Farrell was the youngest player ever to play in English professional rugby when he played his first game for the Saracens. He had only turned 17 a few days earlier.
He received a 10 week ban after a brutal tackle against Charlie Atkinson, which was later reduced to five weeks due to his charity work. This decision caused a stir as many felt the tackle was still unnecessarily dangerous.
Owen has been involved with Joining Jack, a charity that helps gather funds for research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.