“There are a lot of people that are talented but don’t work hard and have the dedication that is needed to play at the highest level”
Live Virtual Q&A Presentation Programme with George Furbank and students from Prince William School - October 2021
Our Ambassador, England and Northampton Saints rugby player, George Furbank delivered an inspirational live virtual Q&A presentation with the pupils at Prince William School, as part of our Bronze Presentation Programme. The students had already seen and heard from George, earlier on in the year, via his recorded presentation and were excited to be able to ask him lots of different questions about his career and journey so far.
The students made use of the opportunity to ask George some fantastic questions about his career path, and how this has led to him becoming a member of the England rugby squad, which George was excited to share the good news with them that he had made the new England squad for the upcoming internationals, which he only found out the day before his live Q&A at Prince William School.
George shared some of the secrets to his success, a large part of which is down to his self-motivation and determination, rather than just relying on talent alone, and provided some great advice for the students to experience first-hand what this form of mentality can achieve.
It was encouraging for the students to hear George talk about the hard work that has gone into his rugby career so far and the importance of setting his goals and having an academic plan behind you, in case the rugby dream falls short.
Here are some of the intriguing questions that the pupils asked during the event:
What was the hardest injury you had to deal with, and did you think your career was over?
Who is your idol?
Were you especially talented in PE at school?
What would you say is the one thing you need to make your sporting dream come true?
What was it like during your first training session with England and Eddie Jones?
Who is the biggest player you have ever tackled?
Who motivates you to play rugby?
When did you realise you could make rugby into a career?
It was a fulfilling and motivating event for the staff and students at Prince William School, with pupils staying very engaged throughout the live Q&A and certainly not running short on questions!
We are delighted that the students at Prince William School had the opportunity to speak to George during this live Q&A and we hope that they take some of George’s top tips and advice forward into their own lives. We look forward to seeing the staff and students at Prince William School again soon with some more presentations from our inspirational Mintridge Ambassadors.
If you are interested in a virtual or physical Programme with George Furbank of our other inspirational Ambassadors, then please get in touch via the Mintridge website at www.mintridgefoundation.org.uk or with Katie at katie@mintridge.org.uk.
Team Mintridge
The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport. We provide a support network for young people by harnessing the power of positive sporting role models. The Mintridge Foundation assists young people of all ages, abilities, and physical capabilities to develop confidence and resilience, and creates awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing through sport.
Our team of Ambassadors - Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports, both team and individual - work with young people in schools, clubs and academies across the UK. Starting with visits including assemblies, coaching clinics and classroom sessions tailored to each organisation’s requirements, our ambassadors can then provide one- on- one remote mentoring in a safeguarded environment, delivered via technology such as FitSwarm and Playwaze to build a lasting legacy for individuals.
The Mintridge Foundation’s successes demonstrate the incredible power of sport; from a mentee’s selection to represent Great Britain in their chosen field to enabling disabled children to find confidence and happiness just through participation. Understanding life after sport, we also support our Ambassadors in their transition from active sport to the next stage of their careers.
To find out more about the Mintridge Foundation, please contact Alex Wallace.