'Fantastic people' at Wasps convince Brookes to stick with them

Wasps have tempted England tighthead prop Kieran Brookes to sign a contract extension. Since arriving from Northampton Saints last summer, Brookes has impressed in the front row in his 14 appearances during the 2018/19 campaign.

The powerhouse England prop has 16 caps to his name, having made his debut in New Zealand in 2014 before going on to be part of the 2016 Grand Slam-winning squad and the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

He has a wealth of top-level experience, having racked up 121 Premiership appearances as well as featuring 35 times in European competitions too.

Brookes’ early career was spent at Fylde, during which time he played age-group rugby for Ireland prior to committing to England by making his Saxons debut against USA in 2011. Although mainly known as a tighthead, Brookes has played across all three front row positions.

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Wasps director of rugby Dai Young said: “We’re really pleased that Kieran has pledged his future to the club.

“He’s a top-class prop who has a wealth of Premiership and international experience and having a player of his stature commit to the club is great news for all involved.

“We’ve got fantastic options in the tighthead area next season, with the experience of Brookesy and Jeff Toomaga-Allen, while we’ve got three up-and-coming players who will really benefit from working alongside these talented individuals.”

Brookes added: “I’ve really enjoyed my time at Wasps since making the move in the summer and there are some fantastic people around the club.

“It’s been a bit frustrating with injuries for me but I can’t wait to get back on the field and help us try and push on back up the Premiership table to compete with the best.”