5 Aug 2021 Written By Matthew Eastley
Roy White, Head of PE, 1977 to 1984
Roy White, St Mary’s Head of PE, 1977 to 1984
Countless boys at, first, St Mary’s and then St Mary’s & St Joseph’s have Roy White to thank for developing them into first rate rugby players.
In the seven years he was at the school he cemented St Marys’ reputation as a rugby-playing school which consistently punched above its weight.
An excellent soccer and rugby player himself, his know-how was passed down to a succession of top players, most notably Jim Staples (1977) and Kevin Hedderman (1979) but also players like Paul Bensley (1974) and Tony Davies and Mark Elliott (both 1975) while John Battison (1972) says that one of the defining moments of his life was when Roy made him first fifteen captain for the 1978/79 season.
Roy, middle row, far right, with the 1980/81 first fifteen
Here’s what happened after Roy left:
“After leaving St. Mary’s & St Joseph’s in the summer of 1984, I moved to The King’s School, Canterbury, where I stayed until I retired in March, 2010, although I carried on coaching rugby at the school until 2017, when my body persuaded me that enough was enough!
“At King’s, I was Head of PE and Director of Sport, taught some German and academic PE, was Housemaster of a day house for twelve years and, after that, Assistant Director of Studies.
“Needless to say, I found my time at the school hugely fulfilling, not least in my capacity as master in charge of rugby. Outside the school, I acquired additional coaching qualifications and experience, leading me to coach the Under 18 sides for Kent, London & South East, and The England ‘A’ XV until the mid-nineties. In the summer, I managed to fit in a little casual cricket.”
Jim Staples (St Mary’s 1977 to 1984) who won 26 caps for Ireland has said how much he was influenced by Roy White
Few, if any, people would have been aware that, while he was at St Mary’s, Roy and his wife Jill had an allotment. Since they both retired, they have maintained one in Canterbury for the last 14 years and they are also Chairman and Secretary of the Allotment Association.
Roy and Jill’s daughter, Rachael, and son, Jonathan, who were born in Sidcup and Bexley respectively, both went to King’s and live near to them in Canterbury.
Like Roy himself, Rachael went to Birmingham University, and now teaches at King’s where she was first Head of Spanish and is now housemistress of a boarding house.
Jonathan studied Geology at Liverpool University and now runs his own business as a Mortgage Advisor. He has a son, Oliver, who is about to leave for university. Rachael has two children, Sam (7) and Amelie (5): “These two keep us on our toes and indeed, childcare is our main occupation,” says Roy.
“In recent years, we had become accustomed to travelling to Gran Canaria, to the extent that in January, 2020, we bought and renovated an apartment to serve as a family base there. I think everyone can guess that we are yet to enjoy the fruits of our investment, other than a brief visit when a travel corridor briefly opened in October. Like everyone else, we look forward to something approaching normality, which would be, for us, to get there again for our three of four visits a year.”
I remember Roy too – pretty sure I had that slipper a few times too – always encouraged you to be the best you could be even if he knew what that was and you didn’t – thanks
I remember getting the slipper from Roy before rugby training most weeks.I generally had detention for not completing my french homework so Roy gave me the slipper instead so I could train. I played a lot of rugby after leaving school, and also coached all of my son’s school cricket teams. ( the teacher who I helped like the fact I could talk about winning when they had to say it was all about taking part)
I remember Roys training technique for my year to try harder was making us run up and down the hill from the lowere field to the upper one once for every point we lost by. He came up with the idea after we lost by 60points to St Josephs Academy. Took a while but it definitely helped our fitness. Definitely one of the better teachers and someone I always admired.
I remember Roy with great fondness. He taught me French and arranged a day trip to France on the stormiest autumn day possible! We had the most terrible crossing (ferries were being cancelled due to high winds and stormy seas) and he was so kind as I suffered (for the first time) from terrible travel/motion sickness and he kept an eye on me all day, checking to see how I was and eventually buying me a drink and something to eat when we were on French terra firma! We were delayed getting home by hours and again he checked in on me during the late night crossing home.
I remember Roy very well as a thoroughly decent man and a great sports master. Roy inspired me to play cricket which gave me many, many years of enjoyment at club level. I still remember how thrilled he was that I could bowl ‘leggies’. I don’t mind admitting that I was on the receiving end of the slipper once or twice which was an old size 11 Dunlop green flash but it was always thoroughly deserved and reluctantly administered. Wish you well in your retirement Roy and thank you for a lifetime of cricketing enjoyment.
Dean Chappell (1981-87)