Warren Britz - A Tribute

By Leipziger
August 11 2004

The press release said it all - Newcastle Falcons have agreed to release South African flanker Warren Britz from his contract at the club.

The 30-year-old former Springbok has taken up an offer to return to the Natal Sharks, and is already in South Africa with his new team having been granted a release from the Falcons, whom he helped win the Powergen Cup last season.

Leipziger takes up the story and leads the tributes to the popular South African.

Warren Britz

Appearances: 22 starts, 1 replacement.  7 tries.
Honours: RFU Cup Winner 2004
Debut: Wasps away 1st March 2003 (Premiership)
Last march: Rotherham away 8th May 2004 (Premiership)

Warren Britz joined the Falcons midway through the 2002-03 season as one of
the five foreigners signed to help get us out of relegation trouble, along
with Mark Mayerhofler, Craig Newby, James Christian and Mark Andrews.  The
return of Andrew Mower from his loan spell at Borders at the same time
restricted Britz to just one appearance that season, in the 13-12 defeat at
Wasps on March 1st.  I have to say he didn’t particularly impress me in this
match, nor in his next appearance at Glasgow in a pre-season friendly on
August 22nd 2002.

But Britz began the 2003-04 season at openside flanker, scoring his first
try for Newcastle in the opening game, a 20-25 defeat to Saracens at
Kingston Park.  During the early part of 2003-04 he was by all accounts one
of our best players and when I finally got to see him play again, v
Rotherham at home in November, I was most surprised to see Britz was indeed
showing himself to be an accomplished flanker, for me a excellent carrier
and battler, in the Richard Arnold mould.  He played every league match up
until the December 28th 23-19 win v Northampton, and secured his place in
the club’s history with the opening try after just a few minutes of the
Powergen Cup Final v Sale, as well as being the man Phil Dowson replaced in
order to score the winner!

Most Falcons were very excited at the thought of our back row for 2004-05,
with Britz alongside international captains Semo Setiti and Colin Charvis.
We now know this is not to be.  Although in Phil Dowson we have a man who
can potentially be an excellent openside flanker, and if Andrew Mower
returns sooner rather than later, we won’t be sunk without Britz, we have
lost one of our main driving forces in the pack.

Warren Britz was signed when we were in dire need of getting off rock
bottom, and though he was little used at the time, he more than played his
part in getting us back on track last season with a Cup triumph, and
therefore deserves huge thanks from all supporters.  We wish him all the
best back in Natal, and if ever he were to play here again in a friendly,
he’d be most welcome.