We are thrilled to hear that Max Whittle (1999-2010) has been selected as the arena host for the netball at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. It is a huge honour to be involved in such a prestigious sporting event and extra special to be on relative ‘home turf’ given the event is happening in Birmingham. Max gets to stay local this summer, as after the Games he heads to Edgbaston to be the stadium host for The Hundred.

At RGS, Max studied Physical Education, Philosophy & Ethics and Geography for A Level and was heavily involved in competitive sports including football, rugby and cricket. From RGS Max went on to Southampton Solent University where he got his First Class Degree in Sports Journalism. From there, Max’s career has been hugely diverse and exciting and he has forged himself as an incredibly sought after multimedia sports journalist, presenter and event host.

Max began his career in radio, starting out as a social media producer at Absolute Radio and producer at talkSPORT, before joining the Guardian as a video producer and writer after university. More recently Max has added to his repertoire; Presenter across the t20 Vitality Blast social media channels, Chair at Cheltenham Literature Festival for events with England rugby international James Haskell and former Wales and British Lions captain Sam Warburton, and also reporter for Icons Series, working with athletes such as Harry Kane and Ricky Ponting. Max has also presented for Sky Sports, reported and voiced on programming for Premier League Productions and is currently the face of Aston Villa Football Club’s pre-match fan zone show.

On getting to host the netball this month Max says, “Being from the West Midlands and having played some netball at RGS, it’s a real privilege to continue my presenting journey at such a historical event in a city I call a second home.” Speaking about his career in general, Max says “I always remind myself why I love what I do, and I have been so fortunate to work with some of my favourite sports personalities at venues in which I grew up attending as a fan. The goal is to keep doing that!”

Max remembers his time at RGS and the impact it has had on him in his life, saying “RGS was where I was introduced to cricket, a sport I quickly fell in love with and now cover regularly. I will always remember how great the sports facilities at school were and how weekly competition inspired me to follow my dreams, first chasing a career in basketball and now in the media.”

One of Max’s fondest School memories is “actually from my first couple of weeks at school. The Year 7 House Football tournament was held and the house I was in, Whiteladies, won it! I have no idea how because I was in goal, but I remember meeting my new house mates and their parents at the playing fields, which really made me feel part of the school quicker than I expected.”

To current pupils at RGS considering a career in Journalism Max’s advice is, “get yourself involved with as much work experience as possible, and don’t be afraid to start before you leave school. I worked on the sports desk for a week at Worcester News and you will be amazed how many people you meet at each company that lead you to the next opportunity. It’s a fairly small world once you get your foot in the door, and this industry will definitely allow you to showcase your creative self. Good luck!” 

Well done Max!