Rugby / Ellis Genge
Ellis Genge ‘went down wrong path numerous times’ growing up in Knowle West
In a new Netflix documentary which follows teams during the 2023 Six Nations, Ellis Genge candidly discusses his upbringing in Knowle West.
The second episode of Six Nations: Full Contact is mostly focussed on England and Bristol Bears prop Genge, who admits to having had imposter syndrome when breaking into the national side.
Genge says he “went down the wrong path numerous times” when growing up in Bristol.
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“I think I got arrested five times. Prior to that, I used to do some things that I probably won’t ever speak about, but you can use your imagination.
“I probably looked up to the wrong people when I was growing up. Members of my family that I never really met who were in and out of prison.
“I really chased that, for whatever reason. When you are young and naïve, you chase that bad boy lifestyle.”
Ellis Genge and his family in ‘Six Nations: Full Contact’ – photo: Netflix
Talking to a friend while driving around his old neighbourhood, 28-year-old Genge reminisces about their childhood escapades.
“When we was little… I remember dragging the bathtub from the top of Redcatch out of a skip just to slide down it on the hill.”
The pair immediately burst out laughing and talk about the fact that other people were also going down the hill using the slightly more conventional method of skis.
Genge later reveals that this is not even his craziest memory of Redcatch Park: “I think the maddest thing I seen in Redcatch was someone lit the park on fire. There was that big wooden climbing frame.”
Continuing the drive, he passes Ilminster Avenue Nursery School which he attended as a youngster.
“So imagine, I used to come out of here at lunchtime onto this road here. It looks a bit different now.
“Sprint back down to my nan’s and have the sausage and beans out of the tin. I’d have them on toast.”
The documentary delves into the idea of rugby traditionally being dominated by private school students, which leads to Genge being asked if he attended one.
“No, I went to a school called Knowle Park,” he says. “Can’t imagine many people know where that is…
“I’m not from your traditional upbringing in a rugby sense. When you feel like you are an imposter or you shouldn’t be where you are, you start questioning yourself.”
This led to Genge being scared that people would find out about his past, and as such he “didn’t really open up to people”.
Speaking about his rugby career, he says that the sport stopped his childhood from defining his entire life.
“Rugby has definitely prevented me from doing stuff I inevitably would have been involved in…
“Everyone says: ‘don’t change’. You have to change; otherwise I’d be hitting lumps out of everyone like I was when I was 14.”
Main photo: Netflix
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