Some players take a more winding road to the top than others but few can match the circuitous ascent of Curtis Langdon. The eight-year-old kid from Weston-super-Mare who was sent to kick-boxing classes to help toughen him up is now a hard-edged 27-year-old approaching his prime and a perfect illustration of just how far perseverance can propel you.
These days he is firmly established as Northampton’s first-choice hooker, eagerly awaiting Saturday evening’s big east Midlands derby at Welford Road. Before fetching up at Franklin’s Gardens last year, though, his desire to go the extra mile in search of sporting fulfilment had led him down all sorts of highways and byways.
