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'Drove about four and a half hours, paid fifty dollars out of my pocket to try out for the team'

MLR during a weekend showing in Vegas. (Photo by Stuart Walmsley/Getty Images)

Ross Depperschmidt is one of many feel-good stories to have come out of Major League Rugby’s three seasons of rapid success.

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He trod the road less travelled on his rise to the professional ranks after first being unaware of what the sport was when he began studying at the University of Alabama in 2012.

Eight years later, Depperschmidt has caps next to his name in America’s top flight of domestic rugby, featuring regularly for NOLA Gold this year before their campaign was cut short.

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The centre paid fifty dollars to try out for the New Orleans franchise in August of 2018, temporarily casting aside his master’s degree in engineering to pursue a career in one of the fastest-growing sports in America.

Two months later, he received a phone call that would change his life as he made the decision to sacrifice academic opportunities to pursue professional rugby in the United States.

“I ended up coming down here, drove about four and a half hours, paid fifty dollars out of my pocket to try out for the team,” Depperschmidt said.

“The tryout day, it was pissing down rain and there were puddles all over the field, pretty poor field conditions. There were about forty guys there, all pretty good rugby players or good athletes at least, but I figured that I’d just give it all I’ve got.

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“About a month or two after that, I got a call from Taylor Howden who was the Academy coach, a current player at the time.

“It took some contemplating cause I could pursue another career academically with my engineering degree or chase the dream of playing rugby so I decided to go with that and so far it’s working out.”

Depperschmidt grew up in Flower Mound, Texas, playing the more traditional American sports before discovering rugby at the University of Alabama.

While they weren’t regarded as a powerhouse of American collegiate rugby, Alabama offered him what he needed to develop his skillset.

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Unlike the more popular American codes, rugby is generally offered as a club sport through universities around the country. This appealed to Depperschmidt with everyone playing fully committed to the cause, paying extra on top of tuition to travel and take the field each week.

“You have to be committed because you’re paying out of pocket and you’re dedicating your time. At college you can go party, you can be studying but you’re allocating time every day to go train.

“It’s a cool aspect of it because everybody is there on their own time so you know they want to be there.

“The first taste of the comradery with all the guys at any level, it’s an awesome feeling to have 15 guys on a field working together towards one common goal. That really appealed to me personally. I’ve been a massive competitor my whole life, so they offered that opportunity for me at school.”

Depperschmidt finished graduate school in Spring of 2018 before moving to a small town in New Zealand to play rugby and travel ahead of a career in what was looking like engineering.

After playing a club rugby season while in Matamata, he returned to the United States with an opportunity to take his game to the next level.

“I wanted to go over there, I wanted to travel. I figured it was the last time before I started working a big boy job that I’d be able to explore a little bit and play some footy over there.

“Went over there for about four months and played a season over there, came back in August of 2018 and the coach of the USA South team hinted that I should go and do this tryout in New Orleans for NOLA Gold.”

After being selected for the NOLA Academy, the midfielder spent a season learning, practicing and playing, while training alongside the Major League Rugby squad once a week.

He was one of roughly a dozen players to be participating in the program as they worked tirelessly for higher honours.

“You had limited opportunities where you could be around the guys to still get a feel for the professional atmosphere while also putting in the extra work.

“Came to one full practice a week, tried to get as much information off the top-level guys that we have in the team like Con Foley and Scott Gale, Jean-Pierre Eloff and Carl Meyer.

“Just trying to pick their brains as much as possible because they have a wealth of experience and knowledge of the sport.”

After captaining the NOLA Gold Academy side last year, Depperschmidt was promoted to the first team in late 2019 as a “sign of good faith” from the General Manager.

The 26-year-old went on to feature in all but one of NOLA’s five matches in 2020, before the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

“Every day love being around the boys and it’s really just strictly love of the game and love of competition. I can work a nine to five job when I hit 35-40 years old.

“I know I have a lot more improvement to go, I’m nowhere near where I want to be as a finished product so hopefully it’s the beginning of a good career for me.”

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit England need to face a few home truths if they are to relearn that winning habit
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