July 27, 2007
Former So Solid Crew rapper Mark Osei-tutu is turning out to be a smash hit on the rugby pitch after taking up the sport.
This season the Rugby Football Union is running the sophisticated Go Play Rugby recruitment campaign designed to increase player numbers by 6,000.
But one club in South London is ahead of the game after signing up Osei-tutu – who has a string of chart hits to his credit as MC Neutrino.
Bound 4 Da Reload went to number one seven years ago and was followed by five more top 20 singles for the Oxide & Neutrino combination of Osei-tutu and Alex Rivers. Their third album, 2nd Chance, was released this summer.
Brixton-born musician Osei-tutu, who was looking for a new sporting challenge after working out in the gym and playing football, was hooked after his first training session at London Cornish and has already made a first appearance in the back-row for the Battersea-based club.
And he’s happy to be an ambassador for the sport in South London, encouraging potential players from new communities to get involved in a game that offers a unique blend of skill, strategy and physicality.
"I'd been going to the gym for four or five years and put on a lot of muscle mass and although I'd been playing football I didn't really feel I was getting enough out of it," Osei-tutu said.
"I'd watched rugby on TV growing up. We didn't have the chance to play it at school but I'd always been curious about getting involved.
"I came across the London Cornish website on the internet and they said anyone was welcome even if they hadn't played before. So I got in touch and I started training straight away.
"That first session, I really loved the whole physical side of it and everyone at the club was friendly and welcomed me.
"The attraction of the sport is that it's really skilful, it takes a lot of thinking, there's lots of strategy and it's physical, fast and fun. No matter what you can do you'll always be involved and participating.
"I do speak to a lot of young kids round the estates and when I say I play rugby they're a bit surprised. But when I explain it to them they take a keen interest.
"I know rugby is perceived as a white, middle-class sport and maybe it needs to rid itself of that and if I can do anything to help do that it's great."
Dickon Moon, the director of rugby at London Cornish, said: "A number of players have joined us in the past by just spotting us training and asking if they could get involved but none have made as big an impression as Mark.
"He is a powerful unit and is incredibly keen to learn. He has attended every session since he started and our only problem now is to work out where to play him!
"We are hoping that his involvement may inspire other potential players from communities not normally associated with rugby union to get involved with their local clubs.
"We are sure there are other potential players out there who could do the same thing. The Go Play Rugby initiative should encourage such players and we thoroughly endorse its aims."
Anyone interested in getting involved in rugby union can visit
