Kate Zachary
Kate checking out one of Auckland’s local sandwich bars.
Kate Zachary
It’s a few days after the final whistle has blown on the RWC2021 and I have managed to track down the current US Eagles Captain Kate Zachary. After popping her fiance on a flight back to the UK, we grab a quick bite to eat at a local sandwich bar and start to dissect what has been a crazy few months of rugby down under. It’s cool to hear about it all through the eyes of a player and not one who was involved in the final stages of the tournament but who still gained so much from the experience.
It was also great to hear her story of going to uni on a soccer scholarship, becoming part owner of a gym and then stumbling across rugby as a way to stay playing a competitive sport. Then there was a very persistent man who kept suggesting she move to California to play rugby and then finally nailed her an invite to a sevens rugby camp. And the rest is history.
The road to being a successful International rugby player is not a simple one for an American. Firstly, they are not bought up with the game as so many of the top-playing nations are. Instead, they are usually ‘poached’ from other sports in their late teenage years - or Kate’s case, as a 24-year-old. Fantastic athletes who need to now learn the intricate skills, rules and nuances of the game of rugby.
The share size and scope of America mean trying to get together for training camps is a time-consuming and expensive process. Finding enough teams in the same areas to play against is a basic issue at the grassroots level and it doesn’t get any easier as you go up the pyramid to the elite end of the scale.
And not being a high profile sport they don’t catch the eye of major sponsors, but are too spread out to get local sponsorships. So to get match ready for the RWC it was decided the best approach was to get as many players as possible across to play in the English premier league. At the start of 2023, 20 players are plying their trade in the UK and with the next RWC only 3 years away in England, the approach doesn’t look like changing anytime soon.
The downside obviously, is that it’s a huge level of commitment and upheaval for the American players. They are putting the rest of their lives on hold to pursue their rugby usually with little or no financial support. Plus the Rugby League back in America is having to do without their marquee players. Surely not a great help for progress and building depth in the sport back in the US. So while their shop front might be looking good on the International stage the challenges of creating a deep foundation continue.