Young Gun: Josh Sharp – Loughborough Students fly-half

For the past three years, Josh Sharp had only one goal – to break into the Saracens first team and become a professional rugby player.
But when he was released last summer, fly-half Sharp, 19, decided get an education, too, and enrolled at Loughborough University to study Sports, Science and Management.
The rejection was a blow to his ambitions but it does not mean his dream is over and he only has to look at his Students half-back partner for inspiration.
Last year, Henry Taylor was released by Harlequins to further his studies. Twelve months on and with a full season in National League One behind him he lifted the World Cup with England U20s, relegating captain Callum Braley to the bench, as well as signing a contract with Saracens.
Sharp told the TRP: “The door is never shut and I know if I play well for Loughborough I'll have another chance in professional rugby and Henry's the perfect example of that.
“There is no substitute to playing and playing week-in week-out will put me on the map.
“Because of the calibre of players they have, Saracens could not see when they were going to be able to give me an opportunity. I was gutted but I'm grateful for their honesty. They were the ones who put me in contact with Loughborough.
“I want to keep the starting shirt at here and gain a lot of men's rugby experience. Playing here also makes me eligible for England Students or Counties. And who knows, maybe I'll be world champion with England U20s like Henry did last year.”
Sharp started playing rugby in the Saracens minis section and he stayed there until the age of 15 before joining Bishop's Stortford.
But England U16s duty meant he did not play as much as he would have liked. Leaving school he joined Saracens' AASE programme at Oaklands College.
The AASE League Plate was won against Ivybridge in 2012 and they reached the final of the Cup against Hartpury in 2013. That year, he was crowned a European champions with England U18s in France.
Before joining Oaklands, Sharp could not play rugby at his school, Sheredes, because there was no team. But in his last year, he set one up with the help of his PE teacher. Playing and coaching, Sharp led his school to glory as they won the Emerging Schools title in 2011.
Under the tutelage of Dave Hesketh and his older brother and Bedford fly-half Jake at Oaklands, his development reached a new level but his work with Charlie Hodgson at Sarries last year helped him prepare games better.
He said: “Training full-time with such talented players was incredible. I learned an awful lot especially with Charlie who spent a lot of time helping me out.
“We worked on every aspect of my game but his approach and the way he looks at opponents before a game was the most striking.
“He makes the game very simple and executes the basics really well. That's something I'm looking to develop and I'm sure it'll help me this year playing men's rugby in National One.”