Sam Norton Knight's Rugby journey has taken him to all corners of the world.

Following a gap year in Scotland (organised by All Saints), Sam moved to Canberra for university where his sporting career began to unfold.

“I started studying sports media in 2002 and I started playing Super Rugby for the ACT Brumbies in 2005, so it all happened pretty quickly,” he says.

“I had originally anticipated a career as a journalist, but when Super Rugby came calling, I spent five years in that competition and then ended up taking a contract to play in Europe.”

After one season with Welsh team Cardiff Blues, Sam’s next destination was Japan.

For 10 years he honed his rugby skills on an international stage with Japanese teams including the Panasonic Wild Knights, Kubota Spears and the NEC Green Rockets.

In 2007, Sam also donned the green and gold as fly half for the Wallabies, winning a Test cap against both Wales and Fiji.

It was a “full circle moment” when he returned to Australia and rejoined the Brumbies in Coach Development.

Sam now works with community coaches to build their capabilities in both the junior rugby and senior rugby divisions, running accreditation courses and providing streamlined support.

Upon his return to the DNK Cup, an inter-school rugby competition hosted at All Saints in 2023, he enjoyed watching the games, seeing a few ‘potential Brumbies’ in action and cheering on nephew Will Norton-Knight (Year 6) who performed exceptionally on the day.

Sam believes All Saints is a school that does sport like no other.

“Sport plays a significant role in the student’s life, and I think it’s a fairly integral part of the reason why parents choose to send their children to the School,” he says.

“The individuals who aspire to play at a higher level are also really nurtured within that environment which is important.”

Offering words of wisdom to the next generation of players, Sam says it’s all about developing a thirst; rugby skills can be taught, but a willingness to compete is something a player needs to discover within.

“The hunger for competition is something that is difficult to teach, and the mindset is challenging to develop,” says Sam. “That’s what we really look for in players.”