England’s Luke Cowan-Dickie Back in Action Ahead of Six Nations Tournament
Highly sought-after Exeter Chiefs hooker and England international Luke Cowan-Dickie is making his return to the pitch after recent injury troubles, determined to help the England national rugby union team secure victory in this year’s Six Nations championship. The 25-year-old front-rower from Truro is fit and ready to come off the bench for England in their upcoming match against France in the second game of the tournament.
Cowan-Dickie, standing at 6’1″ and weighing 113kg, came up through the Penzance-Newlyn (Pirates) Minis system and is considered one of the standout products of the renowned Exeter Chiefs academy. The talented young hooker recently turned down offers from rival clubs like Leicester Tigers, Worcester Warriors, and Harlequins to sign a two-year contract extension, cementing his future at Exeter’s Sandy Park until at least the end of the 2020-21 season.
“I’m happy with the decision and things are going well,” said Cowan-Dickie. “I’ve been at the Chiefs now for eight seasons. People who come to our club do see how different it is and I do love the Chiefs.”
In 2013, Cowan-Dickie was one of five Exeter players who helped England’s Under-20 squad lift the Junior World Championships title in France. However, the talented hooker has fallen down the pecking order for the senior England national rugby union team in recent times due to injury setbacks, earning just a handful of caps since making his debut in 2015.
But Cowan-Dickie made a strong statement in December, outshining England rival Jamie George as Exeter ended Saracens’ 22-match winning streak. The 25-year-old scored the first of Exeter’s four tries and impressed with his high-energy play and secure set-piece work. Now, the stage is set for Cowan-Dickie to add to his seven England caps and cement his place in Eddie Jones’ plans for this year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan.
As the 2019 Six Nations tournament gets underway, rugby fans can expect an intense battle between the home nations as they prepare for the global showpiece event later this year. England will be eager to bounce back from their disappointing fifth-place finish in last year’s championship, while Wales are riding high after an impressive autumn campaign. Scotland will be aiming to fulfill their potential, and Ireland – the team to beat in 2018 – were given a wake-up call by an inspired England side in the tournament opener.
All Six Nations matches will be broadcast live on either ITV or BBC in the UK, with every game also available for live streaming online through the respective broadcasters’ platforms. International viewers can catch the action on television networks such as FR2 in France, TV3 in Ireland, and NBC in the United States.
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