Q&A with Taking Flight Rugby Winner Darrin Curle

Taking Flight Winners James Saddler (Left)
and Darrin Curle (Right) with USA Eagle Zack Test (Middle)

In the second part of a special report for A Rugby Life, Bakline's Rob Schnabel catches up with the Taking Flight rugby's 2nd inaugural winner Darrin Curle to chat about the Serevi camp and his experiences over the weekend

Rob: What was your experience being at Infinity Park?

Darrin: Infinity Park was awesome. It was lovely to see a field and stadium like that dedicated to just rugby! It is a great environment and was lots of fun. The facilities are great and it’s a great example of how the game is moving forward in America. It’s an inspiration for me to keep playing the game.

Rob: Being in the camp and watching the tournament.

Darrin: The camp was great all the coaches where very friendly and knew what they were doing. They were willing to take you aside and comment on something you were not doing correctly and giving tips on your game. I was able to spend some one on one time with most coaches which was great and very helpful with focusing on smaller aspects on my game. It was lovely watching the tournament and being able to learn while I watched that level of rugby.

Rob: What was your reaction when you realized you won?

Darrin: I was so excited and happy. I had put so much into my rugby this year and it made all the hard work and effort pay off. I was like “no way! “ I went around telling everybody and explaining it to everyone. It was just pure joy and excitement. It was just unbelievable to think that Santi, Ben and Serevi where going to be there to coach us up.

Rob: Towards the end of the camp, how it was taking part? Beneficial? Improvements?
Darrin: My game defiantly improved, such as my kicking game that I learnt more on when I had some one on one time with Santi. But it’s more than that. It was great making new friends and contacts with the rugby world. Being able to spend some time with and meeting Santi, Ben and Serevi was an unforgettable experience. I will defiantly take what I learnt at the camp and apply it to my game here in Coos Bay. 

Rob: What are your future rugby ambitions?
Darrin: Playing for my country and being able to represent America is my dream. 2016 Olympics is what I’m focused on and is what I’m shooting for. The whole experience in Denver helped my take one more step towards my dream.

You can check out Darrin's winning entry over on Youtube and to learn more about the Taking Flight Rugby Program, head on over to takingflightrugby.com

Q&A with Taking Flight Rugby Winner James Sadler

Taking Flight Winners Darrin Curle (Left) and
James Sadler (Right) with Rob Schnabel (Middle)

As part of special report for A Rugby Life, Bakline's Rob Schnabel headed out to Rugbytown USA to join the Taking Flight rugby inaugural winners for a rugby filled weekend with Serevi.  

While he was out there, he got the chance to sit down with the lads and chat about their experience at the camp and their future ambitions.  

First up, James Sadler.


Rob: What was your experience being at Infinity Park?

James: Being at Infinity Park was a great experience! In Oregon, we do not exactly have the state of the art facilities when it comes to rugby only areas, and it was an amazing experience to see the lifeblood of rugby at such a great place with good weather! 

Rob:  Being in the camp and watching the tournament.

James: The camp wasn't very "advanced" but I really enjoyed myself and had a great time while also learning a lot more about the nescary skills you need to master in order to truly improve your game. Watching the tournament was an experience that I will not forget for some time, It was my first time watching professional rugby from pitch-side seats and I really had a great time! 

Rob:  What was your reaction when you realized you won?

James: I had just came back from work about midnight one night and just so happen to check my email at that time and at first I was in complete shock. I told my family and they were all very happy for me and from that time on until I landed in Denver I was just ecstatic and full of excitement for such a great experience. 

Rob:  Towards the end of the camp, how it was taking part? Beneficial? Improvements?

James: The camp progressively got more intense and more beneficial throughout the end of the two days and really helped me to self-evaluate my skills and also receive good constructive criticism from some the world's best players of all time. 

Rob:  What are your future rugby ambitions?

James: My future rugby ambitions are to start soon for my team at Western Oregon University but hopefully over time with hard work and dedication get on the radar for the US Men's National Team and also receive international contracts like Todd Clever.  

You can check out James's winning entry over on Youtube and to learn more about the Taking Flight Rugby Program, head on over to takingflightrugby.com.  After the break, Q&A with our second winner, Darrin Curle.

Taking Flight Rugby Scholarship Winners!

Congratulations to Darrin Curle and James Saddler!

The Taking Flight Rugby Scholarship this year was geared on sending two winners (between ages 16-21) to the Serevi Rugbytown Sevens & Camp August 11th, 2012 in Glendale, Colorado!  The Scholarship included airfare, hotel, admission fees, Bakline gear and a Serevi gear kit to both the tournament and training camp that Serevi is hosting!

Darrin and James submitted the winning entries via their YouTube application. Check them out here >> http://www.youtube.com/user/takingflightrugby

Darrin and James represent the future of America’s rugby. Their hard work on the field and off is instrumental to leadership and taking initiative to do what is necessary to refine, improve and never stop learning.

Myself and my Taking Flight partners, Bakline and H2H Rugby, are extremely proud of their efforts and look forward to working with them to have a rewarding experience with one of the best rugby training camps in the USA with Serevi.

To learn more about our scholarship and how to apply, please visit the Taking Flight Rugby Scholarship site. We’ll be announcing a new camp and competition for video entries soon!

If you’re interested in partnering with our scholarship to help shape the rugby future of our youth, contact us here.

Introducing Taking Flight, American Rugby Camp Scholarship Contest

I am excited to announce this morning the launch of Taking Flight, a US rugby camp scholarship contest that myself, Rob Schnabel of Bakline, and the great folks at H2H Media (John and Ken) have been working hard on for the past few months. I have no doubt that part of the success of rugby in the states lies in youth rugby. I hope that this contest will help create more exposure for all the youngsters, their teams, and their schools that play, but also all the great organizations which promote youth rugby. 

Its a important element of the sport and one I'm passionate about. Check out the press release below and please spread the word!

---

Presented by 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAKING FLIGHT AMERICAN RUGBY CAMP SCHOLARSHIP CONTEST LAUNCHES IN THE US

H2H Video Competition To Find America’s Future Rugby Stars

NEW YORK, New York - June 7th 2012 - Bakline, A Rugby Life and H2H Media proudly announced the launch of Taking Flight,  a rugby scholarship contest to give the next generation of America’s men and women Eagles an opportunity unlike any before to attend elite training camps in the USA.  

Two winners (one male, one female) will get the chance to attend one of the top US Rugby Camps hosted by Serevi Rugby.

The two athletes will attend the Serevi Rugbytown Training Camp, a two-day camp taking place at Infinity Park in Glendale, CA on August 9th and 10th.  On August 11th, they get to show what they learned as they take part in the climax of the weekend’s festivities with a 7s tournament.   The winners will have the cost of their flights, accommodation in Glendale, and camp covered.