I've played rugby for 11 years, starting at Brown, where I was one of the team captains. During summers, I trained with the Chicago Riot to sharpen my skills—the boys always welcomed me and helped me grow as a player and as a man. After college, I joined Riot 15s for a year, moved to Oakland and played for the Berkeley Hobos, then eventually returned to Chicago, where I rejoined the Riot and have the honor of serving as team captain.

I love rugby because it is the ultimate team sport—poetry in motion. It's free-flowing and creative like basketball and soccer but brings the physicality I enjoyed as a former championship judo fighter.

The Riot has given me lifelong friendships and a competitive yet fun-loving team culture, where we battle hard together and celebrate with a few adult sodas afterward.