Teacher dusts off England rugby jersey
8:20am Monday 4th August 2008
A teacher who represented England at rugby when he was a schoolboy has seen his shirt from the match go on display 20 years later.
Hampton School former pupil and now teacher Angus MacDonald played for England Schoolboys against France - alongside such future rugby luminaries as Tony Underwood and Martin Haag - in the late 1980s.
He donated his shirt to the Hanworth Road school but the shirt lay in a cupboard for two decades before being rediscovered and mounted for display at Hampton.
But the famous red rose shirt does not bring back entirely happy memories.
Mr MacDonald said: “I played 25 minutes of one game against France at St Raphael and then suffered a career-ending injury when I dislocated my shoulder for the fourth time.
“It’s a little surprising to be ‘blowing the trumpets’ now after 22 years when more recent Hampton players have achieved greater things and my rugby playing days are a very distant memory.
“Having said that, I wore the shirt, however briefly, with great pride and will treasure the memories of playing with such talented players.”