Former rugby union starlet signs for Championship club
Championship club Whitehaven have signed former rugby union prospect Oscar Doran on a deal for the remainder of the 2023 season.
The 18-year-old spent time in the ranks at Newcastle Falcons but after leaving the rugby union side, he was invited down to Whitehaven where he trained with the first team squad.
Doran, a winger or centre, played junior rugby league at Cumbrian side Kells alongside rugby union at Mirehouse-based side St Benedicts.
The outside-back has now penned a permanent deal with Whitehaven for the rest of 2023.
He said: “I’ve been training with the club for around a month now and it’s all been positive.
“Good coaches, good lads and I’m just happy to be signing and to be getting some game time.”
Whitehaven delighted to secure services of Oscar Doran
Haven coach Jonty Gorley said: “Oscar is a local kid who has bags of potential.
“He is big athletic kid, who has got plenty of pace and had played league to a good level at youth level.
“The last year or so, Oscar has been on the books of Newcastle Falcons. That has now come to an end and he has been training with us for the last month and hasn’t looked out of place.
“As I’ve mentioned previously, we are short of outside-backs and short of pace so signing Oscar gives us cover in the those areas.
“I’m sure, given the chance, Oscar will make the best of his opportunity with us.”
Whitehaven suffer injury blow
Whitehaven have confirmed that they will be without full-back Sam Freeman for the rest of the 2023 Championship season through injury.
The 24-year-old left the field in Whitehaven’s 16-14 win over Cumbrian rivals Barrow on Good Friday and didn’t return to the action.
Scans have since confirmed that the injury is a recurrence of the ACL injury that kept him sidelined before he signed for the club ahead of this season.
Freeman will play no further part in the 2023 campaign as he enters the road of recovery.
“All at the club wish Sam a speedy recovery,” a club statement read.
More on Sam Freeman
Freeman came through the ranks at his hometown club Widnes, scoring four tries on his first team debut back in 2019.
The utility back went on to make eight appearances for the Vikings as well as having a short spell on loan in League 1 with North Wales Crusaders.
Freeman then left Widnes to sign for League 1 side Rochdale ahead of the 2020 campaign. He scored two tries and kicked 24 goals in four games for the Hornets in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He signed for Rochdale again in 2021, kicking nine goals and scoring one try in five games before suffering an ACL injury which wiped out his season.
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