Kieran Brookes
{{short description|English rugby union footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2016}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| name = Kieran Brookes
| image = Kieran Brookes 2014 (cropped).jpg
| caption =
| birth_name = Kieran Brookes{{cite web |url=http://www.espn.co.uk/england/rugby/player/103063.html |title=Kieran Brookes |publisher=ESPN Scrum |access-date=25 July 2014}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1990|8|29}}{{cite web |url=http://www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk/Team/View/4 |title=Kieran Brookes |publisher=Newcastle Falcons |access-date=25 July 2014}}
| birth_place = Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, England
| height = {{convert|1.88|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|129|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
| ru_position = Loosehead Prop, Tighthead Prop
| school = {{nowrap|Lytham St Annes High School}}{{cite web|url=http://www.rfu.com/squadsandplayers/englandsaxons/kieranbrookes |title=Kieran Brookes |publisher=Rugby Football Union |access-date=25 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712110238/http://www.rfu.com/squadsandplayers/englandsaxons/kieranbrookes |archive-date=12 July 2014 }}
Kirkham Grammar School
| university =
| amatyears1 = 1999–2009
| amatteam1 = Fylde
| years1 = 2008–2009
| clubs1 = Fylde
| apps1 = 8
| points1 = 5
| years2 = 2009–2011
| clubs2 = Newcastle Falcons
| apps2 = 41
| points2 = 0
| years3 = 2009–2010
| clubs3 = → Tynedale
| apps3 = 5
| points3 = 10
| years4 = 2011–2013
| clubs4 = Leicester Tigers
| apps4 = 6
| points4 = 0
| years5 = 2012–2013
| clubs5 = → Loughborough Students
| apps5 = 3
| points5 = 5
| years6 = 2012–2013
| clubs6 = → Doncaster Knights
| apps6 = 4
| points6 = 0
| years7 = 2013–2015
| clubs7 = Newcastle Falcons
| apps7 = 43
| points7 = 0
| years8 = 2015–2018
| clubs8 = Northampton Saints
| apps8 = 74
| points8 = 0
| years9 = 2018–2021
| clubs9 = Wasps
| apps9 = 48
| points9 = 5
| years10 = 2021–2024
| clubs10 = Toulon
| apps10 = 45
| points10 = 0
| years11 = 2024–
| clubs11 = Perpignan
| apps11 = 21
| points11 = 0
| clubupdate = 10 January 2021
| repyears1 = 2010
| repteam1 = England U20
| repcaps1 = 1
| reppoints1 = 0
| repteam2 = England Saxons
| repyears2 = 2011
| repcaps2 = 2
| reppoints2 = 10
| repyears3 = 2014–2016
| repteam3 = {{nrut|England}}
| repcaps3 = 16
| reppoints3 = 0
| repupdate = 10 March 2017
}}
Kieran Brookes (born 29 August 1990) is an English rugby union player who plays for Perpignan and played for England. He usually plays as a tighthead prop, but can also cover as a loosehead prop. He was educated at Kirkham Grammar School.{{Cite web |date=2014-07-12 |title=Kieran Brookes - Official RFU England Profile |url=http://www.rfu.com/squadsandplayers/englandsaxons/kieranbrookes |access-date=2022-05-27 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712110238/http://www.rfu.com/squadsandplayers/englandsaxons/kieranbrookes |archive-date=12 July 2014 |url-status=dead}}
Club career
Brookes made almost 40 senior appearances for Newcastle but only started 1 game in the 2009–2010 season.{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/sport/Rugby-Hall-joins-Newcastle-Falcons/article-2179864-detail/article.html |title=James Hall joins Newcastle Falcons | Rugby | Stoke and Staffordshire sport |publisher=This is Staffordshire |date=2010-05-20 |access-date=2012-07-05}}
Brookes moved to Leicester Tigers for the 2011–12 season.{{cite web|url=http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_6972756,00.html |title=Rugby Union News |publisher=Planet Rugby |date=2011-06-09 |access-date=2012-07-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910194851/http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0%2C25883%2C3551_6972756%2C00.html |archive-date=10 September 2012 }}
Having returned to the Newcastle Falcons on loan from Leicester Tigers in March 2013, he signed a two-year contract to stay with the Falcons in April 2013.{{Cite web|url=http://www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk/player/kieran-brookes-2|title=Error404 - Newcastle Falcons}}
On 13 January 2015, it was announced that Brookes would be joining Northampton Saints at the end of the 2014–15 season.{{Cite news|title=Saints to sign England prop Brookes|language=en-GB|work=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/30799478|access-date=2021-09-13}}
Brookes became a regular starter for the East Midlands side and racked up numerous appearances at his time at Saints.
The prop helped Saints to secure European Champions Cup rugby for the 2017/18 season, featuring in both play-off games as Saints beat Connacht Rugby and Stade Francais to seal the last spot in the top tier of European rugby for the following season.{{Cite web|title=16/17 Northampton Saints v Connacht {{!}} European Cup|url=https://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/match/european-cup/saints-vs-connacht/2017-05-20|access-date=2021-09-13|website=Northampton Saints|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=16/17 Northampton Saints v Stade Francais {{!}} European Cup|url=https://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/match/european-cup/saints-vs-stade-francais/2017-05-26|access-date=2021-09-13|website=Northampton Saints|language=en}}
On 13 June 2018, Brookes signed for Premiership rivals Wasps from the 2018–19 season.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/44467375|publisher=BBC Sport|title=Kieran Brookes: Wasps sign Northampton Saints tight-head prop|date=13 June 2018|access-date=22 June 2021}}
On 9 June 2021, it was widely confirmed that Brookes would leave Wasps at the end of the season to join top French side Toulon in the Top 14 competition ahead of the 2021–22 season.{{cite news|url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/rugby/kieran-brookes-toulon-rugby-wasps-20559277|publisher=Coventry Telegraph|title=Kieran Brookes' Toulon switch confirmed by Wasps legend|date=9 June 2021|access-date=22 June 2021}} On 19 January 2024, Brookes would sign a two-year deal for French rivals Perpignan from the 2024–25 season.{{Cite news |title=Transferts : Kieran Brookes deux ans à Perpignan (Rugby) |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Rugby/Actualites/Transferts-kieran-brookes-deux-ans-a-perpignan/1443304 |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=L'Équipe |language=fr}}
International career
Although born in England, Brookes played at many underage levels for {{nrut|Ireland}}, including U-18, U-19 and U-20.{{Cite news|last=Thornley|first=Gerry|title=Leicester prop in Ireland frame|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/leicester-prop-in-ireland-frame-1.575575|access-date=2021-09-13|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}}
Brookes has committed himself to the {{nrut|England}} rugby team, playing for England in an uncapped match against the Barbarians and for the England Saxons in their successful Churchill Cup campaign in the summer of 2011. In May 2014 he was called up to England's training squad for the tour of New Zealand, where he earned himself his first two caps for his country.{{Cite web|title=RFU|url=https://www.englandrugby.com/england/england-saxons/squads/kieran-brookes/|access-date=2021-09-13|website=www.englandrugby.com}}
Since making his senior debut for England in that tour, Brookes has taken to the field for England 16 times. He was a member of the 2015 Rugby World Cup squad and was included in the squad for the 2016 Six Nations and after joining the squad on 1 February, coming back from an injury, helped his country to a Grand Slam victory.{{Cite web|last=world.rugby|title=Burgess and Slade get the nod for England {{!}} Rugby World Cup|url=https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/news/87017|access-date=2021-09-13|website=www.rugbyworldcup.com|language=en}}{{Cite news|title=Prop Brookes back in England squad|language=en-GB|work=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35460865|access-date=2021-09-13}}
The summer of 2016 saw Brookes become part of the England Saxons squad once more where he travelled to South Africa to face South Africa 'A' where the men in white secured a 2–0 series win.{{Cite web|title=Guinness Six Nations Rugby News|url=https://www.sixnationsrugby.com/news/|access-date=2021-09-13|website=Six Nations Rugby|language=en-GB}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk/Team/View/4 Newcastle Falcons profile]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20111004131533/http://www.rfu.com/SquadsAndPlayers/EnglandSaxons/KieranBrookes.aspx England profile]
{{RC Toulonnais squad}}
{{England Squad 2015 Rugby World Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brookes, Kieran}}
Category:Doncaster R.F.C. players
Category:England international rugby union players
Category:English people of Irish descent
Category:English rugby union players
Category:Leicester Tigers players
Category:Newcastle Falcons players
Category:People educated at Kirkham Grammar School
Category:Rugby union players from Stoke-on-Trent
Category:2015 Rugby World Cup players