Oliver Ashton: From Sedbergh Rugby to Newcastle Red Bulls (and Newcastle Uni)

For pupils considering how sport might form part of their future, Oliver Ashton’s pathway offers a useful insight into the development, commitment and support involved.

Last year’s joint Head of School, Oliver has secured a professional rugby contract with Newcastle Red Bulls alongside a place at Newcastle University. His scholar contract will allow him to combine university study with part-time training in a professional rugby environment.

In this interview, Oliver reflects on the injuries and setbacks that shaped his journey, the influence of Sedbergh’s coaches and players, and the role that full boarding, House life and wider School experiences played in his development. For current and prospective parents, his story also illustrates how sporting ambition can sit alongside academic responsibilities, leadership and personal growth.

How did you feel when you found out you had secured a professional rugby contract?

When I secured a professional rugby contract, I was both excited and in disbelief. This is because I couldn’t wait to get started, but I was also in a bit of shock because this is what I’d been striving for for years, and I’d finally achieved it.

What are you most looking forward to about taking that next step into professional rugby?

I am joining Newcastle Red Bulls, and I am most looking forward to getting into the full flow of a professional rugby schedule, as well as trying to learn as much as I can from the senior players and coaches to help me become the best player I can.

My contract is called a scholar contract. This means that when university starts, I train part-time with Red Bulls alongside attending my lectures at Newcastle university. So I basically will be training at Red Bulls when I don’t have lectures at Newcastle University.

When did professional rugby first begin to feel like a realistic possibility for you?

I probably started realising that professional rugby was possible in my Year 13 rugby season at School. Before this, I had been very unlucky with injuries, especially in Year 12, when I was ruled out for 10 months with two shoulder dislocations and had to have surgery.

In Year 13, I finally started to string some games together and play some of my best rugby. I couldn’t put it down to any game or moment in particular, just the fact that I started to play regularly and get some form back.

Looking back, what do you think helped you develop most as a rugby player at Sedbergh?

I think the main two factors that helped me develop the most as a rugby player were, firstly, the coaching at Sedbergh. All the way through from Year 9 to Year 13, each year group has high-quality coaches who help you develop both your skills and tactical knowledge to a very high level.

The second factor must be the players around me. There were so many high-quality players that I played and trained with at School. I think this high standard really helped us drive each other to become the best players we could be.

Sedbergh talks about putting the person before the player. What have you learned here away from rugby that you think will help you in a professional environment?

I think the main thing I have learned is being able to communicate effectively in different environments. This is essential to be able to interact with different people in different ways and allows tasks, both on and off the pitch, to be done as efficiently as possible.

You have had to balance serious rugby commitments with A levels and the wider demands of School life. What did that teach you about managing your time, pressure and responsibilities?

This balance that I had to manage taught me lots about managing my time, pressure and responsibilities, and mainly the importance of planning. I found this essential to be able to use my time as efficiently as possible, and it allowed me to be personally satisfied with my School responsibilities, rugby and work towards my A levels.

This also taught me the value of asking for help. I found that there were so many people there to help me at School. All I had to do was ask, and they would help me manage my time effectively, while also helping me establish what was important to me at different times in the year.

Who at Sedbergh has had the greatest influence on your development?

My Housemaster, Mr Coke, probably had the most influence on me throughout my time at Sedbergh. He really helped support me, especially in my final year at School, with managing my time effectively and seeing what was my most important focus at different times in the year.

Throughout my whole time at Sedbergh, however, he really did help push me out of my comfort zone into different areas of School life. Whether it was dinner debates or performing on stage, I feel he really helped build my confidence throughout my time at School.

Full boarding means that coaches, teachers, House staff and team-mates are part of the same community. Has that made a difference to your development as a player or as a person?

Yes, I feel full boarding especially helped build very strong connections and friendships between my peers as team-mates. The fact that we live with each other in the boarding houses really helps us build strong friendships and learn how to interact with different people in different ways.

I really feel this helped me with my communication with team-mates on the pitch.

What do you think you will take from playing rugby at Sedbergh that goes beyond the technical side of the game?

One thing I will take, and really miss, is the friendships I made while playing at Sedbergh and how everyone was such a tight-knit group of players. I loved the whole rugby environment at Sedbergh and how I could play rugby with my best mates every day. It was such a brilliant environment to play rugby in.

What advice would you give to a younger pupil who dreams of playing professional rugby, or any other sport professionally, but is still at the beginning of that journey?

One bit of advice I would give is to enjoy the sport as much as you can. If you are enjoying playing and performing, you are likely to be playing to the best of your ability, and different pathways into pro sport will look after themselves.