A Week One Summer

Everybody faces some degree of adversity at some stage in their lives, but very few have faced as many challenges as Floyd Steadman. Rejected by his father, he coped with a childhood in care. Told he should train to ‘work with his hands’, he insisted on taking A levels so he could become a teacher. As one of the few black players in English club rugby, he was named Saracens captain at the age of 23 and played a leading role in the club’s progress during the 1980s. Many thought he might have played for England, but he was never selected. After retiring from rugby, he emerged as a talented and inspiring teacher and headmaster, having a positive impact on many, many young lives. Over and over again, Floyd Steadman has prevailed against immense odds, prevailing not with anger, argument or hysterics, but with persistence, dignity and integrity. This is his story.