Sport
A Lifelong Competitor
Competition. Community. Continuity.
Origins / Stoke
Where It Started
Football — from six
My sporting life began with football in Stoke-on-Trent. I played from the age of six, including time with Berryhill, YMCA and Port Valiants, and was involved with the Stoke City School of Excellence. Football gave me an early understanding of competition, collective effort and the discipline required to develop as a player.
Rugby — from eleven
Rugby began at Newcastle-under-Lyme School at the age of eleven. I played through the school system and captained the 1st XV — an experience that shaped how I understood leadership, preparation and what it means to perform under pressure as part of a team.
Football / Supporting Strand
A Game That Travelled
Football continued as a strand alongside rugby throughout my life. In Australia, I played for Waverley Old Boys — and scored a hat-trick on debut. It is a detail worth recording accurately: it happened, and it was a good day.
Football has remained a thread rather than a primary focus since those early years in Stoke. The foundations it gave me — reading the game, competing in a team, managing the gap between expectation and performance — have stayed relevant.
Rugby / The Game That Stayed
From School Rugby to Riyadh
Rugby has been the constant. It began at Newcastle-under-Lyme School and has continued — through Manchester, Abu Dhabi and now Riyadh — across more than three decades.
01
Newcastle-under-Lyme School
From age eleven
Rugby began at Newcastle-under-Lyme School. I played through the school system and captained the 1st XV. The game took hold here — the physicality, the structure, the collective discipline required to compete at that level as a teenager.
02
Broughton Park, Manchester
Post-school
After school, I played for Broughton Park in Manchester. An important chapter — moving from school rugby into club rugby, competing at a higher level and developing as a player in a proper club environment.
03
Abu Dhabi Saracens
Abu Dhabi
In Abu Dhabi I played for Abu Dhabi Saracens — one of the established clubs in the UAE rugby community. My involvement extended beyond playing: captaincy, club administration and community development were all part of the contribution. I completed World Rugby Level 1 coaching qualification in 2022.
04
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Current
Rugby in Riyadh is a growing and genuinely international community. I play and train here now — competing, contributing to the club environment and remaining actively involved in the sport at club level.
Interruption
Major Spinal Surgery
There was a period when I could not play. Major spinal surgery interrupted the continuity of the sporting life I had maintained across decades. The recovery was long and required rebuilding from the beginning — physically and in terms of what I expected of myself.
11.11.2025
Back on the Pitch
"On 11 November 2025, I returned to competitive rugby in Saudi Arabia. It was about being able to play again."
Riyadh / Current Competition
Playing Now
The return to competitive rugby in Riyadh has been the priority. Action and team rugby — competing, training, being part of a squad — come first. The SARF (Saudi Arabian Rugby Federation) community and the wider squad environment are part of that story, but the competitive game is the foundation.
Saudi rugby is developing rapidly. The international community of players based in Riyadh has created a competitive environment that is more serious than many people outside the region expect.
Community / Participation and Contribution
Beyond the Playing Field
Rugby has always been more than the game itself. In Abu Dhabi, involvement in club administration and community development was a deliberate contribution — not just playing, but helping to build the environment that makes the sport possible for others.
Supporting women's rugby is part of that community commitment. The growth of women's rugby — in the UAE, in Saudi Arabia and globally — is one of the most significant developments in the sport. Contributing to that, whether through coaching, administration or advocacy, matters.
Endurance / Supporting Strand
Running, Spartan and Functional Fitness
Endurance training has been part of the return to fitness and continues as a regular strand alongside rugby. Running, Spartan races, DEKA events and functional fitness work are all part of how I stay physically prepared and mentally sharp.
These are supporting activities — not the primary competitive focus. They serve the rugby and the broader commitment to staying physically capable across the years.
Still Competing.
"I'm not trying to recreate the athlete I was at eighteen. I'm interested in what I'm capable of now."
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