Canada Rugby Sevens Team player and Old Westbournian, Alex Russell, returned to Westbourne House to take a rugby training session with our pupils in Year 7 and 8.
Alex said: “It was amazing and really special to be back. I loved my rugby at Westbourne and running around on the pitches with the boys really took me back. I still remember that feeling and excitement of running out for matches on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and I was very proud to be the 1st XV team captain.”
Alex ran two training sessions with the boys and chatted to them about his career path and how he came to play professional rugby in Canada. He was very touched that some of the boys asked him to sign their boots!
Alex added: “The boys were very enthusiastic and played well. I was very keen to tell them I was not the best rugby player at school but I just loved rugby and I kept going and worked at it - so you just never know where it will lead you. I also pointed out that although I was playing rugby all the time, all over the world and it was amazing - it was also key to go to university and have an academic qualification too.
“It was lovely to catch up with some of my old teachers. I didn’t feel entirely comfortable going into the ‘forbidden space’ of the staff room or calling them by their first names but I managed!”
