Old Kingswoodian Club
David Denton (OK 2008) may be a relative unknown in Scottish rugby, but one of the uncapped quartet named in Scotland's World Cup training squad the 21-year-old made it clear yesterday that he is aiming to ensure that people are still talking about him when Andy Robinson's squad touch down in New Zealand in September.
As one of that uncapped group, the back row player could currently be considered one of the most likely to feature in the ten players dropped in August after the summer training camp when the final 30 for the World Cup is announced. But he does not see it that way.
"I have (only] had seven starts I think for Edinburgh so it (selection] was surprising for me," he acknowledged, "but I have worked hard and feel that I've played well in these seven games so I'm happy about it.
"I know that Test rugby is a big step-up, so fitness is always going to be a thing for someone coming from where I've come from at this time, and I want to build on my strength and power so that I can make a difference with the ball in my hand.
"This is the definitely just the first step for me. I know we have three weeks off now, but this is time for me maybe to get a bit of an advantage on everybody else because when we come back in I'm going to be gunning for it (World Cup place] just as everyone else is. It's really important for me, as it is for everyone, to get into that squad to go to New Zealand.
"It is suggested that we take a bit of time off so I'm taking this week to cool down and get the season out of my legs, but Neill Potts, our conditioning guy, has suggested that we do what we can so that when we come in (on 6 June] we're ready to go.
"Others certainly will too, but that's what we need. If everyone is pushing that hard to get better than everyone else that's what will make us a better team come the World Cup."
That reveals the desire Robinson has seen in Denton, and what the head coach hopes will shake up the competition for places over the coming two months of training and preparation for the warm-up games with Ireland and Italy in August. He may be on the outer ring at the moment, but Denton is coming up on the rails fast.
He stands at 6ft 4in tall and has put on over two stones to tip the scales at 17st 2lbs since arriving in Scotland from South Africa just over two years ago.
Denton was born in Zimbabwe to a Zimbabwean father Tim Denton and Glasgow-born mother, Joy Cole-Hamilton, sister of Johnnie, the R&A Championships Assistant Director, and daughter of former R&A Captain and Clydesdale Bank CEO Richard.
Denton left for school at Kingswood College in Grahamstown, on South Africa's Eastern Cape, one of the oldest Methodist schools in the country, and played for Eastern province's Under-19s team.