Plymouth Albion has signed Torquay-born Koree Britton. The hooker says he’s delighted to be joining Albion, particularly as one of his best friends, Dan Mugford is in the squad. “He’s half the reason why I’m putting my boots back on,” he says. “We’ve known each other since we were nine and we’ve kept in touch.”
Koree was only four-years-old when he started at Dartmouth minis with his older brother. “I was running around like a headless chicken, tackling my brother and all his mates. He lost interest but I carried on,” he says.
As a teenager, he joined the Exeter Chiefs Youth and also represented Devon u15/u16 and the England Under 18/20s. He played for Gloucester, Northampton Saints and London Welsh – until the club went into liquidation in December 2016. It’s an experience which affected him and he returned to the Westcountry, turning out for Brixham and Dartmouth.
“I was playing amateur rugby and I was really enjoying it, it brought that hunger and want back” says Koree, 27. “But I felt it was unfinished business and I wanted to prove to myself and prove to everyone else around me that I hadn’t just given up. There are things I still wanted to achieve in rugby.
“They’re a really good bunch at Albion. I’ve done a couple of training sessions with the boys and they have been really welcoming and I feel really motivated. They look out for each other and there’s a great team spirit. It’s like an extended family and, if you’re self-employed, they understand the need to get the balance right between work and rugby. That’s important because rugby isn’t going to last forever.
“I’ve got to earn my place on the team. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been before, you start at the bottom. I’ve got to prove myself worthy. I never expected to come in the squad and get the jersey straight away. I’m really excited to be coming on board”
Also excited about Koree’s move to Albion is his son who will be six in August. “He’s already asked for a kit!,” he laughs.
