Last week we were given the fantastic news that Year 13 student and Rugby Scholar Fyn Brown has been selected to attend the England Rugby Under 18 Development Camp over half term. Fyn also trains with the Wasps Academy after being selected for their Development Players Programme when he was 13. We had a chat with Fyn to find out more about this new opportunity with England Rugby and life at Shiplake.
What year did you join Shiplake and what extra roles do you perform in Year 13?
I joined Shiplake College in the January of Year 10. I am currently a prefect, Head of Welsh House and Captain of Rugby.
What subjects are you studying?
I am studying A Level Economics, A Level PE and Business BTEC.
What do you like most about being a pupil at Shiplake?
I like the independence that I get as a pupil and the flexibility of the school day around my training schedule. I like how easy it is to catch up with teachers if I've missed any work. I also really enjoy the relationships between different year groups which gives Shiplake a community feel, and I really like the trust that the teachers put in me.
What has been your best moment at Shiplake so far?
Both Friday Night Lights tournaments were unforgettable even though we lost both, however I can't say there is 'one' best moment - all of the opportunities I have been given have been amazing.
How did you feel when you got the call to join the England U18 team?
It made me feel pretty special because I didn't really expect it, then it all happened so fast. It was pretty hard to stop and think about it for a bit.
What will you have to do now as part of this?
Keep putting my hand up for selection and just keep training hard so I can be included in other camps.
Will you be playing any matches in the near future?
Who knows. I will just try to take every day and every week as it comes and keep training hard as you never know if and when fixtures will come back.
When did you first get into rugby? Can you give us a bit of background about your rugby career so far?
I started playing rugby in Year 8 for my old school because a friend persuaded me to come along instead of going to football. I then joined Oxford Harlequins and got selected for the Wasps Development Player Programme.
In Year 9, I was selected for the Wasps Academy playing a year up. In Year 10, I was still playing for Wasps a year up and then joined Shiplake. I then played for the 1st XV at Shiplake in Year 11 whilst still in the Wasps Academy. In Year 12 I moved into the U18 team at Wasps and played every academy league fixture. I was then selected for the England Development Camp. At the beginning of Year 13, I was given the role of Captain of Rugby at Shiplake.
What are your rugby hopes for the future? What do you hope to do when you leave Shiplake next year?
I want to continue to progress in rugby no matter what happens whether it be at a club or university. Ideally I would like to go into the Senior Academy with Wasps as it is a club I feel very passionate about.
Apart from rugby what do you like to do in your spare time?
- Paddle boarding
- Walking my dog
- Listening to podcasts
- Baking
On behalf of everyone at Shiplake we wish you all the best with the training camp in half term. Well done Fyn!
