Rugby Americas North is fielding a North American U21 team at the Aspen Ruggerfest this coming weekend.

The team is designed to fill the gap between U19/HS select sides and professional or international rugby, and gives players some higher-level experience under top coaching.

Nearly two dozen of the top up-and-coming North American rugby prospects spent six weeks in training, with most being Under-21 players looking for the next step. Some of the players involved are looking to maintain their fitness in the hopes of a national team callup at some point, while players transferring from other NCAA sports have also been included.

The athletes have been training daily inGlendale, Colo. Early-morning skill sessions and strength & conditioning are followed by down time in the middle of the day for players who have jobs or stdying to do. Three matches over the three months strategically placed every 3-4 weeks it allows ample time for teaching and skill development.

“The North American academy is designed to continue developing the next generation of talent from Canada and the United States by providing top quality coaching, facilities, resources and opportunities to compete. The pathway of athletes to the program is quite diverse. Some have come through age grade, most have been referred through Major League Rugby academies and local outreach identifying talent in their markets and some are NCAA transfer athletes.” said Dan Payne, Rugby Americas Chief Executive Officer.

"World Rugby has recognized that there's a need for players coming out of high school or even playing MLR to get some immersion time," Payne added. "You might be on an MLR squad, but what if you're not getting a lot of playing time?

Focusing on athletes under or near the age of 21, the academy roster includes a variety of experiences from MLR academies, USA and Canada age-grade pathways and crossover athletes that have featured in NCAA sports.  Several have spent time on NFL practice squads and were identified as part of the player ID combines. The academy provides opportunities for some athletes to live on-site, some choose to live off-site and others make themselves available throughout 90 days around their post-secondary education schedule.

“Our goal is to support the exciting growth of Major League Rugby in North America by providing labor that is prepared to be able to step in and continue developing while contributing to the training environment. For many young players it’s difficult to make the jump directly to professional rugby and this academy will provide the necessary tools for targeted athletes to be prepared to enter and continue their development in an elite daily training environment in 2020 and beyond. Many are low or just outside the 23-man roster and with the focus being on winning games during the season, it’s crucial these athletes get the minutes of competition and focus required to assist in their development throughout the remainder of the year” he added.

“We have held two previous combines in Glendale – one for South American players looking to potentially earn MLR opportunities and 15 of the 20 ended up signing contracts.  In June the second camp focused on development and talent identification – this academy is a continuation on the latter to aid in the necessary development,” said Payne.

The crossover athletes include Fred Adjudua, who played football at orth Carolina Central and had some looks in the NFL and CFL before signing with Rugby ATL; Cory Daniel, an accomplished wrestler at North Carolina; and Salanoa-Alo Wily, who was a defensive lineman at UNLV and before that, Kahuku HS, which has a strong rugby program.

Throughout the course of the three months, the athletes will have the opportunity to work with a number of international coaches, including:

• Paul Emerick – USA Eagle & Houston Sabercats Skills Coach
• Aaron Carpenter – Canada’s all-time cap leader & Toronto Arrows Assistant Coach
• Mike Tolkin – Former USA Eagles & Rugby United New York Head Coach
• Andy Clarke – ACT Brumbies Skills Coach

ACADEMY ROSTER

(Not all on the list will play in Aspen)

*Highlighted players are non-residents and are being monitored while competing in elite university training environment