Ben Mowen signs with HSBC Waratahs for 2011
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Monday, 22 March 2010
NSWRU Media Unit
The HSBC Waratahs have further strengthened their squad for 2011 by securing the signature of backrower Ben Mowen for next season.
Ben Mowen flies high against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld.
Ben Mowen flies high against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld. [2010 Super 14 Round 3 - HSBC Waratahs v Bulls; Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, 27/2/10
Mowen established himself in the NSW pack last year and has maintained his position in 2010 having now played 19 straight Super 14 matches.
Queensland born and bred and a former squad member with the Reds, Mowen has settled his life in Sydney and is happy to be staying for another season.
"It was an exciting opportunity to join a very strong squad moving down at the end of 2007," said Mowen. "And I have very much enjoyed the team dynamic since I have been here.
"2008 was always going to be a big challenge to make the match day 22 but I gave it a dig and that's all I could have asked for that year. 2009 presented more opportunity and I enjoyed being part of a pretty successful year for the team although we just missed the finals."
Mowen suffered a knee injury in the late stages of the 2009 Tooheys New Shute Shield and missed a Grand Final appearance with Randwick, however a committed off-season rehabilitation program saw the backrower back on the field ahead of schedule.
"I was very determined not to miss any of the Super 14," said Mowen. "I wanted to be back and part of the strong team dynamic we had at the end of 2009. It's a special feeling to play a part in this side.
"You can certainly see this season that the squad has produced so much depth. That says a lot about the culture that has developed over the past few years and I feel privileged to be a part of this team moving forward."
Mowen represented Australian Schools out of Brisbane's Villanova College, going on to become captain of the Queensland Under 19s and also the skipper of the Australian Under 21 side which finished runners-up at the 2005 IRB World Championship.
An Australian representative at Sevens, he made his State and Super Rugby debut for Queensland against the Sharks in 2006, and despite going on to earn six more caps for the Reds, didn't make another Super Rugby appearance for his home state.
Mowen headed to Sydney late in 2007 to join the HSBC Waratahs and was named skipper in his first ever match, a trial against his former state on Australia Day in 2008. He also captained the HSBC Junior Waratahs on their 2008 Development Tour of Fiji before establishing himself in the NSW match day 22 in 2009.
Ben Mowen
Position: No.8/Flanker
Physical: 195cm, 106kg
Born: 1 December 1984, Brisbane QLD
School: Villanova College
Club: Randwick
State Caps: 26 (Queensland Reds 7, HSBC Waratahs 19)
State Points: 10 (HSBC Waratahs 10 (2t)]
State Debut: 2006 v Sharks (Queensland Reds)
Super Rugby Caps: 20 (Queensland Reds 1, HSBC Waratahs 19)
Super Rugby Points: 10 (HSBC Waratahs 10 (2t)]
Super Rugby Debut: 2006 v Sharks (Queensland Reds)