Rugby player tackles mugger

Buy photos » This is the moment Sam Woodward tackled mugger Benjamin Brown to the floor. Picture Caters News. (s)

A RUGBY player has been nominated for a bravery award after tackling a mugger who stole a pensioner's handbag.

Sam Woodward came to the rescue after he saw Benjamin Brown push the 82-year-old woman to the ground and run off with her handbag, just moments after she had collected her pension.

Unfortunately for Brown he was brought crashing to the ground by Mr Woodward, who plays back-row forward for Hopwood based Kings Norton RFC, who held him in an arm-lock until police arrived.

Brown was jailed for five years at Leicester Crown Court after admitting the robbery in Leicester last July and a string of other offences.

Mr Woodward has now been commended for his actions and nominated for a Daily Mirror Pride in Britain award.

He told the Standard: "I saw what had happened and it was just a spur of the moment decision. I was brought up to respect my elders and I just thought that shouldn't happen to an elderly person.

"For me he's the lowest of the low. I went to see the lady at her home afterwards and she is still pretty shaken up and afraid to go out. I don't know what the maximum sentence is for robbery but he got exactly what he deserved, but for me personally, for doing that to an 82-year-old lady, I would have preferred to have seen him get a lot longer."

Since's Brown's sentencing last week the 33-year-old has been engulfed in a media storm but far from revelling in his have-a-go hero status, 'Bully' - as he is known on the rugby field - has found it bewildering and had not even told his Kings Norton team-mates about his citizen's arrest.

"There's been some good banter and one of the lads at the rugby club has even had a t-shirt made with 'When I grow up I want to be a hero like Bully' on it," he added.

"It's nice to be nominated for an award but I didn't do it for that and didn't expect anything. I was there and thought it was the right thing to do."

Roger Adams, Kings Norton club secretary, said: "Sam is a great guy and club man and although he plays a robust game on the field he is generally very unassuming. He’s quite shy and no-one at the club was aware of this public-spirited act. We're all very proud of him."