Ex-Ireland age-grade prop leaves Doncaster for career outside the game

Former Ireland age-grade prop Ben Betts has decided to put a stop to his career in England at Doncaster in preference of full-time employment outside the game back in Ireland. 

The 23-year-old, who appeared in the 2016 Junior World Championships final in Manchester against England, spent two seasons at Leicester, featuring off the bench for the Tigers in a January 2018 Champions Cup tie versus Castres. 

He spent recent seasons at Ealing Trailfinders and on loan at Nottingham. However, having originally agreed to join Doncaster Knights for the new 2020/21 Championship season, Betts has now opted to not take up the contract. 

A statement on the Knights club website read: "The former Ireland U20s star was due to join the Knights for the new season after it was announced he had signed from Ealing Trailfinders in June. 

"However, the 23-year-old has now decided to focus on interests outside of rugby, stepping away from the professional game to transition into full-time employment back in Ireland."

Doncaster coach Steve Boden added. “It is disappointing to lose Ben for the upcoming season but we respect his decision and wish him every success for the future as he moves away from full-time professional rugby. The decision does mean that we are now a man down in the tighthead position and efforts to recruit a suitable replacement are well underway, fingers crossed we should be able to announce more later this week.”

Betts had spoken some years ago of his desire to crack professional rugby and make it on the biggest stage. “I hope to achieve my goals which are playing at the highest level of rugby possible consistently throughout the peak of my career, whether that’s European Cup rugby, international or even bigger," he told sportinglimerick.com.

"To do that I need to be playing rugby consistently and at a good level, always wanting to get better and to do that you need to be in action every weekend.”