David Allen (rugby league)

David Allen
Personal information
Born (1985-09-15) 15 September 1985
Wigan, Greater Manchester, England
Playing information
Position Second-row, Loose forward

Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2003–05 Wigan Warriors 25 4 0 0 16
2006 Widnes Vikings
2009 Oldham 17 9 0 0 36
2009 Barrow Raiders 8 1 0 0 4
2010–14 Widnes Vikings 106 23 0 0 92
2015–17 Whitehaven 51 9 0 0 36
2018– Rochdale Hornets 8 0 0 0 0
Total 215 46 0 0 184
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2006–13 Ireland 9 1 0 0 4
As of 15 April 2018
Source: [1][2]

David Allen (born 15 September 1985) is an Irish international rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row for the Rochdale Hornets in the Betfred Championship.

Allen served a two-year ban from rugby league after testing positive for Benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine in November 2006.

He previously played for Wigan Warriors, Oldham, Barrow Raiders, Widnes Vikings, and Whitehaven.

Club career

Wigan

Allen was included in the Wigan squad in 2003 and become a first team player in 2005. He played 25 matches for Wigan mostly as a[substitute. He made one first team appearance for Wigan in 2003 as substitute and in 2004 made another appearance again as a substitute, he spent most of 2003 and 2004 playing in the Wigan academy. In 2005, he made eight starts for Wigan as well as 15 substitute appearances, he scored is first try for the club in the first Super League match for 2005 against Salford at the JJB Stadium on 11 February, he finished the season with 4 tries.

Wigan already had several second row forwards in the squad for 2006 such as Gareth Hock, Danny Tickle, Harrison Hansen, and when Wigan bought Australian second row Bryan Fletcher Wigan decided to release David Allen from his contract at the club.

Widnes

After being released from Wigan he went on to join National League 1 side Widnes. He was one of 7 ex-Wigan players in the 2006 Widnes side and regularly played in the second row. He played in the 2006 National League 1 Grand Final where Widnes lost 16-29 to Hull Kingston Rovers. At the end of 2006 his contract with Widnes was not renewed after he was banned from rugby league for taking a banned substance.

Drugs ban

David Allen was banned from rugby league for 12 months by the Rugby Football League after testing positive for Benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine. Allen argued that he has taken the drugs accidentally and the RFL accepted and only issued the 12-month ban. However, UK Sport appealed and asked the RFL to reconsider their punishment and apply the mandatory two-year ban in the World Anti-Doping Code. It was the first appeal lodged by UK Sport against a sanction imposed by a national governing body on an athlete who failed a drugs test. After serving his ban, he joined Oldham ahead of the 2009 season.[3]

Return to Widnes

After a brief spell with Barrow Raiders, Allen joined Widnes for the second time in 2010. He was released at the end of the 2014 season, and was signed by Whitehaven.[4]

International career

He was included in the 2003 England Academy squad to face the Australian Institute of Sport. He was selected for the 2004 Academy Origin Series and the 2004 England Academy U-18s tour. In 2006 he was selected for Ireland along with six other Widnes players for the country's World Cup qualifying matches.

In 2016, he was called up to the Ireland squad for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup European Pool B qualifiers.[5]

Trivia

  • Allen's father, John, was a professional player with Swinton.
  • He attended Fairfield High School in Widnes from 1997–2002.

References

  1. ↑ loverugbyleague
  2. ↑ Rugby League Project
  3. ↑ "Allen handed Oldham opportunity". BBC Sport. 14 November 2008. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  4. ↑ "Whitehaven sign Widnes Vikings back-rower Dave Allen". BBC Sport. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "Warrington Wolves trio named in Ireland squad for World Cup qualifiers". Warrington Guardian. 24 September 2016. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
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