Rugby player Andrew Skeen swaps Berwick for Milan

Dec 22 2008 by Brian Daniel, The Journal

A RUGBY player has swapped Northumberland for Milan in his bid to carve out a career in the sport.

Andrew Skeen, 24, who spent 10 years with Berwick Rugby Club in the amateur union game, is now playing professionally for Amatori Rugby Milano, in the second tier of the Italian sport.

For Andrew, who lived at Berryhill Farm in Duddo, it has been a long journey from his beginnings in the game with Berwick. The former Ford First and Longridge Towers school pupil joined the club’s youth set-up and progressed to the first team, as an outside half.

Having racked up international caps for Scotland’s youth sides, Andrew left in 2005 for a business studies course at Northumbria University in Newcastle.

After appearing for the winning team at the renowned Melrose sevens competition, he then had several offers to play in the Premier One league in Scotland, and opted to move to Edinburgh and join Watsonians.

Andrew combined his rugby with a full-time job in an investment bank. At the time, he was eager to forge a career outside rugby. But after one season, Andrew began training full-time with Edinburgh in the hope of winning a permanent contract. This was not forthcoming but the experience ultimately resulted in the move to Italy.

Andrew had an offer to go last Christmas, through a friend who was playing out in Italy and knew someone coaching a team that needed an outside half.

He was later offered a contract through the brother of an Italian coach at Edinburgh. Andrew had another offer in Paris, but opted for Italy.

He is now living in the Lambrate district of Milan, about 15 minutes’ train ride north of the city centre.

Andrew is living with teammates from Argentina and New Zealand. He is learning Italian and has made many friends.

He will be back in England for Christmas, and said: “I love being over here.

“I’m so lucky, playing a sport I love for a living, a nice relaxed lifestyle, enjoying the better weather, too, and the pitches are still very firm, which suits my style of rugby rather than the muddy fields back home. It’s great to see everyone again at Christmas, but I have no regrets about moving out here.”

Andrew is aiming for a contract with a team playing in Top 10, Italian rugby’s premier league.

Steve Newman, Press officer for Berwick Rugby Club, said: “We are all very pleased that a local boy from Berwick has progressed to this stage.”