Will Green, OW and retired international rugby player, shares some reflections of his time at Westbourne and of his career.
"I started my journey at Westbourne House at the age of seven, in the Third Form with Mrs Morgan. The late Colin Sharman, a truly wonderful gentleman, was my headmaster. Along with the rest of the Green family, I was a part of the best patrol - the Tigers!
I have incredibly fond memories of my time at Westbourne. From small day-to-day boarding pleasures such as eggy bread with marmalade, to scoring 100 runs against Great Ballard and having to hit a six off the last ball of the match, one thing which stays with me is the camaraderie we shared through all of it. Harry Baxendale (Tigers) is my oldest friend, and the godfather to my daughter, Primrose.
I certainly loved sport at Westbourne House, and I always took it incredibly seriously. This was spotted by Mr Sharman, who scolded me for being too competitive at the Cottesmore six-a-side tournament. From him, I quickly learned good sportsmanship.
I also had my favourite teacher, Kevin Smith, to admire in this respect. I looked up to him from the get-go as he had come from a professional football and cricketing background. To us, he was a superstar. His understated competitive nature made me want to play each and every match for him.
I remember the food being basic but plentiful. I have especially fond memories of the Spanish chefs, Aurelia and Elvira, and their macaroni cheese. Onto dessert, and the chocolate semolina has to be a standout. The portions were so hot and generous that you had to water them down!
Another role model for me was the wonderful Trevor Finlayson. I thought he was as hard as nails in the early years, but as I got older I came to realise that he was a kind, fair man.
At Westbourne, cricket was actually my best sport and the one I wanted to continue with. My size probably helped in my decision to pursue rugby. I was banned from playing the sport in my last year at Westbourne House (where I played 10) for being over 11 stone. I was promptly put in at 3 when I went to Eastbourne College!
Will Green
Of course, it wasn’t just the sport which I looked forward to at school. I loved it all - plays, bonfire nights, kick the can, and those special late night cricket games in the summer nets - such great times!
I also enjoyed playing ‘British Bulldog’ at breaktimes between two cedar trees. There was always more to explore in the boundaries - we used to roam down on the far left of the grounds towards Tangmere.
One lesson I learned on the sports fields at Westbourne House is that losing is painful. It didn’t happen a lot at Westbourne but when we stepped out of our circuit we were found wanting. Winning was always celebrated and kept us motivated!
Winning a football six-a-side tournament at Great Ballard was one of the highlights of my time at the school. In those days, our hardest fixture was usually against Highfield, and we were always determined to beat them! Westbourne gave me a hugely competitive spirit, and boarding built a resilience to take on challenges and work things out for myself.
I took these skills straight to the Wasps at the age of 17. This was the highlight of my career, where we won the Heineken Cup in 2004 against Toulouse. To win the biggest club prize after playing week in week out with my teammates, and then to win the premiership a week later vs Bath, was a massively overwhelming set of achievements.
I also loved my time touring with England - we played in Argentina, across South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Canada and France. I feel so lucky that I was able to do what I loved all around the world.
Will Green
Today I run my own renewable energy business in Somerset (Green Forest Renewables). I am still learning every day, sometimes winning and sometimes facing challenges. It’s not easy but I am persevering and chugging along!
My advice to current pupils who have similar aspirations to mine would be to follow the WIN strategy:
Wake up
Initiate
Never give up
More general advice from me would be: don’t take life too seriously! You are only at Westbourne once, and you are lucky to start your life here. Grab everything that comes your way and take nothing for granted! Most importantly, make lasting friendships and connections (through real life interaction, and NOT on your phone!)."