Wills' father sent him to England in February 1850, aged fourteen, to attend Rugby School, then the most prestigious school in the country.
He arrived in London after a five-month sea voyage.
There, during school holidays, he stayed with his paternal aunt Sarah, who moved from Sydney after the death of her first husband, convict William Redfern.
In his scheme for his children, Horatio wanted Tom to go on to study law at the University of Cambridge and return to Australia as a "professional man of eminence".

Reforms enacted by Rugby's famed headmaster Thomas Arnold made it the crucible of muscular Christianity, a "cult of athleticism" into which Wills was inculcated.
Wills took up cricket within a week of entering Evans House.
At first he bowled underhand, but it was considered outdated, so he tried roundarm bowling.
He clean bowled a batsman with his first ball using this style and declared: "I felt I was a bowler."
Wills soon topped all of his house's cricket statistics.
At bat he was a "punisher" with a sound defence; however, in an era when stylish stroke-play was expected of gentlemen cricketers, Wills was said to have no style at all.
In April 1852, aged sixteen, he joined the Rugby School XI, and on his debut at Lord's against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) a few months later, he took a match-high 12 wickets.
While his bowling proved vital that year in establishing Rugby as the greatest public school in English cricket, anonymous critics in the press stated that he ought to be no-balled for throwing—an illegal bowling action.
Rugby coach John Lillywhite, considered an authority on bowling, came to his protégé's defense, rescuing him from further scandal.
Wills went on to play with, and attracted praise from the leading cricketers of the age, including Alfred Mynn.
William Clarke, his hero, invited him to join the All-England Eleven in 1854, but he remained at school.
The next year, he became Rugby XI captain.

Like other English public schools, Rugby had evolved its own variant of football.
The game in Wills' era—a rough and highly defensive struggle involving hundreds of boys—was confined to a competition amongst the houses.
Spanning his school years, Wills is one of the few players whose on-field exploits are described in the newspapers' otherwise brief match reports.
His creative play and "eel-like agility" baffled the opposition, and his penchant for theatrics endeared him to the crowds.
One journalist noted his use of "slimy tricks", a possible early reference to his gamesmanship.
As a "dodger" in the forward line who served his house's kicker, he took long and accurate shot at goal.
Wills also shone in the school's annual athletics carnival and frequently won the long-distance running game Hare and Hounds.

Wills cut a dashing figure with "impossibly wavy" hair and blue, almond-shaped eyes that "[burnt] with a pale light".
By age 16 at 5'8" he had already outgrown his father.
In Lillywhite's Guide a few years later he measured in at 5'10" and it was written that "few athletes can boast of a more muscular and well-developed frame".

Consumed by sport, Wills fell behind in academics, much to his father's chagrin.
One schoolmate recalled that he "could not bring himself to study for professional work" after "having led a sort of nomadic life when a youth in Australia".
Suffering from homesickness, Wills decorated his study with objects to remind him of Australia, including Aboriginal weapons.
In a letter to Tom, Horatio informed him that his childhood friends, the Djab wurrung, often spoke about him: "They told me to send you up to them as soon as you came back."
Wills' father sent him to England in February 1850, aged fourteen, to attend Rugby School, then the most prestigious school in the country. He arrived in London after a five-month sea voyage. There, during school holidays, he stayed with his paternal aunt Sarah, who moved from Sydney after the death of her first husband, convict William Redfern. In his scheme for his children, Horatio wanted Tom to go on to study law at the University of Cambridge and return to Australia as a "professional man of eminence".
Reforms enacted by Rugby's famed headmaster Thomas Arnold made it the crucible of muscular Christianity, a "cult of athleticism" into which Wills was inculcated. Wills took up cricket within a week of entering Evans House. At first he bowled underhand, but it was considered outdated, so he tried roundarm bowling. He clean bowled a batsman with his first ball using this style and declared: "I felt I was a bowler." Wills soon topped all of his house's cricket statistics. At bat he was a "punisher" with a sound defence; however, in an era when stylish stroke-play was expected of gentlemen cricketers, Wills was said to have no style at all. In April 1852, aged sixteen, he joined the Rugby School XI, and on his debut at Lord's against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) a few months later, he took a match-high 12 wickets. While his bowling proved vital that year in establishing Rugby as the greatest public school in English cricket, anonymous critics in the press stated that he ought to be no-balled for throwing—an illegal bowling action. Rugby coach John Lillywhite, considered an authority on bowling, came to his protégé's defense, rescuing him from further scandal. Wills went on to play with, and attracted praise from the leading cricketers of the age, including Alfred Mynn. William Clarke, his hero, invited him to join the All-England Eleven in 1854, but he remained at school. The next year, he became Rugby XI captain.
Like other English public schools, Rugby had evolved its own variant of football. The game in Wills' era—a rough and highly defensive struggle involving hundreds of boys—was confined to a competition amongst the houses. Spanning his school years, Wills is one of the few players whose on-field exploits are described in the newspapers' otherwise brief match reports. His creative play and "eel-like agility" baffled the opposition, and his penchant for theatrics endeared him to the crowds. One journalist noted his use of "slimy tricks", a possible early reference to his gamesmanship. As a "dodger" in the forward line who served his house's kicker, he took long and accurate shot at goal. Wills also shone in the school's annual athletics carnival and frequently won the long-distance running game Hare and Hounds.
Wills cut a dashing figure with "impossibly wavy" hair and blue, almond-shaped eyes that "[burnt] with a pale light". By age 16 at 5'8" he had already outgrown his father. In Lillywhite's Guide a few years later he measured in at 5'10" and it was written that "few athletes can boast of a more muscular and well-developed frame".
Consumed by sport, Wills fell behind in academics, much to his father's chagrin. One schoolmate recalled that he "could not bring himself to study for professional work" after "having led a sort of nomadic life when a youth in Australia". Suffering from homesickness, Wills decorated his study with objects to remind him of Australia, including Aboriginal weapons. In a letter to Tom, Horatio informed him that his childhood friends, the Djab wurrung, often spoke about him: "They told me to send you up to them as soon as you came back."
Tom Wills