Young Gun: Maliq Holden – Hartpury College wing

Maliq Holden was heartbroken after being dropped for last year’s AASE League final but it might well be the best thing that has happened to him.
Arriving from the British School in the Netherlands, Holden first struggled with the level of competition at the prestigious Gloucester-shire School but once he got up to speed he quickly became a key member of the school’s 1st XV, helping them to reach their fifth consecutive final.
With U19s players allowed to play in the final, the U18 Holden was dropped and had to watch the final against Prince Henry’s from the sidelines.
Keen to avoid another disappointment this season, he worked his socks off to make the shirt his own and last week he was an integral part of the side that beat Filton as Hartpury claimed their sixth AASE League title on the bounce.
“It was very hard to get dropped for the final last year and I started doubting myself,” he told The Rugby Paper.
“But I quickly refocused and I wanted to make sure that starting shirt was mine. I wanted to be an example for the rest of the squad and have younger players desperate for my shirt.
“It took a lot of commitment but I can now look at myself in the mirror and say I’ve earned the shirt which maybe wasn’t the case last year.
“Being dropped was definitely the best thing that happened to me. The competition is ruthless at Hartpury but it puts us in the right frame of mind to break into professional rugby.”
Being born in Liverpool, Holden had almost no choice but to take up football but it all changed when he moved to Cyprus aged 10 with his mum, a teacher, and his older brother Marcus, who started to play rugby.
Rugby took over three years later when he moved to the Netherlands and he ended up representing his adoptive country at U16s and U18s level including a try-scoring performance at the 2013 Wellington Festival for a famous win over France.
But keen to take his rugby to the next level he joined Hartpury College overnight and he is now looking to secure a contract with Gloucester.
“A friend in Cyprus told me I should go to Hartpury to further my career. I thought nothing of it but one Thursday night in September 2013 I looked them up and ended up applying to go there. The next morning I had an interview and on the following Tuesday I had my first lesson.
“That might be it for me this season in terms of games but I’ll be training very hard to hopefully secure a deal with Gloucester for next season. Neil McCarthy just joined the club as Head of Academies so I’m not sure what’s going to happen but I’m really hoping I can stay at the club next season.
“I’m also looking to break into the England set-up within the next couple of seasons. Playing for Holland was great and I’ve got great memories from it but I’ve always dreamt of playing for England.
“Being in another country, it was tough for me to be on the radar but it’s something I’m looking to change.”