FORMER Dorking player Rob Stephen enjoyed "the highlight" of his rugby career when he kicked all of his attempts during Cambridge's loss to Oxford in this year's televised varsity match, played out in front of thousands at Twickenham.
Twenty-year-old Stephen is studying at King's College and the full-back, who played in Dorking's youth sides and made a handful of appearances for the first team, was selected for the biggest fixture in university sport after impressing late last season.
And the former England U16 player – also a bass/baritone singer – had to be excused from choral duties so he could win his first blue for the university's rugby team.
Despite singing on a live broadcast during the King's choral concert last year, Stephen said that taking the field at Twickenham was more nerve-wracking.
"It was absolutely amazing," he said. "I played in the U21 varsity match last but this was a very different occasion because of the big crowd.
"To be fair, once you got into the game and it got close it just becomes another game of rugby that you really want to win.
"There was a unique nature to the game. Doing a broadcast to a lot of people is no walk in the park, but the pressure to perform on the field was even bigger. Once the team was announced two weeks before, there was a big buzz going around the place – a lot of interest from everyone. People were coming up all week saying good luck, and afterwards giving their messages of condolence."
Cambridge ended up losing 26-19, but only after stretching out a lead of 19-6 thanks largely to the boot of Stephen, who was stepping up in a big way while his Oxford counterpart floundered.
But their navy foes would eventually triumph for the third year running, and Stephen said for all the positives of the experience he left the field feeling bitterly disappointed.
"I was happy with my performance overall – I didn't let the team down – but there's always more you can do. The kicking obviously went well but in terms of organising the defence and offering more in attack, maybe I could have done more."
Stephen added that he would re-evaluate a case for senior rugby after a break.
"I think I'm going to take a bit of time out," he said. "Rugby has been a massive part of my life for ten years now.
"If I do play around the area again Dorking would be the first place I would go to. I am so grateful to them for letting me come down to play when I could. They really took me in."
