Josh Basham Exclusive: “I do really want to make an impact”
Josh Basham has rejoined London Irish after time at Durham University and with Newcastle Falcons
©London Irish
When Josh Basham left London Irish in 2018, he was an Academy player with just a handful of appearances under his belt.
Now sitting at the Hazelwood Centre after four years in the North-East, he is part of the 1st XV set-up, has a degree and is looking to take the club that gave him his first opportunities in the professional game to new heights.
It wasn’t rugby reasons that prompted the back-row’s move away from the capital. Instead, it was the opportunity to step into higher education. Despite playing on nine occasions for the Exiles at senior level and representing England U20s, gaining an economics degree at Durham University was something that he wanted to pursue.
Playing regular rugby for Alex Keay in BUCS Super Rugby, (Basham reminding me that in the 2019/20 season he and his teammates won the league before Covid-19), it was only after the first year of his studies that he linked up with Newcastle Falcons.
“Really happy,” Basham, when asked how he felt to be back with London Irish, said. "Really happy to be back. I enjoyed my time in the north, but it is good to be back.
“There is obviously a few familiar faces which is nice. The club has changed, but not so much that I don’t recognise things. It is good to be back, and no longer as an academy player. It is good. I am really happy.
“At the time, I really wanted to go to uni and do that. I think it was good for me to have that different side of my life, enjoy that and then also realise that rugby is something that I really do love, and want to enjoy and pursue.
“It [university] kind of gave me more certainty with that as well, so I did the uni stuff, rugby alongside that and I really enjoyed that combination. It helped me to really refocus, and now, having got that [degree], I am really engaged with rugby again and what I want to do in it, achieve in it and get out of it. It is quite nice to have that certainty with what I am doing.”
During his time wearing the Palatinate, Basham would share the field with plenty of players that have gone on to gain professional rugby contracts. His former school teammate, Fitz Harding, has become a regular for Bristol Bears, while Fred Davies has recently signed for the club too with Harry Craven moving to Wasps.
It was a period of time in Basham’s life which has clearly given him a new outlook on the game. Whilst his final year in Durham was relatively overshadowed because of Covid – his rugby at that point entirely played at Kingston Park with Newcastle – it wasn’t always plain sailing for the 23-year-old, who took some time adjusting from the cut and thrust of the professional game to university level.
“It was quite tough at the start to be honest,” he explained. “Going from an environment like this, full-time and professional, and at the time I had just done England U20s and was straight into a uni rugby pre-season, it was a bit of an eye-opener.
“Managing those different levels and getting used to that was a bit tough. Then you make really good friends, and it is the closest thing to schoolboy rugby in that sense, where all your mates are on the team and you are playing week in, week out all over the country.
“It was good to have that camaraderie within the team and it is definitely a place that you can enjoy your rugby, and I think a lot of people do. At Durham, you have got the firsts all the way down to the fifths; it is a whole club thing. It is massive, but it is really a good way to meet new people and enjoy it.”
During his time away from London Irish, there has been much change. In 2018, the club still called Reading FC’s Madjeski Stadium [now the Select Car Leasing Stadium] home, the Exiles were also just about to head back into the Championship and both Declan Kidney and Les Kiss were still new faces.
For Basham too, there has been plenty of development. Along with his exploits at Durham, he earnt his first starts in the Gallagher Premiership for the Falcons. Whilst at Irish, the back-row had only been used as a substitute in the top-flight, his appearances in green coming in the Challenge Cup or the Anglo Welsh.
This remained the case at Newcastle for a season - with two starts in Europe - but it was last year where he really earnt his stripes, starting eight games from the beginning of February, as well as getting further opportunities in the Premiership Rugby Cup and Challenge Cup,
However, for all the change, Basham has walked back through the doors of Hazelwood to see plenty of familiar faces, with the senior playing squad now populated with his Academy class.
“The way I would describe it is, obviously a lot of people have moved on, but the people that have stayed are all in my year group and old academy buddies,” Basham said.
“From my year there is Ollie [Hassell-Collins] and Ben [Loader] that all came through and they are all still here. I played with Cookie [Jack Cooke], Matt Williams, Dolly [Tom Parton] – all of those boys as well. Those faces have stayed, and I think a few of them now are the longest serving players here.
“It has been really nice to meet new people, but it has also been quite nice having that core. It is almost like moving to a new club. It is not completely new because there are quite a few familiar faces, which has been really nice.
“I have been quite far away from them all, so it has been quite good to catch up. I have known some of them for ages. I was at Windsor Rugby Club as well with Matt Williams, which was before school. It is a small world.”
When it comes to the reason why Basham left Newcastle, it is relatively simple. Amongst other things, the 23-year-old mentions his family who still live in the area, his long-time friends, his relationship with Loader going back to their school days at Wellington College, as well as the decampment of many of his university pals to Clapham, which he describes as “the new Durham”.
It all builds into this ecosystem which will allow Basham to get that escape from rugby from time to time. With all of this in mind, when the opportunity arose to return to Irish, it was something that immediately caught his attention.
“When I had conversations about coming back, it wasn’t just with Declan, there was actually multiple involved which is good and it makes you feel wanted and that you actually do have a role to play, which is really nice,” he said.
“I do really want to make an impact and help push forward in any capacity that I can. I think they want me to do that as well. It is quite nice that they feel like I can make a difference and I can try to do that as well.
“When I left, they hadn’t even move to Brentford, so that is all new. Les and Deccy had just come in so I had only seen them for a couple of months. Even just speaking to the boys, it was obvious that the atmosphere had changed.
“I was speaking to one of the other boys and he said in all the years he’s been playing rugby, this is the best environment he’s walked into, which I thought was quite interesting. I definitely feel like it is a good one to have joined as well.”
As far as playing rugby goes, there is about three weeks to go until the Exiles get their new season underway against Worcester Warriors at the newly christened Gtech Community Stadium.
There is plenty of optimism surrounding a side that finished eighth last time out, reached the Premiership Rugby Cup final and made the quarters of the Challenge Cup. This is because on top of all of that, the club has two new England internationals in the form of Will Joseph and, of course, Henry Arundell, who each played a big part in the series win in Australia over the summer.
Basham is rejoining a squad where plenty of his Academy class are now established senior players
©London Irish
Add to that a young squad with plenty of upside, then there is much to like in Brentford. For Basham, he will be competing against a back-row position stacked with promise, with the likes of Juan Martin Gonzalez, Ben Donnell, Tom Pearson, So’otala Fa’aso’o, Matt Rogerson and plenty more.
Additions have been fairly minimal, with the signings of Italian duo Danilo Fischetti and Luca Morisi, as well as scrum-half Joe Powell, hooker Isaac Miller and Fijian lock Api Ratuniyarawara the main highlights.
Playing at the club’s new stadium will provide a buzz for Basham also, whose only experience at the ground was as a non-playing reserve for Falcons in a Premiership Rugby Cup tie, but as an ambitious player, there’s plenty to look forward to.
“I remember going to the Madjeski every week, and I think it is just noticeable how different it is [at the Gtech] and the positivity,” Basham said. “Even just following on Twitter, there is definitely an atmosphere around it, and everyone goes there, enjoys it and loves it.
“I think the players feel that as well and that is definitely something I am really excited to be a part of and run out there.
“Until last season, I hadn’t started a Prem game, and it was only towards the end that I had played week in, week out. There are almost no expectations for me, I want to put my hand up as much as I can, play as much as I can and keep enjoying it.
“In whatever capacity I play, I am just happy to push and get as much game time as possible. I am really excited for that. There is so many back-rows, and it is really nice because there is a massive group of young, good back-rows in my position and there is a lot of competition which can only be a good thing.
“It is a good environment to be in, with people helping each other and pushing each other forward. You are only going to get better, so I definitely don’t see it as a negative thing at all.”
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