Rugby player to represent country on international stage
Released: July 2, 2008
Representing your country on foreign soil is the greatest honor for an athlete and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Senior Ryan Duklas will do just that. He was named to the Collegiate All-American Rugby team as well as the All-American Touring Side that will compete in three matches in New Zealand in July.
Duklas was first noticed this past spring as captain for both the Under-23 (U23) Wisconsin and Midwest teams. “While playing for the Midwest U23 squad in Glendale, Colo., we had the opportunity to be watched by selectors from USA Rugby who pick the U23 All-Americans,” Duklas said. “These selectors take players from that tournament as well as other elite players and choose the Collegiate All-American team.” Duklas was named first-team All-American along with 40 other players.
In addition to being named first-team All-American, Duklas was also named to the All-American Touring Side which has only 27 players and will actually journey to New Zealand, rugby capital of the world, to compete against three New Zealand schools. “This team was narrowed down to the best 27 players in the country so it really is an honor to be named to that team,” he said. “This experience has really been surreal for me because I am competing against players from colleges in every division.”
Unlike many other collegiate sports, Rugby isn’t broken down into divisions because it’s primarily a club sport. Therefore Duklas, the only player on the touring side from the Midwest, earned this honor by being judged with the best players in the nation regardless of school size. “This is the highest honor that a college rugby player can receive in this country, so being named to the team is a huge step forward for my career.”
The team is scheduled to depart for New Zealand July 14 and will play its first game on July 20 against Massey University, followed by a game against the Wellington Old Boys on July 23. The tour will conclude on July 30 with a game against New Zealand Universities. For more information on the All-American Rugby Program, go to www.usarugby.org.
- Tom Applegarth,applegartg17@uww.edu
