Young Gun: Will Bigley – London Wasps prop

He may not be a Wasps regular just yet, but with the tutorage of a former All Black captain 21-year-old Will Bigley is well prepared for when his moment comes.
Under the wing of Wasps for the last five years since joining their Academy Apprenticeship Scheme, Bigley has been learning the rugby ropes wherever he can.
Currently on loan at Championship side Ealing, the prop spent last year at National League One side Rosslyn Park, helping them finish fourth.
He also took in loan spells with Staines and Henley, with a six-month stint in New Zealand sandwiched in between in 2010.
“I went to North Shore RFC in Auckland with fellow academy player Harry Williams,” he said.
“It was just a fantastic experience. We lived above the club house so we breathed rugby for six months.
“Former All Blacks skipper Wayne ‘Buck’ Shelford was the head coach and one of the most chilled out New Zealanders. He was a great mentor to be around and taught me a lot.
“Mike Cron, who is the current head scrum coach for New Zealand, also had a session with us. It was out of this world in terms of what he taught us.
“Going through all the different stages in England was great too but New Zealand was something else entirely and I learnt a lot.”
Bigley attended Wellingborough School, also responsible for producing Exeter Chiefs‘ Will Chudley and Alex and Ethan Waller of Northampton Saints.
“Wellingborough is a rugby school and Northampton is renowned for rugby in the town,” he added.
“But I did not play much rugby before then. I was more interested in squash and swimming. I used to spend hours down the squash courts. You have to be quite nippy around the court but my thighs were a bit big.”
Will’s big disappointment is that his father Andrew never got to see him sign for the Wasps Academy, passing away through cancer in October 2011.
“My dad was massively into his rugby and really enjoyed it. He came to watch as much as he could.
“He was one of my mentors. I was in and around Wasps but he passed away was just before they picked me up.
“My mum Victoria helps out a lot and encourages me along with my older sister Harriet.”
Having represented England U16s, Bigley got a taste of playing at the highest level when he came up against England prop Matt Stevens in an A League match with Saracens last September.
“I feel I did quite well against him and held my own,” Bigley said. “He did not get to dominate. He is the biggest name I have come up against, someone who plays for England and the Lions so it was great, my highlight so far.”
Bigley is juggling playing rugby with qualifying as a PE teacher from St Mary’s University.
“It’s great being a PE teacher and seeing how children flourish,” he said.
“I’m on loan at Ealing and I want to get my game developed and hopefully that will put me in a good place for Wasps.
“With props generally not really developing until later, I feel I definitely have got more to give.”