Gifted Dragons centre Owen began playing rugby as a seven-year-old with Newport High School Old Boys before rising up the ranks of the Welsh age grade system. In a world of giant game breaking centres, Owen is different with his ball playing ability, and silky handling skills marking him out as a star of the future.
“Growing up watching Conrad Smith, the skillset he had, I’ve tried to copy and bring that to my game,” said the 21-year-old. “I feel like that’s something I’ve got a little bit of a point of difference with, and he’s someone I’ve tried to emulate in terms of the way I want to play the game, definitely.
“Up until I was 17, I used to play outside-half, so I’ve tried to transfer those skills to the centre. I’ve tried to offer that sort of skill set one out.
“I want to be another pair of eyes, bring that skill set, bring the ball to the line, and put the ball into space. I feel it’s a real point of difference for me, but there’s a lot of fundamentals I also need to work on and get better at.
“I’m trying to make myself an all-round player, but my point of difference is my ball playing ability.”
While most aspiring young rugby players dream of playing for some of European rugby’s more fashionable clubs such as Leicester Tigers, Bristol Bears, Leinster, Toulon, or Toulouse former Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw pupil Owen’s dream was always to represent the Dragons.
And it is a dream he has realised having now established himself as a key member of Dean Ryan’s side.
“From the age of nine to 17 I was a season ticket holder with the Dragons,” he said. “I used to go everywhere with my dad, brother, and mates to watch them play. Former Dragons centre Ashley Smith was my favourite player.
“When I was 18, I started training with the Dragons which was a dream come true, but also pretty daunting. You go from playing with boys your age to training with fully grown men who are professionals.
“The first session is always pretty tough, and you are blowing loads, but you get used to it. I was nervous because there’s a lot of boys I hadn’t met before. I was a little bit cagey, nervous, and shy but after a few sessions I felt part of the team.”
Owen was a standout player for Wales at age grade level, starring at both under 18s and under 20s level. Talk to just about anyone involved in the Welsh development pathway and they all pinpoint Owen as a Wales star of the future.
And he has an admirer in Wales head coach Wayne Pivac who called him into train with the senior squad this summer. “I feel as if I’m heading in the right direction, and I’ve always been really keen to keep improving as a player, and keep learning as much as possible,” he said.
“At the moment, the Dragons is definitely the place where I feel as if I’m doing that. As an individual I’m getting better all the time.
“It was a great experience to train with Wales. It was a real positive experience where I got to learn from the best players, and the best coaches so I could see how I would cope in that environment.”
