As a two-time national hockey champion with Dean Close School in Cheltenham, Freddie Thomas might have pursued a bid for the Olympics. Instead, he opted to shelve his stick and concentrate all his energies on fulfilling his international dreams in rugby.
A member of England's current U20s squad, Thomas, 19, explained: “My sister played U18s hockey for England and my mum played regional hockey in her day, and it was quite a strong school side I was part of at Dean Close and Cheltenham Hockey Club.
“We were national champions at U14s and 15s and potentially I could have gone further, but only a few hockey players have centralised contracts you can have a decent living off and I decided that rugby was the way to go. I'd started playing for Bredon Rugby Club at U6s and first got involved with Gloucester at U13s level, so I've worked my way through.”
Having originally been a centre, a growth spurt sent Thomas into the second row, but since turning 18 he has specialised more as a blindside flanker. He explained: “I'm enjoying playing at six the most and that's where I'm getting most of my training time this year.
“I'm quite fortunate in that there are some older boys at Gloucester who really want to bring the next crop of players through and guys like Ed Slater and Ben Morgan have done it all, know all the tricks of the trade and have been brilliant in wanting to help me.
“People might think they wouldn't want to do that but they actually come to you and ask if you want to do skills work or extras after training. They're great guys around the complex and you can talk to them about normal life as well. They've literally done it all and know the emotional stuff I'm going through as a young player, so they're really good mentors.”
Having made his first team debut against Lyon in December, Thomas says: “I'm in quite a good position because I'm getting a lot of involvement in first team sessions and really feel part of it. George Skivington is good with the younger guys and has brought quite a few through already, so, hopefully, I'll now get a few more chances to have a run.
“To come off the bench against a strong Lyon side was an unbelievable feeling and to be shaking hands with guys like Mathieu Bastareaud at the end was something else. Even though there was no crowd, to have worked so hard to get there made it special.”
Having already represented England at U18s level, Thomas has his long-term sights on emulating one of England's current crop. He added: “Tom Curry is right up there for me because of his professionalism, athleticism, strength and how he plays for the badge.
“I consider myself an explosive ball-carrier and I'm working hard on my jackalling and work around the park. Tom's a dynamo and, like him, I try to cover every blade of grass.”
