Freddie had a debut to remember but sister
Freddie Owsley – who marked his topflight pro rugby debut in style on Friday night with two tries for Edinburgh in their 66-3 Challenge Cup demolition of Brive – is a former UK age-grade sprint champion.
He was also a footballer of note during his younger days, having been on the radar of his home-town club Bristol City.
And that experience undoubtedly came in handy for the first of his tries on Friday when he dribbled the ball home from halfway.
But the 25-year-old knows he still has some way to go to surpass the sporting pedigree of sister Lily, who was an Olympic gold-medal winner with the GB hockey team at Rio in 2006.
“She’s kind of the star of the family, which is annoying,” chuckled Owsley, who arrived in Edinburgh during the summer after being on an apprentice contract with Bristol Bears.
He missed an early opportunity to show what he can do because he had to attend the wedding of his other sister, Emily, on the same day as the club’s final pre-season match against Benetton.
Head coach Mike Blair confirmed after Friday’s match that this left the player way down the pecking order at the start of the 2021-22 campaign
But Owsley insists that he was not disheartened by his lack of game time during that period.
“I was happy to wait because I’m in a great place training and having fun here,” he said. “The best thing about here is that I’m in a really happy place with these guys – the Edinburgh guys have welcomed me so much.
“I’ve always wanted to go down the Scottish route. My mum, Jennifer, is from Govan and moved down to Bristol when she was young.
“When it finished up at Bristol last season, Edinburgh called and I was really happy to go there for a second chance, and it’s turning out all right,” added Owsley, whose great grandfather, Duncan Mcpherson, played left-back for Queens Park back in the 1920s.