YOUNG GUNS

TOMWILSTEAD

TOM Wilstead lives out his schoolboy dreams every day he turns up for training at Bristol Bears.

Fly-half Wilstead, 20, who used to stand on the terraces, joined the Bears academy when he was 13 and now finds himself sharing a dressing room with some of those he used to watch.

“I have been supporting Bristol since I was four or five when my dad introduced me to them,” he said. “I first started going to Bristol when they were at the Memorial Ground and watched them throughout the Championship years even when they were losing and weren’t coming up. I used to watch Mitch Eadie and Callum Sheedy, and now I train with them.

“When I got to 13 and 14, I started to go most weeks and watched a lot more international rugby. And when I joined the academy, I fully committed to it. You really feel that you are part of the club and that is when the dream really sets in, and you realise this is what you want to do.”

Wilstead, educated at Colston’s School, is in his second season in the first-team squad and has opted against going to university this year, instead doing an apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence.

He has already had a taste of being involved in the firstteam after being an unused replacement for the opening game of last season against Wasps and is craving more.

“Callum Sheedy was away with Wales, and we had one or two injuries. More than anything, it was just exciting to be in that changing room with all the players.

“And to be part of that match day experience was quite incredible. The only gutting thing is that because the game was tight, I didn’t get the chance to come on.

“But to have the conversation with Pat Lam about being involved and knowing that he was confident enough to give me a chance in the squad showed me I was in a good place with the club.”

Wilstead has been involved with England at U18 and U20 levels but has been robbed of the chance of winning caps through Covid, and injury – but it saved some family dignity.

“Both my parents are Welsh. When I was involved with the England U18s one of them said they would wear an England shirt, and one would wear a Wales shirt.

“And that they would be happy regardless. I’m not sure my mum would have been able to do it, so it would have had to be Dad, although I’m not sure he would have been able to do it either.

“But because of Covid, we didn’t get the chance to play that game. They breathed a sigh of relief that they didn’t have to

put an England shirt on.

“I went on some camps with the England U20s last season but ended up getting injured just as the games came around, and it was a bit

gutting.”