Leicester Tigers academy graduate Joe Browning has been named Junior Sports Personality of the Year at a prestigious local awards ceremony.

Browning, who celebrated his 18^th birthday in April, collected The Sentinel/City of Stoke-on-Trent prize at a black-tie gala held at King’s Hall in Stoke last week.

He was presented with his trophy by former Stoke City FC striker Ricardo Fuller.

Browning was born in Birmingham but played his early rugby for Stoke RFC – where he reached the final of the Staffordshire Cup – and at Newcastle-under-Lyme School.

Having chosen to play for Tigers after previously being on the books of Stoke City FC, he played a key role in the academy’s back-to-back league wins over the last two seasons, including scoring a brace of tries in February’s Under-18 League Grand Final at Allianz Park.

The Denstone College student has also featured for England at age-grade level, most recently playing his part in an impressive campaign at the Six Nations Under-18s festival.