FORMER King John School pupil Max Crumpton is enjoying playing regularly in the Premiership.

Crumpton has impressed for some of English rugby’s biggest sides in his relatively short career to date, but is involved in the top flight for the first time this season.

In 2014, the 23-year-old left London’s Harlequins for Bristol, who were on the verge of promotion.

A play-off defeat stopped Bristol from joining rugby’s elite, but two years later the club won its place in the Premiership.

Crumpton, who plays at hooker, has enjoyed testing himself against the best in the Aviva Premiership this term.

Crumpton said: “It is great to be playing in the Premiership.

“Obviously it has taken longer than I would have hoped.

“When I signed, Bristol were playing in the play-offs but lost.

“The same happened a year later but thankfully we went up last year.”

Crumpton, who grew up in Hadleigh, was tipped for a big future when he impressed on the pitch while at King John and went on to join Westcliff.

But moves to leading clubs Saracens and Harlequins, before Bristol, followed and Crumpton also earned international honours with England at under-16, under-18 and under-20 level.

He represented his country in the IRB Junior World Championships in 2012 as he showed his potential from a young age.

Crumpton’s current side are now looking to cement their place in English rugby’s top tier, and the hooker played a big part in Bristol’s win over Sale Sharks earlier this week.

Bristol came from 15-0 and 23-10 down to defeat the hosts 24-23, with Crumpton scoring a try for the visitors.

And Crumpton is pleased with his form this season.

“I think that was my third or fourth try in the Premiership this season, so a lot of the time I’m not doing the hard work, but I’m finishing it off,” confirmed Crumpton.

Bristol won the Championship last term after going close in each of the last two campaigns.

And Crumpton was pleased to finally secure the club’s place among England’s best rugby sides, although he was disappointed not to play more of a leading role in Bristol’s momentous season.

“Winning promotion was great for the club and city,” he added.

“It was frustrating at times for me because I had a lot of injuries but it was a relief to finally win promotion.”

The former England under-20 star will now be looking to put those injury woes behind him and continue impressing Bristol coach Mark Tainton by lifting his side off the foot of the Premiership table and securing the club’s top-flight status.

But Bristol, who are two points below Worcester Warriors at the bottom of the league, face a tough looking test at Northampton Saints this weekend.

Echo:

Crumpton thankful for PE teacher

MAX Crumpton admits King John School PE teacher Mark Sexton played a ‘massive’ part in his rugby career.

Crumpton was a student at the Thundersley-based school and was quickly seen by Sexton as a rugby talent.

And the former Harlequins man is thankful for the guidance of his former PE teacher.

Crumpton, 23, said: “He was the one who introduced me to rugby.

“Him and Gary Leicester have played a massive part in my rugby career.

“I then went down to Westcliff but he was massive and has always been great for me.”

After impressing under the mentorship of Sexton at King John, Crumpton joined Westcliff and then some of England’s most prestigious rugby clubs.

Crumpton earned a place at the Saracens Academy and excelled having joined Harlequins.

But Crumpton, who lines up at hooker, left the London-based Harlequins for Championship promotion hopefuls Bristol in the summer of 2014.

And Crumpton is not the only high-profile rugby star to have come out of King John in the last decade.

Jackson Wray, above, also attended the school and was mentored by Sexton.

Wray, 26, is looking to secure an England call-up after impressive displays for Saracens.

Wray’s form in both the Premiership and European competitions saw him called up to England’s 55-man training squad in the summer of 2014.

But he was not given the chance to make his England debut.

The back row was an integral part of the Saracens side that secured a domestic and European double last season.

Crumpton came face-to-face with Wray earlier this season as Saracens travelled to Ashton Gate to take on Crumpton’s Bristol.

Saracens - Crumpton’s former employers - ran out comfortable winners as they defeated the newly-promoted side 39-0.

But Crumpton was pleased to go up against his old team-mate.

“Jackson and I were at Saracens together,” added Crumpton.

“It was great catching up with him when we played Saracens earlier in the season.

“I know him really well now and I knew him at school as well.

“He was always the one I needed to follow in the footsteps of when I was at school.”