Former South African international Ashley Johnson will be visiting Romford and Gidea Park Rugby Club this half term on the evening of 29th October. With nearly 200 appearances for Wasps in the Premiership and three caps for the Springboks, Johnson brings a wealth of experience to our club. Before his time at Wasps, he played six years in Bloemfontein for the Cheetahs, racking up 63 appearances in the Currie Cup and 35 in Super Rugby.

Renowned for his powerful ball-carrying skills, whether playing as a Number 8 or hooker, Johnson's impact on the field was immense. Lee Blackett, the current Bath first-team coach and former Wasps head coach, described him as “one of the best signings in Wasps history.”

Joining him will be Kevin Harman, former Head of Recruitment and Academy at Wasps from 2015 to 2022, where he developed one of the Premiership's top academy programmes. More recently, as Emerging Talent Lead at Gloucester RFC, he scouted the best talent from around the world for the English Premiership. Harman has also just returned from the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris, where he was part of the South African team's staff. Harman is a former player-coach for Romford and Gidea Park RFC !

Both Ashley Johnson and Kevin Harman will be running training sessions for club players at the club, sharing their expertise and insights with the current and future stars of Romford and Gidea Park Rugby Club. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from two outstanding professionals!