Sam Knott

Sam Knott

Place of Birth: Yeovil

Date of Birth: 01/10/1996

Previous Clubs: North Dorset, Puddletown, Bournemouth

Representative Honours: Dorset and Wilts U20s/1st XV

Best rugby memory: Playing in the County Championship Final at Twickenham in 2019

Sporting hero: Bakkies Botha

Day job: Sports Coach

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Sam Knott (first published September 2022)

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In his regular column meeting the players, Richard Kitzinger meets up with the new arrival in Titans’ second row, Sam Knott.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way because it’s actually quite annoying for extremely tall people to be reminded of their height. Sam Knott is an absolute giant. The sort of guy who could have played a role North of The Wall in Game of Thrones. There you go, I’ve said it. Now, let’s get on with finding out about Sam.

Hailing from Dorset, he’s one of several to have made his way to Taunton from Somerset’s neighbour. The thing is, there’s no quick way to drive that route so I always admire the commitment of the guys who come from that direction to train twice weekly as well as play at the weekend. “It’s not too bad at the moment,” he comments as we talk on the eve of the new season, “but it’ll be tough at the end of the year setting off in the dark, training in the dark and getting home in the dark.”

His junior rugby was at Sherborne and then he moved to Bournemouth with whom he progressed into senior rugby, playing in the National Leagues. Whilst reading Sport and Exercise Science at university in Worcester, Sam continued to play in the National Leagues with Luctonians, gaining representative honours with North Midlands into the bargain.

After graduation he returned to Dorset and played a season with Bournemouth, finishing the day before boarding a flight to New Zealand. “I was really fortunate,” he says, having been stuck there when the Land of the Long White Cloud closed its borders due to Covid-19. “I managed to play two seasons out there. One in Auckland, playing for College Rifles in the City Competition. It’s probably the best rugby I’ve played.” He was rubbing shoulders with reasonable quality players. Team-mates Cameron Suafoa and Zarn Sullivan both play for the Auckland Blues and have represented the Māori All Blacks.

New Zealand’s love of rugby left its mark. “It’s crazy,” he says. “Kids walk down the road chucking rugby balls around like they kick footballs here. Rugby’s everywhere there.” He moved to South Island and played a second season in the Canterbury country competition for Darfield whilst working on a farm. Living there was interesting, the town having been at the epicentre of the 7.1 magnitude earthquake in 2010. “The fault line went through the drive of the house I lived in. The driveway should have been straight and flat but now it has a really big dip in it and a left bend!”

“I experienced an earthquake when I was in Wellington. I was at the top of a hotel which was nerve-wracking. Funnily enough, that day I’d been at Te Papa [the excellent National Museum of New Zealand], learning about the country’s geology and earthquakes. I’d even been in a simulator there which recreated the Napier shake of 1931. Then it happened for real that evening.”

When he got home from his travels, the 25 year-old began work as a teaching assistant in a primary school in Yeovil. He’s in the classroom every morning and then spends the afternoons teaching PE to the youngsters. “I really enjoy it. The kids do sometimes test the boundaries. Being in the education sector you get a lot of free time too so I get to help out on the farm, helping my brother with milking and so on.”

He had a spell playing rugby with North Dorset and also with Puddletown but was picked to represent Dorset and Wiltshire in the County Championship with whom he played at Twickenham. It was after a county game at Veritas Park that he was approached by Titans Forwards Coach, Chris Brown, about coming to play for Taunton. “I was shocked and flattered. It didn’t take long to reach a decision. I realised I could probably do it – I just needed to put my mind to it.”

“I know being as tall as I am, with the reach I have, I can bring certain things. Set piece, ruck time, maul time. I think as a player I’m finally growing into my size. So I’m excited to get into the National One season. We’ve trained hard and had good run outs against Clifton, Pirates and Met. I’ve been given a really warm welcome by the boys here so now it’s up to me to repay that trust that they and the coaches have put in me and go and put my best foot forward and be a bit destructive.”

Richard Kitzinger is writing in our match day programmes as well as on the Taunton RFC website. Richard is a Will Writer and all club members are entitled to a 20% discount on Lasting Powers of Attorney with him. Call him on 07504 991893.