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NOLA Gold developing young talent.
Junior Contributor, Hunter Bentley, gives us a snapshot of a cool new initiative in NOLA.
Ipse & Hunter Bentley - Junior Contributor
May 12, 2025
Today’s Junior Contributor
Hunter Bentley | Sophomore | St. Paul’s Catholic School | Louisiana | Prop
“I never expected myself to play rugby. I always thought that I would play football like everybody else at my school. Then rugby came up and I discovered the love for the sport, and it showed me that this sport can make me a better friend and a better man.”
-Hunter Bentley
NOLA Gold developing young talent.
Way down yonder in New Orleans, the professional Nola Gold Rugby team has started reaching out to local high schools to build an interest in the sport of rugby. In the past few years, Nola Gold has established U16 and U18 teams with hope of growing the sport, training young players and having those Louisiana players possibly grown into players that can be on their team.
The sport is starting to grow and kids from Brother Martin, Jesuit, St. Paul’s, East Jefferson, and Hammond are now on the U16 and U18 teams. Newly hired Nola Gold defensive coordinator Jack Wiggins leads this program.
When asked what his goal is, coach Wiggins stated:
“The aim of the Nola Gold junior academy is to provide local kids who live in Louisiana a pathway to become a professional player for Nola Gold, whether it’s now or in the future. We want them to have a robust performance while they're in college, so they can play with us in the future.”
Coach Wiggins has watched local high school rugby games so he can pick the right players for his teams.
The U16 team was a brand new addition that just started last year where kids 16 and under practiced for a couple of months and played against the Houston Sabercats squad back in October. While the game didn’t go well for Nola Gold, the team showed a lot of potential as they fought hard and scored the last try. Also, the U18 squad was able to participate in a tournament in Nashville, Tennessee.
Right now, Nola Gold is preparing both squads to play the Houston Sabercats on June 7th at the Shrine, where the professional team plays. The U18 squad will travel back to Nashville to play another tournament from June 13-15.
The Nola Gold youth teams are pretty busy this summer, working hard to improve. The future of rugby in Louisiana seems to have plenty of potential with dedicated players from Jesuit, St. Paul’s, and the 2024-2025 State Champions Brother Martin.
-Hunter Bentley
HUGE thank you to Hunter Bentley!
What we love about his write up:
Put a spotlight on how pro rugby and high school rugby are starting to connect in Louisiana.
Included a direct quote from a coach—huge bonus.
Shouted out several local high schools—love that.
We started the Rugby Riot Junior Contributor section for young players to share their love for the sport, help build the rugby community, and develop their writing/reporting skills.
If you (or someone you know) would like to be considered as a Rugby Riot Contributor, fill out this form and we’ll be in touch. Let’s grow the game, lads!
-The Rugby Riot Team
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