hen Graham Smith took up the position of Head of Rugby at
Glenalmond College in 2016, he knew immediately he had
found his ideal job.
Three years on and Graham, who is also Director of Sport at the
Perthshire school, says he makes time almost every day to stop and
appreciate the exceptional school where he works.
What is so special about Glenalmond?
The school is set in over 300 acres of grounds in one of the most
beautiful locations in the world which, amazingly, is just an hour away
from Edinburgh and Glasgow and an hour and a half from Aberdeen.
I love it here and I never take it for granted. In fact, I make a point of
taking a few minutes each day to walk around our famous quad at the
heart of the school buildings and look up. Just being there lifts your
spirits - Glenalmond is a very special place.
What sports does Glenalmond offer?
Having fun through sport is a hugely important part of life at
Glenalmond. We have an equal number of boys and girls, with day
pupils and boarders, and taking part in sport is something which
connects everyone in the community here. There is a long list of sports
to get involved in - from rugby, golf, hockey and lacrosse to cricket,
tennis, athletics, swimming and cross country.
How important is rugby at Glenalmond?
The sport of rugby mirrors a lot of the core values of Glenalmond - it is
about enjoyment, engagement, respect and discipline. It is also very
much about teamwork and fairness. Rugby is the main boys’ sport at
Glenalmond and, from this coming year, girls are also being offered
rugby. We benefit from having what I believe to be the largest area of
grounds of any school in Scotland. We have five rugby pitches, with
some of the best views you’ll find anywhere, which are all carefully
maintained by our team of ground staff.What led you to Glenalmond?
I was a Rugby Development Officer in Fife in a partnership post
supported by Scottish Rugby and Fife Council prior to coming to
Glenalmond. I played rugby in the Royal Marines Band Service where
I was a musician for 23 years and I’ve always loved sport and enjoyed
volunteering as a coach from early in my career.Any famous players who started at Glenalmond?
Glenalmond has long links with the world of international rugby with
several former pupils going on to play at a high level in the sport. David
Sole, Rob Wainwright and John Leslie and are among the former pupils
who have gone on to play for Scotland. Rob and David were British and
Irish Lions as well as Scotland captains.W
156 • WWW.SCRUMMAGAZINE.COM • ISSUE 116 2019
YOUTH & SCHOOLS