Former Whitehaven RL star Marks Dean makes union comeback
Last updated 11:56, Thursday, 23 October 2008
Mark Deans, the former Whitehaven, Wath Brow and BARLA Great Britain international is making a come-back with Wigton rugby union club.
Deans, now 25, had to draw the line under a promising professional career when he suffered recurring shoulder problems. He played six first team games in 2006 but didn’t appear again for Haven until briefly this season for the reserve grade and he was forced to quit because of the shoulder.
He actually started his career with the rugby union club in Wigton before switching to amateur rugby league. He was impressing for Wigton in the Cumberland Amateur Rugby League when he was signed by Wath Brow and from there played for BARLA Great Britain.
Deans, who is 6ft 4ins tall, turned professional in 2005 and was regarded as one of the brightest prospects at the Recreation Ground.
Wigton coach Malcolm Brown said: “He’s been training with us for the last two weeks and wants to give it another go. Initially we are going to be using him in the centre and he will make his debut on Saturday for the Wanderers against Workington Steelers.”
Brown also announced a double signing as 34-year-old prop forward Paul Harrison has re-joined the club he first started with as a raw teenager. Harrison, 17stone, was in the 1991 Wigton side which won the Cumbria Colts Championship but he also moved into amateur rugby league.
