Before captaining the Junior Wallabies and joining the Waratahs, Teddy Wilson played both scrumhalf and flyhalf in a star studded Kings first XV side. 

Rugby News caught up with Wilson and asked him about some of his best memories playing schoolboy rugby.

Tell us a bit about your time at Kings?

“I started at Kings in 2018 and was at the school from year 10 to year 12. I ended up finishing in 2020, just as Covid was starting to ramp up,” Wilson told Rugby News. 

“We still got to play our full season, which was really lucky because the year after the whole season got cancelled. 

We weren’t allowed any crowds. That was a little disappointing because the atmosphere at schoolboy rugby is so good, but we were fortunate to get to play and we ended up winning that year as well, which was great. 

What can you tell us about your first XV debut? 

“I was in year 11 and I was actually playing No.10 at the time. I’d always played No.9 but they needed a No.10 that year and that was my way into the side,” the Tahs’ scrumhalf continued. 

“My first game was against Joeys at Joeys in a trial match. It was pretty nerve-racking. Playing Joeys at Joeys, it’s probably the loudest crowd and best atmosphere you get in schoolboy rugby and it was an unreal experience. 

“Walking on to the field through the Joeys crowd, there’s nothing like that and that was probably my favourite place to play an away game. They get the whole school there and the crowd goes crazy. It’s really cool.”

How did the rest of your year 11 season go? 

“I ended up playing No.10 for the rest of that season in year 11. 

“We had a pretty good side but we lost a few of our better players to injury. Will Penisini got injured and (Joseph) Suaalii didn’t play too much. 

“We didn’t do as well as we would have liked and I think we finished fourth or fifth, but our year 12 year was much better.”

Things turned around pretty quickly in year 12, what do you remember of that season? 

“At the end of 2019 we went on an international tour and played games in England, Italy, Wales and Ireland. We played seven games over there and it was a fantastic experience, just before Covid as well,” Wilson recalled. 

“It was great to play against a few different styles of rugby and get to visit different places around the world that I’d never been to before. 

“That set us up really nicely for our 2020 season. We ended up winning all seven games we played overseas and came home with a lot of confidence. 

“With Covid, we only played the five competition games that year but we won all of them. 

“Our last game was against Joeys and we were both undefeated heading into that final game so it was basically a grand final. 

“We played Joeys at Joeys and although there wasn’t a crowd, we knew there were lots of people watching via the live stream back at school or at home. 

“We ended up winning pretty convincingly and it was a pretty special experience. From the moment you arrive at Kings, you dream of playing first XV and when you get there, the next dream is to win a premiership and I was fortunate enough to do both during my time at the school. 

Can you tell us about some of the players you played with and against during your time at Kings? 

“In year 11 we obviously had Joey Suaalii and Will Penisini in our side and they were both freaks. 

“In year 12, I played in the halves with George Poolman who is playing over at the Western Force and doing really well. 

“We played against Ben Dowling who has been at the Tahs and is now with the Aussie 7s, he went to Joeys. 

“Max Jorgensen was only young but he was still a freak as a year 10 kid playing first XV at Joeys. 

“Bowey (Jack Bowen) was at Riverview but he got injured unfortunately and missed most of his year 12 season. We were both playing No.10 against one another in year 11 though, which is funny now because we’re really good mates. 

“Henry O’Donnell was also at Riverview and he’s over with the Western Force. 

“Newington had Tolu Koula and Kaeo Weekes who are both playing NRL. Thomas Maka was also in that side and he’s playing Super Rugby with Moana Pasifika.”

Why is schoolboy rugby so special? 

“I always think I’ll look back at schoolboy rugby as some of my best memories. I was boarding at Kings, so you walked out to play each week with guys you lived with and went to school with,” Wilson said. 

“You were surrounded by your best mates and then you got to run out and play in front of your whole school, all singing the war cries. 

“There’s nothing I’ve experienced quite like it so far. 

“Then coming back to school the next week after a win, everyone is in a really good mood and gets right around you. It’s a very cool thing to get to experience and I’m really fortunate that I got to do it.”