By JO-MARIE BROWN
TURANGI - A rising rugby league star from Turangi will soon rub shoulders with his heroes Henry and Robbie Paul after winning a scholarship to study at a prestigious English school.
The $45,000 rugby scholarship will allow Tongariro High School's head boy, Ben Ellis, aged 17, to study at North Yorkshire's Giggleswick School - and he has caught the eye of leading rugby league club the Bradford Bulls.
Tongariro's deputy principal and 1st XV coach, John Rautenbach, says Giggleswick is an exclusive school that excels in sport and produces a number of top English athletes each year.
The sporting scholarship had always been awarded to an American soccer player but a former Tongariro phys-ed teacher now working at Giggleswick persuaded the school to choose a rugby player from the central North Island town instead.
While the scholarship is to play rugby for the school, Ben also excels at league and the Bradford Bulls have offered to take him under their wing.
"They're happy to look after Ben while he's there, have him attend their training sessions, learn how the game operates on a professional level and, if the opportunity arises, to play for their club," Mr Rautenbach says.
Ben was recently named captain of the New Zealand secondary schools under-18 rugby league team to tour Australia next month, and is thrilled about the chance to hang out with his idols in Bradford.
"People like the Paul brothers are the best in the business so I really look up to them. Hopefully, one day I'll be as good as them."
Ultimately, Ben hopes to play the sport professionally in either England or Australia but also wants to represent New Zealand.
Tongariro principal Bhrent Guy hopes the scholarship will continue to be offered to Turangi students.
"For Ben it represents a huge opportunity and it shows our school's not just a backwater," he says.
"We're actually able to send our students to some pretty important schools so it really puts us on the map."
However, the price of rugby league stardom is a hectic schedule. Once he returns from the tour of Australia on September 14, Ben will have just four days to celebrate his 18th birthday, kick up his heels at the school ball and pack his bags again to begin his year-long scholarship.
Student scores sporting dream
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