Rugby Academy Alumni and Honours

Personally, I didn’t want to go down the route of sixth form and A-levels as that just didn’t interest me so college was the most suited thing to me! I studied for a BTEC in Sport and Exercise Science alongside the rugby programme which opened a lot of pathways for me once I had finished college. I enjoyed having the structure to the days at college as there were specific days for college and then others for rugby so everything was very organised. The college helped me make so many new friends which I will now have for life and allowed me to broaden my knowledge and understanding of rugby. I developed so much as a rugby player and a person at college. Living in accommodation allows you to have a greater level of independence and the level of coaching we received was brilliant. Since college I have gone on to study Sports Rehabilitation at St Marys University in Twickenham, as well as gaining a contract with Trailfinders Women leading me to have 2 caps in the Premiership Cup so far this season.

Applying for City of Oxford college was a no brainer for me, having heard the announcement that lockdown was coming to an end; I was super keen to get my rugby journey back on track in terms of training and development.

Ethan joined us in 2022 from Barkers Butts RFC and the Warwickshire DPP set up. Ethan was a master of the lineout with great movement on the floor and quick to get into the air. This became Ethan's super strength across the two years where he led the lineout superbly. During the course of the two years, Ethan got the opportunity to train with England South alongside his Midlands Rugby Academy commitments. Ethan finished the year with a contract at Bristol Bears Academy and will join them in the summer.

George joined us for his second year having studied elsewhere for his first year. George had just started his academy journey when he joined us and it became quickly apparent that he was a talented individual. George had an outstanding work ethic and was incredibly diligent with all aspects of college life from Rugby, nutrition, recovery, academics and gym. George quickly developed through the Midlands Rugby Academy becoming a main stay in the team and has since signed with Gloucester Rugby. George will study alongside his Rugby playing commitments and we hope to see George gain further honours as he progresses through the pathway.

Another product of Buckingham RFC and someone who's Rugby journey was a little bit different. George was a bit of a rough diamond having not been identified by the Academy at U16s, he joined as Oxford College as a non Academy player. In Georges' first year he quickly became a regular in the ACE team and then earned his way back into the Academy. George in his second year excellend and became a shining star in the Midlands Rugby Academy. This earned George a place in the England U18s Six Nations Squad before earning a full time contract with Leicester Tigers.

The Activate Rugby Academy was a brilliant experience and I enjoyed every minute of it. I decided on the programme as it would give me the best opportunity to progress my rugby, which it did in many ways as well as introducing me to some lifelong friends. One of my highlights of college was the once in a life time opportunity of going to Japan to play in an international 7s tournament. The programme allowed me to continue my ambition of playing a high level rugby whilst completing my academics. Due to the close knit environment, I became more confident which ensured I could put my best foot forward when making new connections in the rugby world. Since leaving college, I have gone onto study at Brunel University which is linked with Trailfinders Women who play in the PWR. My college rugby experience has enabled me to take this next step in my rugby journey seamlessly and I look forward to what the future holds!

I decided to go to college because I was excited about the opportunity to do rugby full time around my studies. I was very passionate about the sport, so it was a huge step up from once-a-week training at club. Training 3 times a week whilst also studying a-levels was challenging but I definitely enjoyed it as it varied my day and it felt very professional.

The college programme taught me many key skills going into the adult world. For example, my time management to keep up with college work and also rugby training improved massively. I gained lots of independence living away from home during the week. Whilst I still had lots of support from staff and coaches, it was like a practice run for the future. I got to practice living away from parents alongside being a full-time student and athlete at the same time. Since college, I have gone on to university where I’m doing a maths degree. I’m also training with Bristol Bears women and am involved in the England Under 20s setup. These are all stretching environments, but I have felt much more prepared for them having been at college.

The minute Sam walked through the door, we knew he was destined for great things. Sam, a Cardiff and Pontypridd boy came to us and studied a BTEC Sport Science course alongside his Rugby. Sam had a fantastic first year where he represented the ACE and Wasps Academy before earning a call up to play for Wales U18s. In his Wales fixture, we saw Sam come up against fellow Oxford team mates Charlie Myall and Will Glister. In Sam's second year, his development didn't stop there. He continued to dominate scrums and the contact across the ACE League, before earning a place in the Wales U20s Six Nations Squad. For a player to achieve this whilst still at College is very rare and it shows the level of commitment Sam has to his development. Sam managed his work and his playing commitments superbly and leaves with a full Level 3 qualification and a contract with Bristol Bears.