Box Hill Broncos, not a rugby team on most Blues supporters lips, but a good one none the less. Based in Melbourne they were one of the feeder teams for Melbourne Rebels, who have sadly folded due to lack of finances and they will no longer compete in the Super Rugby competition from 2025. Sounds familiar. Fynn Smail, a London boy who played for Box Hill Broncos for a season has recently returned from Australia and has joined Blues. A family move from London as a boy saw him live in Portugal for a number of years during his childhood and then a return to the UK, where he attended Millfield School in Somerset which enabled him to learn the game. Fynn went to Millfield having secured a tennis scholarship and didn’t take up rugby until the sixth form when he was persuaded by a few teachers to try the game. He took to it very well and played his way into the first team in his upper sixth year. “Playing home games on the Sir Gareth Edwards pitch in front of the whole school, parents and local people were fantastic occasions. There would often be up to one thousand people at home games, particularly when we were playing Clifton College.” His favourite playing moment was overturning a 20 point half time deficit against Clifton to claim victory in front of the huge home crowd. He has also enjoyed playing against a number of professional players in Australia including Nemani Nadolo, the Fijian wing or centre and the Samoan wing Sinoti Sinoti.

Transitioning from Millfield to Hartbury College to study for a degree in Sports Business Management Fynn became friends with Oli Rhoads, the start of the connection which would see Fynn join Blues. Whilst at Hartbury he played for the seconds BUCS team and tried a number of positions before settling on hooker although he also plays back row. He has great admiration for Dane Coles, ex All Blacks hooker who was part of the successful New Zealand 1995 World Cup winning team. Fynn suggested Dane is the best hooker of all time as he was the forerunner who changed the way hookers play the game. And his favourite moment as a spectator? Immediately the response, watching the All Blacks play at the Principality Stadium and show they were in a different class to the Wales team that day. “Most impressive was watching them go through their warm up drills. The speed and accuracy of everything they did was outstanding.”

The decision to come to Newbury was made all the easier because of, “the great people I have met and the great boys in the team.” He can’t wait to compete for a starting place . So, from London to Newbury via Street, Gloucester and Melbourne, welcome to Monks Lane Fynn. Everyone at the club will I know want to wish you all the very best for the forthcoming season.

Brian Lee