Former Felsted 1st XV player Alex Wardell made his debut for the England U20s Rugby Squad in a warm up match against Oxford University on 15 January 2022.  

Alex writes;

I am delighted with my selection for the England U20s six nation Squad. I have wanted to reach this milestone for a while now. I can not thank Felsted enough for introducing me to rugby and giving me the opportunity to fall in love with the game. Since leaving school I have been on a university contract with Saracens and Loughborough University. This has given me the time to adjust to the men’s game and develop skills especially around the set piece area. The setup has allowed me to get a degree which is very important to me but also pursue my dream of becoming a full time professional once I graduate.

I owe a lot to the Felsted rugby department as a whole who helped me from year 9 all the way to first team. Especially the ongoing support of Chevs. It was great to catch up with Chevs and we joked about how, on an assessment day before I even joined the school, he told my mum and I that he would make me into a rugby player, at the time I was focused on tennis and I really didn’t believe him. Looking back now he really did keep to his word. 

The amazing thing about the rugby program at Felsted is that it’s very much focused on making memories with your friends and at the same time it challenges you to become the best player you can. There is a real emphasis on the pride that comes with wearing the Felsted 1st XV shirt, those before me that have worn it can all confirm how special it is, and for the younger boys who wish to fill it one day should also never forget that. Students at current who aspire to become rugby players should know that if you really buy into the school’s programme it can be an unbelievable launch pad into great opportunities post school whether that is straight into full time rugby or a university pathway.