Parky talks Pollock’s path to the top.

Last week we welcomed a film crew from TNT Rugby to the club, as they interviewed Will Parkin on all things Henry Pollock. More of that later but first...

The Club would like to congratulate Will on his appointment as England U18 head coach for the 2026/27 season. Andy Titterell, England U20 Men Head Coach, said “..Will Parkin who will lead the U18s with the dedication and passion he has shown in his time with the [U]20s...”

Now back to the filming...Why Will? - this is a quote from Henry, when, in 2023, he was asked about the biggest influence on his career so far – “Will Parkin, who is with England U18s but was Saints academy coach. Without him I wouldn’t be in this position now. He pointed me in the right direction and gave me the belief that I can do it. He’d always do one-on-ones and was really helpful. I think all the boys would say the same thing.”

Why Olney RFC? – besides being Will’s home club, having played here since his days in our Mini and Junior section, it also has close ties to Saints - Henry joined the Saints academy at 13 and at that time (before the High Performance Centre) a lot of the PDG (Player Development Group) sessions were held at Olney RFC.

It was great to hear Will’s genuine enthusiasm for Henry, talking fondly (and honestly) about his time in the Saints PDG and the England Player Pathway set-ups…and you can hear it all too as the interview is scheduled to be shown on Friday 25th September ahead of the Saints v Newcastle match – The Club will be open so head down early to get your screen-side seat.