• GRASSROOTS

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TOUGH, DANGEROUS YOUNG MEN & ME; WHAT DO WE HAVE IN COMMON?

Simple, we’ve had our lives changed by sport.

That Is why I am so passionate about rugby. I've seen what it can do close up. Camaraderie, discipline, leadership, personal responsibility and fun. They are all part of the magical mix. And best of all you don't have to be at the top to enjoy it.

Unlimited Possibilities

I am a grassroots man through and through, and often the less you have the more you can do. Thanks to Sky and their School of Hard Knocks, I’ve travelled the country recruiting at risk youngsters. They’ve been faced with problems such as long term unemployment, homelessness, drug addiction and gang violence. By building them into a team and giving them the chance to train, we’ve seen them grow as people and as players, with many of them going on to secure employment and a new start.

Beyond Sport

That’s what sport can do and that’s why I also give my time to Beyond Sport – a global organisation that promotes, develops and funds the use of sport to create positive social change. Through the Beyond Sport Awards programme, $1.5 million worth of funding and business support is provided annually to projects across the world that use sport to address issues within their communities.

School of Hard Knocks

The Rugby Union development programme ‘School of Hard Knocks’ is a social inclusion scheme that uses the game of Rugby to teach participants crucial life lessons and core values, initially designed to allow them to take forward steps into the world of employment. Since its inception the programme has grown to also address powerful issues such as health, crime and citizenship.

Visit The School of Hard Knocks


Will’s public profile means that he is in the privileged position of being able to support the following partners