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24 June 2026  8 min read

Flynn Boardman-Raffet: Trusting the journey to his Great Britain moment

Representing Great Britain had always been the dream for the 24-year-old, but after narrowly missing out on opportunities at junior level and coming close on several occasions without getting the call, he decided the healthiest thing to do was simply focus on becoming the best player he could be and trust that, if it was meant to happen, it eventually would.

It turned out to be the right approach.

Just weeks after completing an outstanding rookie professional season with Leicester Riders, the call finally came from Great Britain, inviting the young guard to join the senior men's national team for the first time ahead of this summer's FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Qualifiers.

"I was just over the moon when I got the call-up," Boardman-Raffet said ahead of GB’s trip to Lithuania (2 July) and a home game against Iceland in Manchester (5 July) in the final games of the phase.

"It's something that I've been working towards for kind of my whole life. Getting to represent your national team is something that every player aspires to, and I never got the opportunity to do it in the junior age groups, so when I got the call and I had the chance to speak to Dan [Clark] about coming in, I was over the moon.

"I was surprised to get the call because it's never happened for me before despite coming close a few times, and I've just always tried to keep the prospect of playing for GB out of my mind as a result and trust that it'll happen when it's meant to, so for it to have happened at the end of my rookie season, I'm delighted."

It is a reward not only for a superb first season in Super League Basketball, but for years of quiet persistence.

Rather than becoming frustrated by opportunities that didn't arrive when he hoped they might, Boardman-Raffet continued to put his energy into improving every day, believing that if he stayed patient his chance would eventually come.

Earning trust

That mindset served him well throughout his first year as a professional.

His rookie campaign with Leicester wasn't one where everything happened overnight. Instead, it was a season built on earning trust.

Minutes were initially limited, but throughout training and every opportunity he was given, Boardman-Raffet continued to demonstrate that he belonged. As the season progressed, so too did his responsibility within one of British basketball's most successful organisations.

By the closing months of the campaign, he had become a vital figure for the Riders, helping them produce some memorable performances during the business end of the season.

"The second half of the season for me was particularly strong, but I had an amazing time at Leicester from start to finish, even though my role was smaller in the beginning of the season," he reflected.

"I was fortunate to have an amazing coaching staff and great teammates through the year, and felt a lot of belief from everybody in what I could contribute.

"When I did get that opportunity to have a bigger role, I just wanted to make sure I was as ready as possible and we enjoyed some great moments in that run to the end of the season, most specifically the win we had in Sheffield in the Play-offs because of how well we stuck together, came back from losing the first leg and showed our potential.

"It really was a great rookie year for me. I learned a lot from everybody I played with and against and Coach Rob [Paternostro] and his staff gave me so much as well that I am grateful to have experienced at the start of my career."

One conversation in particular stuck with him.

Knowing his opportunity was coming, Boardman-Raffet sought out Paternostro for advice. The message he received was refreshingly simple: don't try to become somebody else.

"When I knew I was going to have a bigger role with Leicester, I spoke to Rob who just told me to be myself, be confident and do what I knew I could do, and that's what I did."

It is advice that reinforced one of the guiding principles of his young career.

Rather than worrying about expectations or outside opinions, he has learned to trust the work he puts in behind the scenes.

"I trust the work I've put in, and that helps me stay calm and focused," he explained.

"I do a lot of work in the off-season with a great coach back home, Coach Isaac, and he always says that as long as I keep working as hard as I can, then I'm in the best possible position to succeed and whatever happens is what it is.

"Keeping that self-belief is very important, because other people's opinions are always going to change and that can't be controlled, so I just focus on staying as level as I can in the ups and the downs and keep putting the work in that enables me to retain that self-belief. I'm always going to keep dreaming bigger, reaching higher, and working as hard as possible."

That mentality has helped him navigate what he describes as a whirlwind 12 months.

Professional basketball. A breakout rookie season. Now a first senior international call-up.

Even now, he admits it's difficult to believe how quickly life has changed.

"The last 12 months have been a whirlwind and I don't think I'd have believed you if you'd told me this is how my life was going to go when I first started playing all those years ago," he said.

"I've always tried to work as hard as possible, set goals and dream big, but still to achieve it is always difficult to put into words.

"Everybody wants to play for their national team. I definitely grew up watching this team thinking, 'Could that be me one day?' and now it is, so I think I'd just tell that kid, 'You can do it, just keep going.' The journey has been so special."

That sense of perspective has made his first days in camp all the more enjoyable.

An extended preparation week together in Barcelona has allowed the squad to build relationships before attention turns to competitive action, and for a newcomer entering an established international programme, it has proved invaluable.

"Having a week in Barcelona to come together and get to know each other better before the qualifiers next week has been really helpful. There's a good mix of youth and experience in the group and it's been fun to see us all come together and I'm excited for the qualifiers."

While he is one of the newest faces in the group, Boardman-Raffet has quickly embraced one of the core values that underpins the programme: putting the team above everything else.

"It's one of the main principles of this group, making sure that we're always putting each other first and remembering that we're here representing the team and each other rather than ourselves," he said.

"Our goal is to advance to the next stage.

"To do that we've all got to do whatever the group needs, whatever coach needs, and just continuing to be ourselves in service of the team. If I get the opportunity to play in these next two qualifiers then it's just about making sure I'm true to myself and putting the team first, being super aggressive and if we can all do that then I think good things will follow."

His performances in Leicester also brought something else he values deeply: the opportunity to become someone younger players can look up to.

Messages from Riders supporters have continued to pour in since news of his international call-up was announced, reinforcing just how quickly his profile has grown.

For Boardman-Raffet, however, inspiring others has never been a by-product of success — it has always been one of his motivations.

"To inspire future generations is one of the main reasons I came home for my first year," he explained.

"I promised myself if I ever got into a position where kids and young people looked up to me in any sort of way, I'd try and give as much as I can to them and give back to be the best role model I can.

"I have two younger brothers as well, so I know how important it is to be around and to be a role model for them, but giving back to future generations is so important to me and I'm glad I've had that opportunity last season in Leicester and now here with the national team."

It is perhaps fitting that a player who spent so long patiently waiting for his own opportunity is already thinking about those who will follow behind him.

Because while this may feel like the culmination of years of hard work, Boardman-Raffet views it very differently.

His first Great Britain call-up isn't the finish line. It's simply the next step.

The same approach that carried him through his rookie season, through missed opportunities and moments of uncertainty, remains unchanged: trust the work, stay patient, keep believing.

The call he spent years trying not to think about has finally arrived. Now, wearing Great Britain colours for the first time, Flynn Boardman-Raffet has the chance to begin writing the next chapter of a journey that feels like it is only just getting started.

Great Britain face Lithuania in Klaipda on 2 July and Iceland in Manchester on 5 July. 

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