WATCHING Jack Willis and Johnny Williams collide when England beat Wales on Saturday was proof Berkshire rugby ‘hits well above its weight’ according to Rams CEO, Gary Reynolds, writes Richard Ashton.
Former Ram and Forest School pupil Williams opened the scoring at Parc y Scarlets on his second international start and put in a fine performance which led ex-Wales and British & Irish Lions captain, Sam Warburton, to say ‘he can make the shirt his own and be a long-term centre for Wales.
Willis, who learnt his trade at Reading Abbey and went to Highdown School, came off the bench and turned in another eye-catching display which included winning a customary turnover penalty which Owen Farrell slotted to push England 24-13 in front and ultimately put the game to bed.
Berkshire is the smallest constituent body within the Rugby Football Union with just 13 clubs, although they have enjoyed terrific success at Under 20s level in the past decade, winning the County Championship in 2013 and finishing as runners-up two years later.
They were also two-time quarter-finalists and after the competition was split into a Championship and Shield in 2016, they were runners-up in the latter in 2019 to gain promotion back to the top tier.
And Reynolds says the county deserves tremendous credit, stating: “It’s remarkable. To have two boys from Reading in the squads for an international with 46 players is incredible.
“When you look at the likes of Middlesex, where there are more than 150 clubs, and Yorkshire with 125, it’s fair to say we hit well above our weight.
“At Rams, we are incredibly proud of what Johnny has achieved and I am sure Abbey are rightfully the same with Jack. They have done a great deal to help young players develop as have many other clubs in Berkshire.”