AN amateur rugby player is giving professionals a run for their money – raking in more than top first-team sportsmen.
Max Brown plays for Walsall RFC in the sixth tier of English rugby and has become a social media sensation through his career as an influencer.
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On the pitch, the 22-year-old simply enjoys being “with mates”, and even turned down the chance to earn £100 per match in a higher league.
But, after leaving the locker room, Max is making four-figure business deals and raking in “well over £100,000” a year from producing video content.
He now showcases his matches to 134,000 Instagram followers, 185,000 YouTube subscribers and 240,000 TikTok fans.
His passion for rugby was sparked when he “realised I could run into people and smash them and that it was legal”, he told the Telegraph.
And, despite not playing in the top leagues, his involvement in the sport has seen him go from living on £800 a month to matching average pro wages at £130,000.
The 22-year-old said: “Some brand sponsorships I’ve had have been high four-figure deals.
Whether people are enjoying it or people are calling me s— and saying that I play in a farmers’ league – either way, it does well
Max
“It’s absolutely mental. I used to work part-time in a gym, where I’d earn £800 a month.
“It’s literally my whole life.
“People will think ‘all you’re doing is filming and posting’. But it’s planning, editing, scheduling content.”
The influencer explained how he wakes up and goes to bed thinking about how he will edit his videos.
Max’s page primarily shows match highlights, controversial plays, and everything to do with rugby.
“I’ll know during a game whether something is going to do well or not,” he continued.
“I’m thinking in the game ‘there’s a clip’! Steps, big hits or things that are fairly controversial have always done well.
“Whether people are enjoying it or people are calling me s— and saying that I play in a farmers’ league – either way, it does well.”
RISE TO SUCCESS
Max hit the jackpot last year after one video amassed over five million views on his page.
He recalled the match and said: “I bumped off about four of their players to score and the ref called it back.
“He gave me a yellow card for ‘charging with my forearm’, which I was shocked at.”
The rugby player explained how he knew the clip would attract thousands of comments after asking for users’ opinions.
It’s exciting, dangerous. I still sometimes wonder why more people don’t watch it.”
Max
Welsh former rugby union wing Louis Rees-Zammit and former England Rugby union captain Dylan Hartley have both interacted with Max through his online platforms.
It comes as Rugby union tries to attract more younger fans as the sport fell below the top 10 in popularity, according to a report from Ernst & Young.
Max himself believes it would help if top players had a bigger presence and “more personality on social media”.
The influencer spoke about why he loved playing and said: “It was how it made me feel; the adrenaline rush and the satisfaction you’d get from the game.
“It’s important because it’s what rugby is and why people watch it.
“It’s exciting, dangerous. I still sometimes wonder why more people don’t watch it.”
To help boost engagement, Max has collaborated with Harlequins and the Looseheadz to kick-start a “creators game”.
It will see two teams of influencers battle it out at the Twickenham Stoop.
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