The Utah Lions Rugby Academy, a rugby academy designed specifically to support player identification and development as they pursue advancement to national, international and Olympic teams, is expanding into the men's elite level.

The Lions have a long history in Utah, starting in 2007 as the Lowland Lions, a high school-aged club. Founder Michael Cressler and his righthand man Eric Swapp — both Utah residents and each with a lifelong passion for rugby — noticed that there was a significant lack of opportunities for rugby players outside of their home teams to not only improve their rugby IQ, but to also be noticed by collegiate and national selectors. With that thought in mind and to give these players a chance at the elite levels, the Utah Lions Academy was born.

The initial focus was on high school-aged players to enable them to take rugby to a much higher level and to use it as a tool for opportunities to attend college. It became very apparent that athletic skills would not be enough; the Lions needed to implement an academic policy as well.

“We had a player who was coveted by every university we talked to, but his grades were poor enough that there was nothing they could do," said head coach Cressler. "It was decided then and there that we would implement an academic policy to create a true scholar-athlete.”

That policy has begun to pay dividends for Lions players. As Utah Lions athletes, high school-aged players are required to have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a minimum ACT of 26 to be eligible to travel to national and international tournaments. “Several boys have significantly stepped up their academics and are studying like never before," says assistant coach Swapp. "These boys are being recruited now by some of the best rugby colleges around because they know that these players not only have the rugby credentials but also the academics to get in.”

Of the current round of graduating high school seniors, most are evaluating schools and offers. For a few families, their players will be the first ever to go to a university. Two boys in particular, Peter Makalio and Himinai Tausinga, have just returned from a recruiting trip to Grand Canyon University. “Himinai has never studied harder and has never had grades as good as he has now," said his mother Felicia Tausinga. “This program will allow him to pursue his dreams.”

New Utah Lions offerings

What happens to those who do not follow the path blazed by athletes like Makalio and Tausinga? What now and where to from here?

Into Men’s Elite rugby, that’s where.

In Utah, more than 70 percent of players who participate at the high school level never go beyond their high school team. Only 40 percent of males will head out to a college or university as a rugby player. That leaves a huge void and a pool of talent that is completely forgotten on the rugby scene. There are also talented players who are currently enrolled in college that might find themselves in need of some extra bit of help to go from a good rugby player to becoming an elite-level rugby player, but there is no organization in the state to help them out.

The Utah Lions Academy hopes to fill that void by launching a new Men’s Elite team focused on athletes who are ages 19-26 years old. “The life span of an elite athlete is relatively short. While there are exceptions to the rule, most players who have not made it to a national or professional team by their 26th birthday are past their prime," states Cressler. "We need to identify them much earlier and give them the training, skills, and competition to make it to those highest levels.” Those skills include strength and conditioning, acceleration, nutrition, sport psychology, skills and technical training plus a good dose of humility and service.

“One of our core focuses is to have the players of all ages give service back to the community," says Cressler. "A truly elite athlete is exceptional in all things, both on and off the field.” For the Utah Lions organization, that philosophy extends to zero tolerance policies for drugs, tobacco and alcohol.

"We ask 100 percent of our players, not just in rugby but in every facet of their lives," said assistant coach Seti Matua. "I have a strong belief that if you have complete faith in the individual, they will give you the 100 percent that you asked for, and then they will give you another 10 percent on top of that to let you know that they believe, too. In rugby we build men of character, because you can't give 90 percent effort and expect your teammate or your coaches to be OK with that result. Those who are part of this program want to be here. They work hard to be here.”

The Utah Lions Rugby Academy, as a Powered By Serevipartner, offers a tremendous opportunity for the growth of the boys and men of the state of Utah to use rugby as a tool to further their education as well as their rugby career. The staff have weekly video conference calls with former England International player and top point scorer in the 7’s version of the game Ben Gollings. In those weekly meetings, Cressler and his staff discuss previous matches and training and look at the video analysis of what and where the Lions are improving and how they can get maximum results from each individual. Gollings travels to Utah five times a year to work with the Lions before major events.

Chris Tombs, also of Serevi, is involved with the Lions strength and conditioning programs. Tombs has been the strength and conditioning coach for professional rugby teams such as the Leicester Tigers and the Cardiff Blues. Along with his work with the Lions, Tombs is also working with the Lions’ local S&C coaches, David Logsdon (Head coach of UVU) in Utah County and a soon-to-be-announced Salt Lake County coach. The Lions have also partnered with CORE to assist the athletes through their acceleration programs.

It’s not just for men

So, where are the girls?

“That is fully on our radar. We are looking for the right coaching staff to be able to launch the girls high school and women’s elite programs this fall to be ready for the 2016 touring season," said Cressler. "The same rules will apply for the girls and the boys, the men and the women. We need to get our infrastructure in place to support all of the players equally.”

The goal of the academy is to help rugby players and elite athletes to find and create a path to the national, international, professional and Olympic teams. To do so requires a dedicated organization whose sole focus is their success in all aspects of their lives.

“Not all players will make a national or Olympic squad, but they can take what they learn here and apply it to all aspects of their lives," Cressler said. "We see enough athletes behaving badly. Imagine how much better it is when we see them being the leaders they should be, inspiring those coming up behind them and serving those around them. That is the type of elite athlete we are training.”

The Academy will be hosting a combine with partner Serevi to identify the eligible athletes aged 19-26 in the spring. While more information is to come, the desire is to get them ready for the summer tours.

The academy is also recruiting experienced coaches and trainers to work as part of the new men’s team. According to Cressler, “Utah has a tremendous pool of coaching talent that is untapped in many ways. We are speaking with former U.S. National players, former international players as well as international-caliber coaches about working with us.”

Currently, The Utah Lions Rugby Academy is 31-5 in domestic and international competition. It is currently undefeated in the U.S. with four loses to British Columbia and one to Ontario Provincial side. “BC is the gold standard for youth elite rugby in North America right now," Cressler said. "We have an excellent relationship with them and play them frequently throughout the year. By continually playing the best teams we can, we increase the boys skills, confidence and ability.”

For more information on the Utah Lions Rugby Academy or questions about the organization, please go to www.utahlionsrugbyacademy.com or email coach Cressler at mike@utahlionsrugby.com.