Andy attended BGS before winning a rugby scholarship to Harrow School. Now a professional rugby player for Saracens and Scotland, he remembers his time at BGS fondly.

‘Bristol Grammar School did so much for me and I know I wouldn't be where I am today without being there.’

What was being at BGS like for you?

I've always been a very loud abrasive kid but I was quite nervous to join a new school, even though I had quite a few friends from rugby and football there already. I remember how warm it was, how welcoming and very quickly I found myself in amongst it. I remember my first rugby session. I was a massive kid and the coaches said ‘Okay, you're big.Can you run?’ And I was like yeah, I can run and before I knew it I was in the team and went from strength to strength.

What were your memories of Failand?

I grew up in Failand and my mum still lives there and when I go back home, I run around the place when it's empty! I played for the Old Bristolians Rugby Club, so I spent a lot of time at Failand, and I love it. Failand brings back memories of wet late evenings training and Saturdays playing games and House Rugby. I was in Diamonds Yellow House, and we won in year 7, scored eight tries, it was unbelievable. Even thinking about it now brings a smile to my face. 

Which of your teachers had the most impact on you?

Mr Goodman, Mr Scott, Mr Sellers and Mr Blackburn, they were all brilliant with me in different ways. They were all very involved in sport and I still talk to them; they’ll send me congratulations, and messages of good luck.There’s still a strong connection from being at the school and it just shows that BGS really cares about individuals even though I’m now 25 years old and haven't been at the school for 10 years! 

What happened next beyond BGS and where did that lead your career? 

BGS put me in a brilliant position in terms of sport and education which gave me an opportunity to go to Harrow on a scholarship. I moved to London, took my younger brother with me and moved from Bristol Academy to Saracens Academy from there signed for their senior academy. 

It’s been a weird journey and looking back at it now, it feels like it went very quickly. It was a brilliant experience but I still go back to Failand regularly because of my family. Admittedly not enough but it's still very close to my heart.

You come from a culturally diverse background and were able to play for Scotland because of your mum’s family. What does that mean to you?

I'm mixed race; my dad's Nigerian, mum's British and her parents are Scottish, so obviously there's a fair level of diversity within my own family and that gave me the opportunity to represent Scotland, most recently in the Six Nations, which was an exciting one for me. 

Winning the Calcutta Cup was one of the best days of my career and then playing against Ireland in Dublin was an incredible experience which I will cherish my whole life. 

Beyond your incredible achievements, you suffered unfortunate injuries recently. Has this given you time to reflect and diversify your interests?

When I first broke my arm I was told it would take 12-16 weeks to recover. I tried to push it a little bit as I was hoping to be back playing for Saracens and, any sportsman’s dream, the World Cup. But unfortunately it didn't heal as it should have, so three operations later I was there watching from home which was tough. It's something I've spoken about quite openly as a very hard time in my career. I learnt and grew from it, which put me in this position to have a good season this year. However, I broke it again in March, almost exactly a year later. I now have a lot of free time, not doing what I wanted to do and looking for outside interests. 

How will you fill your time now?

I want to try to do work that would benefit others and give me a sense of fulfilment. I'm a patron for ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ and the Saracens Foundation ‘Sporting Routes’ which gives refugees from around north London the opportunity to play sports. Seeing the impact that this involvement has had on their lives, and the amount of fun they have playing sport despite going through such tough times really reminds me how lucky I am. In a time when I was struggling with my broken arm, it puts things into perspective when comparing it to being uprooted from your home country and forced to move somewhere else for your own safety.

What are your thoughts on our 500 Campaign, creating opportunities for bright and able students to attend BGS whilst increasing diversity and inclusivity?  

I'm stunned hearing about the diversity of the school. I had a phenomenal time at BGS, and I was fortunate that I had an older brother there who paved the way for me. He was far more intelligent and better behaved than I was, so teachers were a lot nicer to me! Despite my brothers being there for me though, BGS wasn’t the most diverse place when I was there which is typical of a lot of schools. It was very white middle class. I think for the school to maintain its status in terms of how impressive it is but to also increase diversity is impressive and I am very pleased to hear about it. 

What would you say to Bursary Award holders from culturally diverse backgrounds about to start at BGS?

The first thing I'd say is to be yourself. Being mixed race can sometimes feel like a battle in understanding who you are. In reality, everyone is individual so whatever your own interests are, whatever you're passionate about, really dive into that. There is no better place than BGS to be able to try your hand at so many different things. Try everything! Finally, I would add that Bristol Grammar School did so much for me, and I know I wouldn't be where I am today without being there and I know that that's the same for so many people.