Liam Scott

"Growing up I was conflicted, as I am very proud of being mixed race and Welsh, and our culture in Wales".

Tell us a bit about yourself, who are you and what do you do?

I am Liam Scott and I work for the Welsh Rugby Union as Head of Regions & Rugby Inclusion. I’ve been working for the Welsh Rugby Union for the last eight years and my role involves overseeing the delivery of the community strategy operationally through our regional teams in North, East & West Wales, as well as growing our game within underrepresented groups in Wales, to get more people involved in all areas of rugby from playing, coaching and volunteering, from diverse backgrounds.

How would you describe your cultural background?

I am Welsh/Jamaican Mixed Race.

How has being raised in Wales shaped your identity?

Do you feel Welsh, if so, why? Growing up I was conflicted, as I am very proud of being mixed race and Welsh, and our culture in Wales. My grandfather on my Welsh side had a huge impact on me growing up and was the person who introduced me to rugby, and was a very proud Welshman, but in certain areas of the country I was not perceived to be Welsh, because of my skin tone. Thankfully, Wales is a more diverse and accepted place now, to what it was like in the 90’s.

Why is your role important in the WRU, what do you hope to achieve?

My role is to reach out further into the varying communities in Wales, to help bring rugby to people that have not previously engaged with the Welsh Rugby Union, and rugby as a whole. We have a target to engage with 25,000 Global Majority in any format of rugby within Wales over the next few years, and from that we want to grow our player and volunteer base within our clubs to ensure that we have long term diverse representation across all areas of our game, from playing to governance.

What was your school experience like - share good and bad points?

I went to a school that was less than 10% diverse so always had conflicting identity, teaching was very different back then, as their attempts to embrace diversity were based on delivering more equality for students rather than equity, and the leadership didn’t necessarily understand the difference in them. I had some good experiences and met some people that I still have as friends today, but there were negative experiences. An example was when I had my hair braided in year 8 and was put into isolation and told ‘not only did I look like a twit, but I was a twit’, and was ‘just copying Ruud Gullit’ and told I couldn’t leave isolation until I had cut my hair. That instance taught me hugely about resilience and standing up for what’s right as, ultimately, I stayed true to what I wanted and eventually they allowed me back into lessons.

"Work hard, accept every knock back as a challenge to overcome, and the journey is always more important than the destination".

How can schools ensure all children are seen and heard?

I am a huge advocate of young people’s voices being heard and I believe the best way is to create advisory groups and young boards, represented by a variety of young people from all walks of life, the only way we can understand the wants and needs of young people is by asking the right questions, but also ensuring that things are acted on and don’t just serve as a tick box exercise.

What were your career aspirations growing up?

Growing up I wanted to be an architect, I had a real energy around building design and, specifically, stadium designs, but the thought of having to spend so many years in education put me off, so I just wanted a job in the sports industry, as wearing a tracksuit every day seemed the perfect industry.

What are the positives things of being dual heritage?

As my grandfather would say, I’ve got the best of two worlds! But, in all seriousness, it has given me an appreciation and understanding of the so many different cultures there are and to always try to not just see the world through my own lens. What is your message to young people? Work hard, accept every knock back as a challenge to overcome, and the journey is always more important than the destination.

What would you like your legacy to be?

To have given as many people as possible opportunities to maximise their own potential.