There is much excitement in school this week with not one, but two Old Bedfordian sports scholars selected to play in their respective teams in the upcoming Six Nations Championships, which kick off tonight.
Fraser Dingwall
Old Bedfordian Fraser Dingwall (13-17) earned a spot in the England starting line-up for the opening match of the Six Nations against Italy this weekend, as announced by England head coach Steve Borthwick. Fraser is the school’s twentieth international rugby player, alongside esteemed Old Bedfordians such as Budge Rogers (49-57), Andy Gomarsall MBE (88-93) and Martin Bayfield (80-85).
Fraser came to Bedford School on a sports scholarship in 2013 at the age of 14 when his coach at the Northampton Saints Academy suggested that a school advanced in rugby would help nurture Fraser’s natural talent for the game.
Fraser explained, “I don’t think I would be where I am today if I did not have the school circuit and dedicated support. I 100% believe that the four years I spent at Bedford School were a massive contributor to my career. The scholarship gave me the opportunity to be there; it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me”.
Fraser’s inclusion in the squad is a testament to his persistent efforts for international recognition, having previously been part of England training squads under both Eddie Jones and the current coach, Steve Borthwick. His selection is a well-deserved acknowledgment of his outstanding performances at Northampton Saints, where he is renowned for his fluid distribution skills, intelligent running lines that consistently break down opposition defences, and formidable tackling. Notably, he has covered more metres than any other player in this season’s Champions Cup.
Affectionately dubbed ‘M1’ by his fellow Saints colleagues, due to his two hard shoulders, Fraser has been demonstrating leadership qualities throughout his career, from being Head Boy at Bedford School to captaining the England U-20s and now leading the Saints. Fraser’s leadership will undoubtedly shine through on Saturday at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Over the past few years, Fraser has consistently returned to school, conducting masterclasses for upcoming generations of Bedford rugby players, most recently last autumn when he spent time coaching our current 1st XV.
James Hinkins, Director of Rugby commented, “Fraser’s general demeanour and approach to professional sport is truly inspirational and you can certainly see the connection he still has with the school. We wish him the very best of luck with his full England debut.”
Callum Smyth
Hot on Fraser’s heels is OB Callum Smyth (20-22), who also came to the school on a sports scholarship. After leaving school last year, Callum is just at the start of his international career having recently been selected to play in the Scotland U20 team in the Six Nations. Fraser also started his international career with Scotland playing for their U18 side before moving to play for the England U20 team, and so it is wonderful to see Callum following a similar path. Callum said of his recent selection, “Getting selected for the Scotland U20s was a brilliant feeling, I’ve sacrificed so much this year and I’m really looking forward to playing on the bigger stage. I’m driven to perform and give my very best as a player but ultimately, this year, I’m excited and proud to represent Scotland.”
Update to story:
Since writing this story, OB George Furbank (13-15) scored the opening try in the Six Nations match, England against Scotland. You can watch his try here.
Hot off the press, we have recently learned that current Sixth Formers Aiden Ainsworth-Cave and Jonny Weimann have been named in England U18’s squad for next Saturday’s (9 March) game against France U18s.