Deep in the heartland of the United States there is one Cootamundra teenager making a name for himself on the rugby field.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mitch Coleman-Hardy, 19, is a prop for Iowa Central Community College’s rugby union team which plays in the National Small College Rugby Organisation.
The Iowa Central Tritons are currently ranked number one in their conference, the Minnesota Rugby Football Union.
In November, Iowa Central won the Central West Cup and will play the winner of the Central East Cup, Franciscan University, on April 7 for the right to play in the National Championships.
They won the Cup by beating Xavier University 103 to 3 – Coleman-Hardy scored five tries.
VIDEO: Watch Iowa Central v Xavier University for the Central West Cup on November 12.
Coleman-Hardy plays at tight head prop and if he’s without injury he has a sport in the A side – or the starting side for the team.
“We have been beating all the teams by 100 or more,” he said.
“We have even played against teams that are division one and they are some of the top universities and we beat one of them and have played two others in non-conference games.”
Coleman-Hardy who played for the Cootamundra Tricolours as well as the Temora Dragons said the Tritons’ “rugby IQ” was far higher thanks to the diversity of its players.
In addition to the Australian prop, the Tritons boast five New Zealanders, two South Africans and three more players from France, England and Belgium.
“It’s very different from anything I’ve experienced back home,” Coleman-Hardy said.
Meanwhile, while football players battle through summer during pre-season training – it’s a different story on in Iowa.
“It’s hard training at the moment because of the winter snow,” Coleman-Hardy said.
“This past Thursday we got 11 inches (27cm) of snow and because it’s so cold, it doesn’t melt, there’s giant piles of snow everywhere.
“We have to train indoors over winter.”
Coleman-Hardy was selected to play for the team after first being identified as a track and field athlete by a talent scouts for results in shot put, discus and athletics.
During his last year at Cootamundra High School he was third in NSW in shot put at Combined High Schools carnival, however an injury prevented him from showing his best form.
Coleman-Hardy sent his rugby league highlights along with his representative athletic results into the talent scouts.
“Through connections the coach here saw it and was very impressed even though it was rugby league highlights,” he said.
As well as playing rugby, Coleman-Hardy is studying mechanical engineering at Iowa Central Community College.
While balancing training, rugby and working on campus was a challenge, he said it was “manageable" and hopes to move to a division one university.