Tom Bushell is looking to following in the footsteps of his brother Rory Hamilton-Brown by becoming a professional sportsman — but the Wandsworth teenager has his heart set on the sport the former Surrey captain left behind.
Hamilton-Brown was a talented sportsman, growing up he combined his time at the crease with playing rugby in the Harlequins academy.
In the end he chose cricket and the decision was vindicated as he went on to become Surrey’s youngest captain in 138 years before injury forced him to retire at the age of 27.
His brother Bushell is also talented in the two sports and has recently linked up with the Harlequins academy and the 13-year-old is taking inspiration from his older brother.
Bushell said: “My brother has helped me out so much with my sport because he was the one who introduced me to cricket and rugby.
“When I was young he was playing all of the time and I was effectively born into a family of sport.
“He helped me with my rugby skills and stuff like that and it is really inspiring having a professional sportsman as a brother. It makes you feel like you can do it.
“My brother used to play in the Rosslyn Park Sevens for Dulwich Prep London and Millfield and ended up having a choice of being a professional in cricket or rugby.
“He chose cricket but still loved playing rugby sevens and he played with the Harlequins academy and the England age groups at around the age of 15.
“I used to play for Surrey in cricket but got dropped a couple of years ago. I now play rugby for the Harlequins academy and it is going well for me.
“I prefer rugby a lot more than cricket. It is the passion in rugby because you do not get the feelings you get from rugby in cricket and other sports.”
Interest in rugby union is at an all-time high after the hugely successful World Cup in England and it will be breaking new ground and reaching a different audience this summer when rugby sevens is included in the Olympics for the first time.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Rosslyn Park Sevens is now in its 77th year and – like his brother in previous years – Bushell took part in the world’s biggest schools rugby tournament last week.
And the Dulwich Prep London pupil said: “It is cool because he played in the same team at the same tournament as me years ago so for my mum to be able to see it is nice for her.
“It is great to play in the Rosslyn Park Sevens. I played in the final last year for Dulwich Prep London and although we lost, it was so much fun. It is such a big tournament around the world and to play in it is a good feeling.”
In Rugby Seven’s biggest year the next generation of rugby stars, inspired by the Rugby World Cup, from more than 650 teams descended on Rosslyn Park HSBC National Schools Sevens to start on their own journey and break new ground http://www.rpns7.co.uk/
