HARD work, perseverance and sporting talent have seen a former Mount Kelly student progress from the playing fields of West Devon to the international rugby arena.

Ben Higgins, 24, from Tavistock, has just signed a two-year professional contract to play for the Hong Kong first team and is delighted to fulfil an ambition to play the sport he loves at international level.

He has already three international caps under his belt and now the prop forward is looking forward to a bright future with his adopted country.

Ben first played at school and eventually progressed to the Kelly College (Mount Kelly) first team. With his parents, Andy and Vicki, living in Hong Kong, Ben took part in age grade rugby and furthered his rugby ‘education’ spending a season playing the game in New Zealand.

He came back to Devon to study sports science at Exeter University, attracted by its reputation for the oval ball game, and earned a place as left prop for its first team.

Ben, who is now six feet tall and weighs 108 kilograms, told Times Sport: ‘I’ve been playing since I was seven and got seriously into the sport around the age of 16. Having played prop my entire life settling into the position wasn’t too much of an issue when joining men’s teams but the step between club and international rugby was challenging due to the sheer size of the opposition.’

But his connection with Hong Kong remained strong and worked on his game to secure a place in the island’s national squad and eventually his persistence paid off.

‘It has been my dream to play professionally and represent Hong Kong in the next World Cup.  

‘My first game for HK was against Japan, in Tokyo. Representing a country is an unbelievable feeling and gaining your first cap against a team such as Japan is indescribable.’

Now he has secured a place in the squad the hard work to maintain his position and help Hong Kong to progress in the world game has only just begun.

‘The Hong Kong Rugby Union is aiming to qualify for a place in the up coming World Cup in Japan. Whether this dream is achieved we will see but I aim to play professionally for as long as I can.’

His mum Vicki is proud of Ben’s commitment to making his dream of a professional rugby career come true.

‘I know how hard he has worked to his ambition. He had to work in bars and all sorts of places to support himself and now his persistence has paid off. Ben winning a professional contract and a place in the Hong Kong team is something he can be rightly proud of as it is something he has achieved all by himself.’

The West Devon-Hong Kong connection may well be strengthened in the future when Mount Kelly opens a ‘satellite’ school on the island, with plans to possibly open there in 2017. No doubt Ben’s rugby skills will come in handy to encourage the youngsters.

However, Ben is not the only Higgins who has made an impression on the rugby fields of Mount Kelly. His younger brother Will is now playing, for the school in the current U15s, in the same position as his brother. Perhaps in a few years time the two sporting brothers may even go head to head on the international rugby field?