Young Gun – Jonny Hill – Gloucester lock

When his college application fell apart Jonny Hill was forced into an unexpected gap year – but it proved a vital step to an unlikely rugby career.
Hill had tried his hand at rugby in his youth – he joined local club Luctonians at nine – but football soon took over.
However, at the end of his time at Ludlow School, Hill renewed his interest in the sport – just in time for what was to follow. His application for Worcester College fell through and he had to take a year out.
Determined to keep busy, and encouraged by colts coach Simon Green-Price, Hill returned to Luctonians. Following some encouraging performances, the 17-year-old was encouraged by Green-Price to turn up to a walk-up trial at nearby Hartpury College.
Hill was an instant hit and within a few months he was a first-team regular at the National League Two South side and on Gloucester‘s radar.
“There’s normally a pre-season trial there but I hadn’t applied for it,” he said. “Then I rocked up to a walk-up trial and I got in the Hartpury first team straight from there. I actually scored a try from the halfway line.
“Having a gap year worked out for me because I was able to develop and sort of step ahead. The year off wasn’t planned but it really worked out.
“Simon Green-Price told me to go on my gap year and give it a go – if you come back and it doesn’t happen, at least you’ve had a go.
“He had approached me before that and said, ‘come and play for our colts’. At school we were on the back end of thrashings every weekend – and I’d lost interest.
“Simon encouraged me to play for Luctonians. I’d played for them before but I wasn’t fully committed to the club.
“I went along and had a great time – there were a lot of good boys there who I’m still friends with.”
The two-year period between that trial and the young lock’s recent call-up to the England U20s squad has been nothing short of a whirlwind.
By the New Year, a 17-year-old Hill was featuring regularly for Hartpury College and would soon benefit from the close links shared by the club and Gloucester.
Like a number of his colleagues, including fellow England U20s Billy Burns and Lewis Ludlow, Hill made the smooth transition to Gloucester.
Now, at 19, on the brink of competing for international honours, he is hoping for more of the same and already knows how to keep improving.
“I was sat in training about two weeks ago and I thought to myself two years ago I was going to this trial and that week I got selected for the England U20s,” he added. “It has been a crazy couple of years. I played for Hartpury in the first-team squad but didn’t really break through until Christmas time.
“I broke through after Christmas and played in the final at Twickenham, won the AASE league and did the same thing again in the second year – I got picked up by Gloucester during the second year.
“Life at Gloucester is good. We’ve had a tough pre-season but I feel as though I’m improving. It’s a good environment.
“I’m quite underweight compared to others in my position so I just need to focus on putting weight on and I think I’ll be a better player.”