After a strong season with the USA 7s team, Nate Augspurger had to swallow the bitter pill of not being chosen for the Olympic squad for Rio.

Photos David Barpal.

But rugby players have to be resilient in mind as well as body, and the Minnesota native (Southside HS and University of Minnesota) has more goals in mind.

Augspurger made his debut at scrumhalf for the USA 15s team June 18 against Italy, almost winning the game with a kick charge-down that could have set up the go-ahead try. He followed that up with another good performance against Russia, where the Eagles won 25-0.

Now having left the 7s program to play 15s with Old Blue in New York, Augspurger chases another dream.

“Old Blue, as well as Josh Smith at Mystic and the Northeast Academy, have done a lot for me,” Augspurger says. “I want to keep playing at a high level and doing what I need to do to and chase the dream.”

The dream is a regular #9 jersey for the Eagles.

“To be the scrumhalf you have to be the fittest guy on the field,” he says. “Playing scrumhalf in 15s is different from 7s, and I felt in June I could have been more prepared physically. But I’ve been working at it, and I’m ready to move forward.”

And so he is. Augspurger will start at scrumhalf Friday for the Eagles against the Maori All Blacks. He has a nice sidestep and a good turn of pace - honed by that time playing 7s - and he has been working extra hard on his pass and his physicality in tight.