IT’S safe to say that when it comes to sport, the United States strive to do it bigger and better than anyone else.
With a collegiate system in place, bred to produce sporting superstars, our friends across the pond have latched onto rugby of late.
With heavy investment into the discipline over the past decade, rugby union is the fastest growing collegiate sport stateside.
One Islander set to benefit from the US’s goal to grow the game is Cam Halliwell.
The Jersey and Royals RFC forward has accepted an offer from the University of Mary Washington (UMW) in Virginia, as part of their graduating class of 2029.
Halliwell is set to make the move across the Atlantic Ocean in August, with the exciting opportunity as being one of many overseas players tasked with shaping the future of rugby in the United States.
“It’s such an interesting time to be involved in rugby over there,” said the Jerseyman.
“They are sports mad and invest a huge amount of money into it.
“Rugby seems to be the next sport they’ve latched onto because they enjoy watching it, so to be a part of the group that can hopefully help to grow the game over there is a really exciting prospect.
“They regularly get 100,000 people watching college football, so their love of sport is clear.
“If we can help to increase the interest in rugby, then there is every chance that we could get thousands of American eyes on the game in the future.
“Half the team at UMW are from the UK, South Africa and South America, so they are actively trying to bring across players from all over the world to develop and improve the game, while establishing their rugby network for the future.”
Ironically, Halliwell’s opportunity was born from indecision.
Unsure of which path to venture down upon completing secondary school, he toyed with the idea of university in the UK, before deciding that it didn’t suit his needs.
The opportunity to head to the US did not cross the former De La Salle student’s mind at the time, given the high fees that universities charge to international students.
However, with his rugby pedigree and the increasing demand for players, UMW offered him a scholarship, which made his dream not only possible, but a reality.
Halliwell added: “I’ve always loved the idea of being in the US, ever since I was a kid. I loved visiting on holiday and the way they treat sports out there is really exciting.
“The passion they have and the following for their teams is incredible. But it was really daunting when researching online. The fees of these universities are so high and it just never seemed possible.
“Getting a scholarship completely changed everything.
“For me, after funding, it was literally cheaper to go to university there than attending one in the UK.
“It’s so easy growing up in Jersey and becoming comfortable, without any desire to explore. You grow up with a group of people and go to school with them and don’t really meet anyone else.
“But there is a world out there and I’m really keen to adapt to a new culture and be exposed to a different way of life.
“To live in dorms and travel with teammates from all over the world, it’ll be very eye opening and a valuable experience at this point in my life.”
Like many other collegiate sports, rugby offers players the carrot of a professional contract post-education.
Most sports fans are aware of the draft system, commonly used by the NBA, WNBA NFL and MLB in basketball, American football and baseball.
Annually, the various professional franchises are able to select elite college players on a round-by-round basis, with expert advice from scouts who have kept a watchful eye over their endeavours through college competition.
This self-replenishing system has become a proven model of excellence, providing sportsmen and women with a direct pathway from school, all the way into their chosen professional sport.
Relatively new to the professional sport landscape, Major League Rugby was formed in April of 2018 and is contested by 12 professional outfits, 11 from the United States and one from Canada.
They have implemented the draft system and thus offer college stars an incentive to pursue their goals.
“The systems they have in place are brilliant,” continued Halliwell. “They just view sport completely differently and provide a direct pathway to the professional game.
“When you finish college, there are a certain number of players who can be selected automatically and enter Major League Rugby in one of the teams.
“That pathway isn’t as direct within BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport). Even at the highest level, you are likely to leave university and just go into a job.
“Whereas at UMW, I’m getting my degree, which I would have got at a British uni, and, at the same time, I’m playing the sport at a really high, possibly even national, level.”
While many Islanders have made the jump across to the United States for football, golf and swimming, to name but a few, Halliwell is now a pioneer for rugby, and, given it’s growing popularity collegiately, he is unlikely to be the last, with the Jersey RFC Minis & Juniors stronger than ever.
