A larger than life personality off the field and a tough as teak competitor on it, Luke Cowan-Dickie has overcome more hurdles than most in the time since his maiden Lions Tour in 2021.
The hooker spent 16 months on the sidelines following surgery on his neck which went wrong and has been open about the struggles he has faced, with gaming marathons keeping him up through the night and a move to France scuppered at the eleventh hour.
But this season has seen Cowan-Dickie back on the field and back to his bulldozing best. The 31-year-old Cornishman has been rewarded with a second Lions call-up and is ready to seize his latest opportunity in red.
ON THE HIGH SEAS
Cowan-Dickie grew up in Penzance and thrived while representing Penzance & Newlyn RFC as a youngster alongside future England teammate and Lion #828 Jack Nowell.
Both are sons of fishermen but while Nowell expected to follow his dad out to sea if rugby didn’t work out, a trip on the water aged 15 put Cowan-Dickie off the idea of doing similar.
“I went out with dad for a nine-day stint, doing six hours on and six off,” he told the England Rugby Podcast.
“I was sick at one point, I got back and I thought ‘this is definitely not for me’.”
What he did get out of it, however, was £200 in wages and a new XBOX. It proved the start of a passion for gaming that Cowan-Dickie admits got out of hand.
“I moved to Exeter, got a PC and started streaming,” he said. “I’d jump on after lunch and wouldn’t get off until one in the morning.
“On hardcore search and destroy (on Call of Duty), I was number one in the world.
"I was injured and I lose track of time easily. It would affect my training, what I was like at home, and all I wanted to do was game.”
Cowan-Dickie hung up his controller around the same time as he gave up drinking alcohol – and has barely looked back since.
DOUBLE DELIGHT
Prior to his injury, Cowan-Dickie was part of the local core of Westcountry players who took Exeter Chiefs to unparalleled heights.
He started the victorious Premiership finals in 2016/17 and 2019/20, while he also lined up in the Champions Cup final in the same year of the second of those triumphs as the Devonians completed a remarkable double.
Nowell, part of the same team, said of his best pal: “He has always been one of those players that wants to lead from the front.
“He puts his body on the line every single time and that drags others along with him.”
Such exploits did not go unnoticed by England and Cowan-Dickie, who debuted in 2015, was part of the squad who completed a Six Nations Grand Slam the following year.
His World Cup bow came in 2019, when he scored tries against Tonga, USA and Argentina and came off the bench in the final, while he also crossed in the final of the 2020 Autumn Nations Cup as England defeated France.
The following summer, the hooker arrived in South Africa with the Lions and made seven appearances in all on Tour, including four starts. He scored the tourists’ sole try in the first Test, a 22-17 victory, and started the second before coming off the bench in the decider.
Despite the series defeat, all seemed to be going swimmingly for Cowan-Dickie – but there were darker times around the corner.
SPELL ON THE SIDELINES
In early 2023, Cowan-Dickie went for what he thought was a routine neck operation – it turned out to be anything but.
“I came out with a damaged nerve and my arm took about 16 months to get back to actually playing OK,” he told BBC Sport.
“For the first four or five months I couldn’t really get my arm off my side, I couldn’t eat with a knife or fork, and I was only really bicep-curling 5kg.
“They say after nine months you hopefully see 70% strength, but I definitely didn’t have that.
"It was a decision we all made that I was able to play, but performance-wise you need a strong arm, so I didn’t perform as well as I wanted to.”
During his spell on the sidelines, Cowan-Dickie joined several of his Exeter teammates in seeking pastures new and a move was agreed to Top 14 side Montpellier.
That move fell through and he ended up staying in England with Sale Sharks.
It has proved an inspired move but it has not all been smooth sailing. During a match against La Rochelle in January 2024, Cowan-Dickie suffered from an irregular heartbeat and tests revealed he had suffered atrial fibrillation.
“I had the tests, MRIs and I had a portable ECG machine on me for a while, and they didn’t get anything back from it,” he said. “Touch wood, everything has been fine ever since.”
BACK ON TOUR
Feeling back to something approaching his old self in 2024/25, Cowan-Dickie has featured in 27 matches for club and country, including all five of England’s Six Nations matches.
He helped Sale into the Premiership play-offs, where they were beaten by Leicester Tigers, and was rewarded for his form with a second Lions call-up.
It was met with understandable emotion for a player who has been through the ringer between Tours.
“It’s hard because I’ve had a lot of people help me,” he told The Times. “My partner has helped me loads, the club too.
“It’s more thanks to them really, because my head works in weird ways. I’m up, I’m down, I’m not the most normal bloke around.
“Just having people around has definitely helped me. I just want to say thank you to them for sticking by me. I’m still amazed (by the call-up). I always say everything happens for a reason.”
