Halford sets his sights on reaching the top
9:14am Thursday 26th June 2008
OLLI Halford is the latest Dursley youngster who has been given a chance to showcase his rugby talent.
He plays at Newport Gwent Dragons Regional U18 and U19 Squad and is hoping to become a professional player with the Welsh giants and eventually achieve his dream of playing international rugby.
The outside centre has been playing at Dursley rugby club since he was four-years-old with the likes of Ollie Winterbottom, who has since signed a contract with Guinness Premiership side Gloucester.
Halford, 17, was at Rednock School for five years before his talent was spotted whilst on a rugby camp with eight other junior Dursley players two years ago.
He was offered a rugby scholarship at Sedbergh School in Cumbria, who last year won the team of the year award for winning all of their games against all of the top schools in the UK.
Halford believes that this experience was vital and vastly improved him as a player, but it was playing for the Welsh Exiles under-18s that alerted the attention of the Dragons Regional Squad.
He is hoping to join the regional under-20s development squad this summer, to join one of their feeder clubs next season.
The aim for Halford now is to be awarded with a full-time contract at Newport in three or four year's time and he is fully focused on achieving a lifelong dream of playing professional rugby.
He said: "The opportunity with Newport has arisen now and it's my dream to play for them."
"It's going to take a lot of work, a lot of graft to make me fitter and stronger, and to mature mentally and physically, so hopefully I'll have a chance to get in the team."
Halford doesn't hide away from his long-term ambition of playing international rugby either.
His father is English and his mother is Welsh, meaning he could qualify to play for either country.
Although Halford insists he doesn't have a preference between the two nations and tends to sit on the fence when the two countries face each other, he admits he would rather play for Wales as long as he is playing on the other side of the Severn Bridge.
As he wondered about where he would like to see himself in the future, Halford said: "I would like to have a contract with Newport, play in the first team, and I would like to get into the Welsh team when I'm older.
"Anyone would be very proud to play international rugby, it would be the greatest moment of my life."
Due to his School commitments at Sedbergh, where he trained two hours a day five times a week, Halford has been unable to make many appearances for the Dursley senior team over the last year.
However, he holds the club in high esteem, and added that he has a debt of gratitude to the way they have developed his potential from a young age.
He said: "I owe a huge amount to them, their development has got me through since I was four. "
"I've come on leaps and bounds due to good coaching, and the adults have done a huge amount to make the club better."