MEET THE AMBASSADORS – GEORGE MARTIN
Rugby international George Martin knows from close experience about the difference the Matt Hampson Foundation can make to young lives.
He is a close friend and former Leicester Tigers team-mate of Taylor Gough who has been a beneficiary of the Foundation since 2020.
“I first came to the Get Busy Living Centre as a visitor with the Leicester Tigers academy,” says George. “So there was already a connection and it grew stronger when Taylor had his accident. Matt spent a lot of time with Taylor and, as a friend, I will always be grateful for that.”
A second-row forward, George made his England debut less than 18 months after playing his first game for Tigers as an 18-year-old in 2019. He was part of the club’s Premiership title win in 2022 and played in the Rugby World Cup a year later where Taylor was able to show support from the crowd.
Jack van Poortvliet, Freddie Steward and Ollie Chessum have been colleagues in that same Tigers set-up and have similarly established themselves as England internationals while representing the Matt Hampson Foundation as ambassadors.
Matt graduated from the Tigers academy a decade ahead of that group, but there is still a bond born within the rugby family.
George says: “Matt has always been brilliant with me. I enjoy coming up to the Get Busy Living Centre. It’s strange from coming here as a 16-year-old academy lad to now and being here quite regularly. My mum volunteers with the gardeners, and having Matt and Taylor around, it is nice. There is a proper community feeling in the place.”
After returning to the England team for the summer series, George moves to Saracens for the start of the new domestic season.
