Rugby journeyman:

School days set up life lessons

For someone who has lived in England for the past 30 years, Kent Bray (RGS 1981) has not dropped his Australian accent and still sounds like he left Australia yesterday.

Kent loved sport during his school days and later lived and breathed all things rugby for many years after finishing school.

Later, he had to draw on all his experiences from his earlier in his life at school when he made the transition from sport to life after sport.

“I played rugby in the amateur era. I wasn’t a professional rugby player. I was always very mindful of having something going on in parallel in my life. I studied law, even though I didn’t like it, but I had that to go back on,’’ Kent said.

“When I stopped playing rugby at 30, I did notice a void.

“When you’re playing for rep teams there’s a bit of prestige and status and all of a sudden that’s gone. There’s a bit of an adapting and transition period.

“I was fortunate because I went from a rugby team to a trading team. There’s a win and loss thing. In some respects the mindset was quite similar.”

“Some kids put all their eggs in their sporting basket. No matter how good you are at sport there is a shelf life.

“However, whatever sport anyone goes into there will also be a network. Whether that’s rugby, netball, rowing or cricket, there will always be people you can tap into to ensure there’s a safety net.”

During a visit back to Australia last year, Kent droped into RGS - just in time to watch the traditional Seniors Netball verses Rugby netball game in the Spaceframe.

“That took me back. We played that when I was at school. I loved the energy and all the supporters getting involved. I loved the interaction with the girls and boys – competitive but respectful. The vibe and energy was fantastic,’’ Kent said. It was just one event that sparked many School memories while Kent walked around his old school grounds.

Kent was 12-years-old when he started at RGS. He was one of two new students who arrived from Leichhardt Ward Primary. RGS had around 500 students and the majority were boarders.

“I didn’t want to come to RGS. I wanted to go to Rocky High with my other mates,’’ Kent said.

“Looking back and reflecting that was probably a pivotal point in my life.

“Rockhampton Grammar School suited me perfectly. I loved sport and there was a tonne of sport. The School also got the best out of me academically. I wasn’t super bright, but I was bright enough to leave school and do law. “And what I absolutely believe, and didn’t know that at the time, but what I learnt at Rockhampton Grammar set me up for what was to come later in life. Social etiquette, social graces, behaving in a manner suitable to an occasion.

“I was a lawyer and the social graces and etiquette, how to behave and how to dress, firm hand shake, look people in the eye, work ethic – all that was embedded in me from here (at RGS), from my parents and country living.”

Kent played fullback during his rugby days at RGS. He never made a State representative team. After School, Kent worked for Rees R and Sydney Jones and then studied law at the Queensland University of Technology. Kent continued playing rugby in Brisbane – switching to the five-eighth position.

Kent played for Queensland under-19s, Australian under-21s, he played three games in the Queensland senior squad over five years. Unfortunately for Kent, a player called Michael Lynagh, who would later become a Wallabies great, played the same position for Queensland. Kent would also play one season with the NSW Waratahs.

He then travelled to England where he studied a Diploma in Social Studies at the University of Oxford, where he was honoured with an Oxford Blue playing against Cambridge University.

After a brief return to Australia, Kent realised his dreams of playing rugby for Australia had ended. Kent returned to England and joined the Harlequins rugby club for six years as a player and assistant coach.

After his rugby years Kent moved from law into finance, working for 22 years as a foreign exchange trader with an American bank. A few years back he set up a company with 100 London black cabs. Unfortunately, his company “went under” during Covid-19.

“It’s not all good news in life,’’ said Kent, who now enjoys working as a director of rugby at a local club in England and is loving being a “later in life” dad to his 12 and 9 year old children.

“All those steps that I’ve been through in my life started at Rockhampton Grammar and me fulfilling everything I could academically and sporting wise, and that desire and drive to be the best I could be at this School. That attitude and mindset I took into every field.”