By Ben Jaycock, The Rugby Paper
It’s quite funny how things come full circle in rugby. The first time I picked up a ball as a kid was at Blackheath, and now I’m back here as captain, leading the oldest rugby club in the world. It sounds a bit surreal, but it’s something I’m incredibly proud of.
This place means a lot to me. My mum and dad used to run the Princess of Wales pub when I was four or five, so I grew up around the club. I remember running around with a shock of blond hair, washing players who were legends here, and now I’m the one pulling on the jersey and trying to carry that history forward.
Being made captain this season has been a huge honour. From the moment I came back to the club, I felt a real sense of trust and support — from the coaches, the fans, the exec, everyone. That gives you a real drive to give everything back. I’ve probably been playing some of the best rugby of my career over the last few seasons, and a big part of that is down to finding that spark again here.
It’s strange because not that long ago I was seriously thinking about stopping. I’d worked in tech sales in the City, moved to London with my partner — now my wife — and was trying to build a career away from rugby. I had a short spell at Rosslyn Park but wasn’t fully committing, and I thought maybe that was it.
Then James Shanahan, Blackheath’s head coach at the time, called. He said he’d heard I was thinking about hanging them up and asked if I fancied coming to the club. I say yes, and that decision completely changed things. Three season later, I’m still here, still loving it, and not even considering stopping. I want to play until the wheels fall off.
Rugby was always going to be part of my life. My dad, Dennis, was a massive influence. He played himself and was a kit man at Harlequins for a long time, so the game was always around. Even now, he’s one of the first people I speak to after matches. We’ll go through everything — what went well, what didn’t — and I still lean on his advice a lot.
My earliest memories of playing are actually in the living room with my older brother. He’s six years older than me and we used to play full-contact “kneeling rugby” indoors, using the microwave as a 40-minute timer. Mum absolutely hated it because we’d wreck the place and she was convinced we were going to burn the house down.
That’s where it all started. At minis level I played at Blackheath before moving to Richmond then London Scottish Juniors. I didn’t start anywhere near the front row — I was scrum half to begin then back row, and only became a hooker at 21. I slowly made may way forward over time. Whether the was down to losing place or just growing into my body, I’m not entirely sure.
My pathway into the game wasn’t straightforward. I didn’t sign my first professional contract until I was 25, which is quite late compared to most. A big turning point came when I went to Hampton School for sixth form. Zoran Higgins spotted me at Middlesex trials and offered me a scholarship, which had a massive impact on my life. It gave me a platform, better coaching and a real opportunity to push on.
At 19, I headed out to New Zealand, which was one of the best decisions I ever made. I played for Massey in Auckland and had a couple of pre-season games for North Harbour. It was a proper baptism of fire. The rugby out there is so attacking and instinctive, and living away from home at that age forces you to grow up quickly. It helped me massively both as a player and as a person.
When I came back, things started to move quickly. I went to Stourbridge in National Two, then Esher in National One, and then London Scottish in the Championship. So I went Nat Two, Nat One, Champ in three seasons, which I’m really proud of. The Championship and National Leagues are such important pathways in English rugby. Not everyone peaks at 18. Some players develop later and those leagues give you the chance to keep progressing.
I captained Stourbridge and then took over at Esher when our skipper got injured, so leadership became a big part of my game early on. During that time, I was also lucky enough to go on the England Counties tour to Romania. That was a really special moment. Pulling on an England shirt, whatever the level, is something you don’t take lightly. It’s probably one of my proudest achievements in the game.
I also had a spell with Wasps, which was pretty surreal. I was around 28 or 29 and didn’t expect to get that kind of opportunity. They had a shortage, I went in for a month, trained with international players, was travelling reserve at Bristol, and then came off the bench against Saracens in the Premiership Cup. Those are moments you dream about as a kid, so to experience that was very cool.
After that, I had spells at Ampthill, Coventry and even a year in France during Covid, which was a bit of a strange time for everyone. Rugby was pretty disjointed, but it was still a good experience. Then came the crossroads where I thought I might be done but, thankfully, that Blackheath call came just at the right time.
Written by Ben Jacock, and published in The Rugby Paper, Sunday 29 March 2026
Photograph courtesy of Nick King
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