DAMON HUTSON-BOYLE

When Damon Hutson-Boyle was growing up, many of the people around him thought he would become hooked on drugs – but he got hooked on rugby instead. Inspiring Damon, 18, says he wouldn’t change his troubled childhood.

One of his earliest memories is of visiting his dad in jail. He has lost several relatives to drugs. And his mum struggled with crippling anxiety and depression and was often too unwell to leave the house. As a result, Damon was rarely taken out to play as a child, did poorly at school and even turned to alcohol as an escape. But he says getting involved with rugby helped him turn his life around.