An ex-Coleg Llandrillo rugby star who shone on the pitch has achieved a first-class Masters’ Degree in Electronic Engineering!

Will Bryan, 24, who is originally from Caerwys, studied at the college’s Rhos-on-Sea campus. During his studies, he was handpicked for the college’s celebrated rugby academy, carrying out his training alongside studying for his academic qualifications: A-levels in Maths, Physics and Biology.

After impressing on rugby pitches across North Wales, Jacob went on to achieve a first-class Masters’ Degree in Electronic Engineering at Bangor University!

As well as representing the college’s academy team, Jacob played for the senior RGC rugby team, where he joined an elite few, making over 100 appearances for the club! RGC is the regional representative team for the North Wales Rugby Development Region.

RGC-mainstay Will Bryan eventually said farewell to the club after agreeing a deal with Dings Crusaders. The forward was a hugely influential member of the squad after coming through RGC’s academy system, helping the club rise to the Indigo Group Premiership and secure the WRU National Cup for the first time in their history.

Will recently spoke about his time at college: “I enrolled at Llandrillo College to study for my A-levels. The most positive aspect of attending the college was the ability to pursue respectable academic qualifications, whilst being fully involved in a high-performance rugby union programme. The rugby fitted well around my timetable at college and I had enough time to do work during free periods in between training and lectures. I wouldn’t have had the same exposure or opportunities if I stayed on at sixth form.

“The standard of rugby taught and played at the college is extremely high. It helped me to develop my game and I was able to play for the RGC seniors whilst still in playing for college. I would recommend attending Llandrillo College to get a good balance of sport and education, it will provide you with opportunities not found elsewhere in North Wales. I left Llandrillo College and went to Bangor University to study Electronic Engineering, achieving a first-class Masters’ Degree.”

The college’s rugby academy coordinator, and current RGC legend, Andrew Williams, said: “Will was an excellent forward and all of us at the academy are truly thrilled with his significant progression.”

For more information about rugby, or any sports courses, or places in any of the college’s sporting academies across Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, call the college’s Learner Services team on 01492 542 338, email: enquiries.llandrillo@gllm.ac.uk or visit www.gllm.ac.uk