Gareth Rees of Victoria remembers well the shy but studious Grade 8 rugby player he coached at Eton College in England.
The story would come full circle this week when the former coach met his former player, who also happens to be Prince William.
“The prince recognized me, which was nice,” said Rees. “We talked about Eton days. It was an awesome time at Eton.”
The two crossed paths twice over the past few days. The first was on Sunday when Rees, director of commercial projects and relations for Rugby Canada, took eight of the Canadian Rio Olympics bronze-medallist women’s rugby sevens players to Vancouver to meet the prince during a function.
“That was a real highlight for the players,” said Rees.
“Prince William knows his rugby and had a good chat with the girls. He knew about the Olympic bronze-medal game” in which Canada defeated Great Britain.
Also giving a shout-out about the result of that game was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“I should probably apologize … that our team beat Great Britain in the bronze-medal match … but no apologies … they are just that good,” the PM said, in good-naturedly ribbing the prince.
Rees, the only rugby player inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and considered the greatest Canadian player of all-time, met the prince again Monday during a function at Government House.
“That was more of a formal event” where there was less chance to chat, said Rees.
“It’s very impressive what William and Kate do. They have both immense patience and energy.”
Rees played in four World Cups for Canada, two as captain. The former St. Michaels University School and University of Victoria Vikes star was also a pro player in England. Rees was at Eton from 1995 to 2000, the first two years as a teacher and the last three as a rugby coach and counsellor.
“Prince William was just a regular kid and he studied very hard,” Rees said.
“It was quite an impressive group at Eton, and I also coached [Academy Award-winning actor] Eddie Redmayne, who was a very good rugby player. I look back and think, was this little old me from Victoria actually in the midst of all this? It was an amazing time.”
It was during that era, in 1997, that Prince William’s mother, Diana, died.
“It was at that time he most needed support and community … and that was provided at the college,” Rees said.
