Josh Ovens

Josh Ovens (born 11 July 1989) is a rugby union player for Rosslyn Park in National League 1. He plays as a back-row.

Education

Ovens was educated at the Prep School of Monkton Combe School, a boarding independent school for pupils up to the age of 13 in Combe Down, a village suburb of the city of Bath in Somerset in South West England, followed by Milton Abbey School, a boarding independent school in the village of Milton Abbas, near the market town of Blandford Forum in Dorset (also in South West England).

Rugby career

In 2008, he joined Bath, but enjoyed a spell on loan to Bristol in the 2011 Aviva Championship season, returning to Bath for the start of the 2012 season. Ovens 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 against Clifton RFC in August 2014, for the annual pre-season friendly between the two sides.

After falling out of favour at Bristol RFC, Josh made the decision to combine part-time work at his family farm with part-time rugby for Rosslyn Park RFC where he joined former higher level players such as Hugo Ellis and Mark Lilley who have dropped down a division as they prepare for a future career outside of rugby. Ovens has left the door open to returning to professional rugby and works on the farm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while training on Tuesdays and Thursdays before matchday on Saturday.

Family

Ovens' first cousin is Laurence Ovens.