USA MILITARY RUGBY

Rugby stands as an ideal arena for the United States Military. The sport reflects the core values that define our service members; discipline, teamwork, resilience, and respect. Establishing a Military XV composed of the most talented players from across the Armed Forces is both a symbol of unity and a testament to excellence. This initiative provides athletes with a rare opportunity to train and compete in a high performance environment while proudly representing the U.S. Military on the international stage. The Military XV program not only strengthens our connection to a global sporting community but also exemplifies the leadership, commitment, and camaraderie that lie at the heart of both rugby and military service.

The USA Military Men's Rugby Team isn't just a rugby program it's a brotherhood. It's built on everything we learned through our service: discipline, loyalty, and showing up for the man next to you through the toughest times. When we come together, it's not about rank or a specific branch it's about respect and representing something bigger than ourselves. We treat each other like family, because that's exactly what we've become through the battles, the training, and the shared purpose. This team gives us a place to reconnect with that sense of mission and belonging we all carry. Rugby becomes the outlet the way we push each other at practice, build each other up, and honor those who've served before us. It's about pride, brotherhood, and the bond that never fades once you've worn both the USA military jersey and the uniform.

A good friend of mine, who was an Army Veteran who really struggled after his service, shared with me that finding Rugby again post service saved his life. I then looked deeper and found this to be a common theme for some people. Creating a program that allows veterans to reconnect with Rugby and the military again while playing or supporting a high-level program helped all of those involved. I have been lucky to have had powerful stories with members of this program and knew immediately that this program needs to grow and support more players, staff and accept members to be part of the journey and feel connected while we play high level rugby around the US and overseas.

The Military Rugby team is like no other, it gives the opportunity to active, reserves, former, and retired Sailors, Airmen, Guardians, Marines, and Soldiers that would normally compete against each other on the rugby pitch an opportunity to join forces and compete at a high level against other RFC's. It also gives the opportunity for USA service members to learn from MLR coaching staff, and players with MLR and USA rugby experience.

Team
1. We get to be a part of a team with some of the greatest competitors.
2. We get to once again wear the USA uniform and represent our Service, Military, and Country.
3. We get to be the Ambassadors of the USA Military Rugby in the UK.

Personal
1. Blessed to be playing the game I love for over 20 years, and for the Military side with my brothers.
2. Excited to be part of the first 35-over Military Rugby match.
3. Ready to play whatever role required.

Goal
1. Represent the Military Rugby team well.
2. Win both matches.
3. End the tour on a high.

I believe the Military team is a testament to the power of unity and the importance of working together towards a common goal.

I started playing rugby at 16 and was immediately drawn to the camaraderie, teamwork, and sense of community the sport fosters. Those same values are the foundation of our culture at Penington Painting Company. Supporting programs like the Military Rugby Team allows us to give back to the communities and people who embody those ideals.

Watching active-duty and retired veterans come together to compete against teams like the Royal British Army and Royal British Air Force is incredibly inspiring. These soldiers are deeply patriotic they dedicate their lives to serving and protecting our nation. Sponsoring their rugby team is a small but meaningful way for us to show appreciation and support.

I'm proud that Penington Painting Company can play a role in helping our soldiers enjoy a sport that has given me so much personally. It's an honor to stand behind them on and off the pitch.

As a veteran family member, with all uncles serving in the Navy in WW2 and Korea, I have grown up respecting and honoring those who are active and retired. I personally experienced both the benefits and the challenges that military members and families encounter. Supporting the US Military Rugby, knowing there are active and retired players, is a small way I can show appreciation for all members of all services.

Rugby is one of the most significant aspects of my life, it has positively shaped my character and provided a sense of purpose and belonging. From being a high school football state champion to graduating from the United States Naval Academy, serving as an Infantry Officer, and deploying in combat, I have experienced many success and faced many challenges—but none have matched the camaraderie and community I have found within rugby. What may look like a game of brute force to outsiders is, for those who truly know it, a source of connection, discipline, and resilience. Throughout 14 years of active duty, with constant moves and uncertainty, the rugby community has always been a home for me – a place where I've found brotherhood and stability no matter where I was stationed. Being selected to represent the All-USA Military Rugby Team stands as one of the greatest honors of my rugby journey. Competing alongside MLR professionals, USA Eagles, and Olympians, but most importantly fellow service members who understand the sacrifices and mindset of military life. This team has reignited that deep sense of purpose and shared mission. This is more than just playing rugby, the USA Military Rugby Team has been a vehicle for mental health, personal growth, and enduring connection, reminding me that I'm part of something far greater than myself.

As a team, playing with my fellow servicemen, it reminds me that rugby, like military service, is built on trust, resilience, grit, and shared purpose. It represents courage, camaraderie, and the enduring spirit of service — values that resonate deeply within our combined military team.

As an individual, I remember that we are here to pay tribute to those who have served, are currently serving, and to remember those we've lost and keep their memory and legacy alive.

For nearly three decades, rugby has been my one constant companion—the field where I've rebuilt myself time and time again. When my swimming career ended at the University of Miami, I thought I'd lost the one arena that gave me belonging and purpose. Then I found rugby… Or maybe rugby found me, either way, to say it has altered my life's trajectory in great and unusual ways would be the understatement of the century. Rugby has been the cornerstone of all of my greatest accomplishments in life, from my time in Naval Special Warfare, to introducing me to the one creature in this world who could love me unconditionally.

What began as a way to stay competitive became a lifelong practice of healing and connection. Rugby doesn't care about your background, your rank, or your body type—there is truly a home for everyone. Every size, shape, and skill set has a role, a contribution, and a place on the pitch. It is a sport that refuses to exclude; it builds community by design.

Across the world, that inclusivity became my compass. I've played with the Cebu Dragons in the Philippines and run with a team from Dar es Salaam in Kenya—a group of strangers who recognized something familiar in me and invited me to join them for a match that ended with a meal in their home. That pattern repeated in Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia: every time I laced up my boots, I was welcomed into someone's family. Rugby didn't just open doors—it opened homes, hearts, and tables. I think it is fair to say that I've traveled the world with the military, but I've experienced the world through rugby.

The game taught me resilience long before I ever studied it. It's one thing to talk about bouncing back; it's another to get tackled, stand up, and rejoin the fight—again and again. The lessons of rugby carried me through leaving home to serve in Naval Special Warfare, through loss, through injury, and eventually through the complex transition out of uniform.

That's why the U.S. Military Rugby Team means so much to me. The founders understood that this program could be more than sport—it could be a lifeline. They made it a priority to include veterans and retirees, creating a bridge between who we were in service and who we became after. When I was invited to join, it had been twenty years since my physical prime. Yet that invitation reminded me that we ALL still have something to offer—that we can still do incredible things beyond the military. The fact that many of the founders are not military just emphasizes that point. They saw an opportunity to foster the inclusion that is foundational to rugby, and a means to use the resiliency building properties of the sport to offer a lifeline to folks who had worn the uniform in the past. Folks like me, who were struggling greatly with life after service.

Playing at this level, with this team, reignited the fire I thought I'd lost. It gave me confidence to build a second career and reminded me that identity isn't limited to one chapter of life. Rugby has given me lifelong brothers and sisters, countless stamps on my passport, and proof that resilience isn't just a theory—it's a way of living.

For me, Rugby isn't just a sport. It's a sanctuary, a classroom, and a family that has carried me through every season of my life.