About

Drafting for the MLR is next, and my highlights video can be watched below.

Est. 2002

Built Different

Built Different. What does that mean? Why do I say it?

Looking back on my journey in life and the many different aspects I have experienced, time has always been a friend. My decisions in life haven’t been made lightly, and I have always looked at my options through every lens whilst trying to be as self-aware as possible of what the future could look like. I have created a mind that I would say is ‘built different’ due to my outlook on life and how I continue to navigate it to this day.

At the age of three, I was already obsessed with sports. I loved playing catch outside with everyone and anyone who would join me. No matter what the weather, I would be found outside kicking, throwing or catching a ball with someone or at something. I remember playing indoors and somehow never broke anything, but I was always advised to go outside and play instead.

It was clear I had a sporting ability, so it was decided I needed to fine-tune my ball-handling skills at a football club. Hale United, run by Jordan Brooks was where my sporting career took flight. In Hale, Cheshire, UK, training with Hale United was where I decided I would be a goalkeeper. This was just the start of my sporting journey.

By the age of 7, Football, Taekwondo and Cricket were my main sports I played alongside, Tennis, Climbing, Sailing and Swimming. All these sports offered me different insights into teamwork, self-discipline and leadership. They gave me experience on many different levels and opportunities to explore and mould my athletic ability. At the time, Football and Taekwando were the sports I was most passionate about, and it showed when I went on to become the UK’s youngest blackbelt at the age of nine.

I loved Football. Hale United helped me love this sport, as well as helping me go on to succeed in selections at higher levels. I was selected by Liverpool FC Academy at ten years old, and this was just the start. After a year at Liverpool, I was then approached by Manchester City to train with their Academy. This was amazing as I was a massive football fan and big supporter of Joe Hart, Man City’s first-team goalkeeper. Seeing Joe Hart walk into the training centre where I trained has been a memory I will never forget. It inspired me to keep pursuing my dreams.

In primary school, around the age of 11, I picked up a new sport, which was rugby. Rugby was a very different type of sport that I had ever played before; it was confusing and a bit of a struggle to understand at first. This was the rugby seed being planted.

My first proper Rugby training session; I remember being very scared and nervous about what to expect and starting a sport that I wasn’t great at with a new club. In the end, I loved it and went back again and again for the next year, playing on a Saturday for Hale United and a Sunday for Sale RFC. It was a fun and great experience getting the best of both worlds.

At twelve, this is where I had my first heartbreak as a sportsperson. I was dropped by Manchester City’s academy. This was a difficult moment because becoming a professional footballer had always been the biggest dream of mine. It also became the time to choose between Football and Rugby. I decided that I would pursue Rugby and leave Football behind me. I wanted a new challenge!

Rugby was an eye-opener for me; I was able to run anywhere on the pitch whilst being able to hold the ball in two hands. It was very fun. I found that playing lots of different sports at a young age allowed me to view pitches, patterns and plays in many different ways, and this helped me massively on the rugby pitch.

Playing rugby combined my ability as a goalkeeper and holding onto the ball with my secret passion for wanting to be a striker! As a result, I could finally run the length of the pitch with a ball in my hand. As a dyslexic person, I found patterns my absolute forte. I could read the pitch, see the formations and spot the gaps in play. In addition, being dyslexic helped me to communicate with the team where our strengths and weaknesses sometimes lay.

The Next Chapter

In 2016, after quickly progressing in my rugby career, I started in a new environment, a new school and a new country. At the age of fourteen, I moved to Llandovery College to further my rugby in a more driven and focused environment. Llandovery College was perfect for me; they had great facilities and rugby coaches who made sure to speak to MR 1-on-1 to make sure I was progressing in the right direction. 

3 weeks into starting at Llandovery College, I was settled into my new life and had a few rugby games under my belt, and I was then invited to play county rugby for Mynydd Mawr. This was again another step up from school rugby, playing with lots of boys from around the country. Rugby continued to go from strength to strength, learning new skills, taking on board all the different coaches’ instructions.

Capped for Wales Touch Rugby

After some challenging times and tough injuries, my Dad signed me up for some touch rugby to get me back playing and to improve my fitness. I had been out of sports with injury or illness for almost 6 months, and I felt like I was done with sports; however, going to these touch rugby training sessions made me realise how fun it was.

In May 2018, I was selected for the U18’s Mixed Wales Touch Rugby. We travelled to Scotland to play in the International tournament. I played against France, Dubai, Ireland, England, Scotland and more, scoring tries along the way.

Pontardaluis Rugby Club – Youth Team 2018-2020

Starting at a new club outside of school was a great experience and a scary one, playing with almost four different year groups ranging from U16’s to U20’s. This really helped me understand my teammates and build a close relationship with the older players. It was awesome to see that from the first training session, it was straight to work, no messing around. The coach, Pete Williams, was great at really getting to know you on a personal level to help with coaching you to a higher level.

Canada Rugby Tour – Coaches Player of the Tour

At age seventeen, I had an eventful summer. It consisted of a tour to Canada with Llandovery College for 2 weeks, playing against the best Canadian team in British Columbia and a Canadian Combined U23’s team. This was a great experience and my first at an international level playing rugby union. We went on to win both matches comfortably, and I was named Player of the Tour and was celebrated with awards and a stone with a great message on it.

South Africa Exchange

The second part of this eventful summer was having four days in between coming home from Canada and getting on another flight to South Africa. This trip I did alone for eight weeks at a South African school, learning the culture, language and sightseeing this beautiful country. I played rugby over there for the eight weeks, starting for the 2nd team and training with the 1st team, out of 10 teams that they had at the school. I was the only person from my school on the trip, but meeting fellow students from the UK doing the same exchange programme was nice. I also had my exchange student partner, who was also an avid rugby player. It was a great experience going to South Africa, and I would do it again.

Scarlets Academy

After a few years of being on the cusp of being invited to train for Scarlets U18’s Academy, it finally happened. It was another step up for my rugby journey, being surrounded by a better calibre of players and coaches offering a greater knowledge of the game. It was a great opportunity for me to grow.

Unfortunately, as the sport goes, there was a heartbreaking moment. I had been training for five or six weeks and waiting for a call-up to make the match day squad. I was called into the head coach’s office, fully expecting to play; however, it was the opposite. I was told I was “not big enough” to offer anything in attack, defence and anything in between. As frustrating as it was, I accepted what was said and kept my head held high and continued to improve my game.

The American Dream

After leaving Llandovery College, Covid hit. This was a weird time for me in terms of my rugby pathway. I had no idea where I was going to end up. I decided to get a job that was good and could continue in covid times. I was a bricklayer for 18 months and managed to get back to college for my level 1 bricklaying qualification. I also managed to buy some gym equipment while working and kept training as much as I could.

During this time, I had chats with professional rugby teams from Australia, but their restrictions kicked in, and those talks fell through. I then decided I would create a highlights video from the previous season and put it on YouTube to gain some recognition and to be seen by a wider audience.

I was spotted by Tim Brown, a recruiter from the University of Mary Washington. I was still unsure if University was for me, and I had also just started rugby with semi-professional team, Carmarthen Quins in Wales. This was a great setup for me as I was playing with guys in their thirties, and I had just turned nineteen. Training was very structured to the minute and second, and the coaches really helped me find my love for rugby again and improved my mindset and skillset. The older guys were very welcoming and really helped the team feel like a close set of brothers. Whilst this was all going on, I received an email with a Zoom link from Tim Brown. I had a great chat with him on Zoom. After that, I spoke to my parents, and we all said it would be a great decision to take the opportunity to go to America for the first time and be able to play university rugby. 

I decided I would take this opportunity and see what the future held for me. In August 2021, I flew out to America to start the next chapter in my rugby career. It was off to a great start, meeting fellow compatriots flying over and starting pre-season a day after we landed. Meeting fellow teammates from all around the world was amazing, and we all connected and gelled together really quickly.

The first fall season was off to a great start for me and the team, fighting for a win against close rival Penn State, and I was Man of the Match. The season was full of ups and downs, but we had a great season, making the quarter-finals of the competition we played in. It was topped off by me being named in the “2021 Fall All Conference First Team of the Year.” 

In May 2022, I started training with Old Glory U23’s and was selected for both matchdays, starting in one and captaining the second. This was a great taste at Academy rugby in America, and working with some of the Old Glory first team players and staff really encouraged me to pursue my rugby dream of being drafted after four years of college rugby.

Find your people, your supporters, your passion and go for it! 

Sponsorship Opportunities.

To stay out here studying and training to follow my goal and dream of becoming a professional rugby player and completing my studies, I am looking for short-term and long-term sponsorship.

I can offer in return inspiring speaking opportunities, an interview, motivational conversations and happy to discuss options.

Stand-alone sponsorship is welcome too.

Please don’t hesitate to send me a private message on either Instagram or Twitter to chat further, or click the button below for more details.