is a member of the Rugby Group of independent boarding schools in the United Kingdom.
Jamie Paul McCombe is an English professional footballer who last played for Lincoln City.
Aled Brew is a former Wales international rugby union player who played as a winger. He made his debut for the Wales national rugby union team against Ireland in the 2007 Six Nations Championship. In his career, as well as playing for Biarritz Olympique and Bath Rugby, he is one of only a handful of players to have played for all four top-level regional teams in Wales.
Rob Higgitt is a Welsh former rugby union player who played as a centre.
Luke Arscott is a rugby union player for Bristol Rugby in the RFU Championship.
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Tangaki Taulupe "Toby" Faletau is a Tongan-born Welsh professional rugby union player who represents Wales internationally. The back row forward played for Cross Keys RFC, Newport RFC and Newport Gwent Dragons before joining Bath.
Dorset & Wilts 3 North was an English Rugby Union league, forming part of the South West Division, for clubs primarily based in Wiltshire, sitting at tier 10 of the English rugby union system. Promoted teams tended to move up to Dorset & Wilts 2 North and there was no relegation. The league was created in 2005 and was disbanded after the 2019–20 season.
Sherborne Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club in Dorset in the south west of England. The club was established in 1980. It has a membership of 100 senior players and a further 300 boys and girls in the junior section. The club runs two men's teams with the 1st XV currently playing in South West 1 East - a league at level 6 of the English rugby union system - following their promotion as champions of Southern Counties South at the end of the 2018–19 season, while the 2nd XV play in Dorset & Wilts 1 South, following their promotion from Dorset & Wilts 2 South at the end of the 2017-18 season.
Chris Cook is an English rugby union player, who currently plays at scrum-half for Zebre Parma in United Rugby Championship.
Seyi Rhodes is a British television presenter and investigative journalist of Nigerian descent. He has worked for the BBC, Channel 4 Television, Five Television and Current TV. From 2008, he has been the in-vision presenter and reporter for Channel 4's Unreported World documentary series, produced by Quicksilver Media.
Nathan William Jeremy Hughes is a Fijian-born rugby union footballer who is currently playing for Bath on loan from Bristol Bears. He has also played for England. He plays as a flanker, a number 8 or at lock.
Nicky Thomas is a Welsh professional rugby union footballer, currently playing for Wasps in Premiership Rugby on loan from Ospreys in the Pro14.
Combe Down Rugby Club is an English Rugby Union Club found in Combe Down, Bath. Founded in 1896 the club currently play home fixtures at Holly's Corner. The club currently has two teams; the 1st XV who play in Southern Counties South following their promotion as champions of Dorset & Wilts 1 North at the end of 2018-19 season, and the 2nd XV play who play in Dorset & Wilts 2 North.
Tom O'Flaherty is an English rugby union player who plays for Premiership Rugby Exeter Chiefs as a winger.
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