From club-less teen to Rassie Erasmus radar: Noah Brown's rapid rise at Brive

Noah Brown was without a club and running out of options just six months ago. Now the 6ft 9in, 124kg lock has signed for Brive in France’s ProD2, drawn the attention of Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus, and trained alongside England veteran Courtney Lawes — a transformation the 19-year-old admits he still struggles to process.

Brown was born in Port Elizabeth to a South African mother and an English father and grew up in Greater London, leaving him eligible for both England and South Africa. His immediate ambition is to represent either nation at U20 level, a goal he describes as a constant driving force. “I believe I can be at that level,” he says.

The path to Brive was anything but straightforward. Brown had spells in the youth systems of London Irish and Gloucester but never fully broke into Premiership academy rugby. A lack of playing time at Gloucester left English clubs unconvinced, and his coaches at Oxford College, Harrison Marshall and Tom Redfern, repeatedly pushed for England Under-20 consideration without success. When his college career ended, Brown found himself at a crossroads.

His breakthrough came after he contacted the Izzat sports agency, who circulated his highlight reel to clubs across France’s ProD2 and Top 14. The response was swift. “Within a few hours, eight or so came back very interested,” Brown recalls. Toulouse, Pau, Bordeaux-Bèglès and Racing 92 were among those who held calls with him before Brive secured his signature. He is currently playing for the club’s espoirs — effectively their academy — side.

“I finished playing college rugby and was a bit stuck on where to go,” Brown says. “A few clubs had shown interest during college but nothing stuck and I thought my best shot was to reach out to Izzat to get my name out there. They thought French rugby would be really good for me.”

For a player who had struggled to find a shop window for his talents in England, the sudden interest from some of Europe’s most powerful clubs was disorienting. The intrigue from Erasmus adds another layer of significance to a story that has moved at remarkable speed. Brown’s size alone — exceptional even by modern professional standards — makes him a compelling prospect, but it is the combination of physical profile, dual eligibility, and an evident willingness to seek out opportunity that has put him on the radar of those at the very top of the game.