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Joel Awanka S. Kpoku (born 22 June 1999) is an English-born Congolese rugby union lock who currently plays for Section Paloise in the French Top 14.

Kpoku began playing rugby at school and joined rugby league side London Skolars at age 12. He then joined Saracens Amateur RFC in 2013 before being selected for the Saracens academy at under-17s. While studying at Oaklands College as a member of the Oaklands Wolves Rugby Academy, Kpoku impressed and toured South Africa with the Saracens Amateurs U17 team in 2016. He was called up for England training in August 2018 after a notable performance in the 2018 World Rugby Under 20 Championship.

Biography

Early life and education

Joel Kpoku was born on 22 June 1999 in London, specifically in the borough of Newham, to Congolese parents, which is why Joel Kpoku's first language is French. Kpoku grew up in Hackney, along with his twin brother Jonathan Kpoku and his younger brother Junior Kpoku.

Growing up in Hackney, Joel Kpoku had never had the chance to see a rugby ball before moving to Southgate and discovering the sport in Year 7. Initially, he was reluctant and "hated getting dirty," but he gradually developed an interest in rugby. With his brother Jonathan Kpoku, he was spotted by the London Skolars, a rugby league team. Richard Hill played a key role in recruiting the two brothers to the Saracens, joining the academy.

Professional career

Early days with Saracens

Joel Kpoku's professional career began promisingly in England with the Saracens when he was 19, scoring a try against the Leicester Tigers in his debut appearance in October 2018. During this first season, Kpoku played ten matches for Saracens and ten more with the England U20 rugby team. At the end of the season, Kpoku competed in the World Rugby U20 Championship alongside players such as Marcus Smith and impressed observers despite losing in the final to the France U20 rugby team of Cameron Woki, Romain Ntamack, and Demba Bamba. The following season, Joel Kpoku made 27 appearances, including 12 as a starter. However, his third season proved more challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a complex situation within the club, due to Saracens' relegation. He only participated in seven matches for the Sarries. As a promising player, he was identified by the British press as one of the young English players expected to renew the Red Rose squad. Kpoku was thus called up for a full England training session in August 2018 by Eddie Jones. In May 2020, he extended his contract with the Saracens by signing a two-year deal, which included his promotion from the academy to the first team. However, his playing time was limited and he decided to leave his formative club in search of more game time.

Kpoku joins Top 14 with LOU

On 19 November 2021, Joel Kpoku left the Saracens to join Lyon OU, replacing Etienne Oosthuizen, who had retired for health reasons. In his first season with LOU, Kpoku played only six matches, three of them as a starter. In his debut match for LOU, on 27 December 2021 at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre against La Rochelle, he suffered a serious knee injury in the 33rd minute. Medical examinations revealed a tear of the tibial collateral ligament as well as a syndesmosis in the ankle. From the following season, Kpoku established himself as a key player for the team. In May 2022, he was part of the team that won the 2021–22 EPCR Challenge Cup pool stage. Kpoku and his teammates triumphed over Toulon in the final, giving LOU their first European title in history.

New start at Section Paloise

In June 2024, he signed a contract with Section Paloise until June 2027. Despite an offer to extend his contract with LOU, Joel Kpoku chose to join the sectionniste project led by Sébastien Piqueronies, which is being rebuilt after the retirement of Sam Whitelock.

Personal life

Kpoku has Congolese heritage and speaks fluent French. He has two rugby-playing brothers: Jonathan Kpoku and Junior Kpoku.

Joel Kpoku has a twin brother, Jonathan Kpoku, who plays for the Sporting Club Albigeois, and another brother, Junior, who plays for Racing 92. Born in England to Congolese parents, the Kpoku brothers are all fluent in French.

In February 2019, he was shortlisted for the Premiership Rugby Cup Breakthrough Player Award.

Honours

• RFU Championship winner with Saracens (2021)
• EPCR Challenge Cup winner with Lyon (2022)

References

1. ^ "Hotshot: Saracens and England U20 lock Joel Kpoku". Rugby World. 10 January 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
2. "Chris Ashton: Sale winger named in England squad for first time since 2016". BBC. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
3. ^ Morgan, Charlie (22 May 2022). "Joel Kpoku interview: 'Why I lost love for rugby in England and moved to France'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
4. ^ "Rugby. Joel Kpoku, le LOU made in " Sarries "". Le Progrès. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
5. "Rugby. "Au début j'ai dit non" : les Kpoku, ces frères qui ont traversé la Manche pour jouer à Bourgoin et au LOU". Le Dauphiné Libéré. 13 September 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
6. Dymock, Alan (10 January 2019). "Hotshot: Saracens and England U20 lock Joel Kpoku". Rugby World. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
7. "WATCH: 19-year-old Saracens lock has everyone talking with his Man of the Match performance". Rugby Onslaught. 27 October 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
8. Lagrenade, Iker (15 May 2022). "À Lyon, la révélation Kpoku". Rugbyrama. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
9. "Fairplay financier : les Saracens, club star du rugby anglais, relégué en deuxième division". Les Echos. 20 January 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
10. Doré, Louis (8 November 2019). "5 young players who could break into the England team in 2020". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
11. "Chris Ashton: Sale winger named in England squad for first time since 2016". BBC Sport. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
12. Walters, Ryan (1 May 2020). "Joel Kpoku commits future to Sarries - Saracens". Saracens. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
13. "Joel Kpoku commits future to Sarries". Saracens. 25 May 2020. Retrieved 20 June 2020.
14. "Six players who were tipped to start World Cup 2023 and what went wrong". Ruck. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
15. "BREAKING: Saracens star confirms move to Lyon". Ruck.co.uk. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
16. "Joel Kpoku quitte les Saracens pour le LOU". L'Équipe. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
17. "Tout juste arrivé à Lyon, Joel Kpoku se blesse !". Minute Sports. 30 December 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
18. "'I was kind of lost in the rugby world, my name had gone quiet'". Rugby Pass. 22 May 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
19. Fiatte, Sébastien (15 May 2022). "Joel Kpoku, l'impatient anglais". Rugbyrama. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
20. Zanardi, Nicolas (14 May 2022). "Joel Kpoku (Lyon) : "On est conscient d'avoir un peu marqué l'histoire du club"". Rugbyrama. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
21. Plazanet, Julien (27 May 2022). "La Challenge Cup pour un LOU plus fort que Toulon !". Rugbyrama. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
22. "Saison 2024-2025 : 11 recrues officialisées". Section Paloise. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
23. "Saison 2024-2025 : 11 recrues officialisées". www.section-paloise.com. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
24. Carrère, Jérôme (13 December 2023). "Section Paloise : Joel Kpoku, une recrue polyvalente devant". La République des Pyrénées. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
25. "Le Lyonnais Joël Kpoku vers la Section Paloise". Sud Ouest. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
26. "'I was kind of lost in the rugby world, my name had gone quiet'". www.rugbypass.com. 22 May 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
27. ^ Morgan, Charlie (6 March 2024). "Youngest Kpoku brother plays for England U20s – but may have been lost to France already". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
28. "Jonathan KPOKU : Fiche joueur et statistiques - It's rugby". It's Rugby. 22 July 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
29. "Premiership Rugby Cup Breakthrough Player Award: James Grayson of Northampton Saints". Rugby Wrap Up. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2019.

• 1999 births
• Living people
• English rugby union players
• Rugby union locks
• Rugby union players from the London Borough of Newham
• Saracens F.C. players
• English expatriate rugby union players in France
• Lyon OU Rugby players
• Section Paloise players