David Allen

David Allen (born 15 September 1985) is a former rugby league footballer who played as a forward. An Ireland international, Allen played for the Wigan Warriors, Oldham, Barrow Raiders, Widnes Vikings, Whitehaven and the Rochdale Hornets.

Club career

Allen was included in the Wigan Warriors squad in 2003 and become a first team player in 2005. He played 25 matches for Wigan mostly as a substitute and was released at the end of the 2005's Super League X. He was one of seven ex-Wigan players in the 2006 Widnes side and regularly played in the second row. He played in the 2006 National League One Grand Final where Widnes lost 16–29 to Hull Kingston Rovers. At the end of 2006 his contract with Widnes was not renewed after he failed a drug test following the Grand Final game against the Hull KR. Allen was banned from rugby league for 12 months by the Rugby Football League after testing positive for a metabolite of cocaine, doubled to two years following an appeal by UK Sport. After a brief spell with Barrow Raiders, Allen joined Widnes for the second time in 2010 and was made club captain. He made 26 appearances in the 2012 season and, in October, signed a new contract until the end of the 2014 season. He was released at the end of the 2014 season, and was signed by Whitehaven. Injury prevented him from playing during 2017 and he signed for Rochdale Hornets at the end of the season.

International career He was included in the 2003 England Academy squad to face the Australian Institute of Sport. He was selected for the 2004 Academy Origin Series and the 2004 England Academy U-18s tour. In 2006 he was selected for Ireland along with six other Widnes players for the country's World Cup qualifying matches.

In 2016, he was called up to the Ireland squad for the 2017 Rugby League World Cup European Pool B qualifiers.

Trivia Allen's father, John, was a professional player with Swinton. He attended Fairfield High School in Widnes from 1997 to 2002.