Zinzan Elan-Puttick, Austin Elite Rugby player Major League Rugby profile

Austin Elite Rugby Signs Zinzan Elan-Puttick

By Doug Coil

Austin Elite Rugby signed Zinzan Elan-Puttick, a fullback. Elan-Puttick was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa and according to Pat Clifton of Rugby Today, moved to Dalhart, Texas, a subsurb of Amarillo, at age 16. He played football in high school and In 2011-2012 he attended West Texas A&M University where he played football.

Elan-Puttick then transferred to Arkansas State to play rugby from 2012-2106, missing the 2014/15 season with a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament).

The Red Wolves were the USA Rugby Collegiate National Sevens Champions during 2012 and 2013. In 2012, Zinzan was honored as a member of the All Tournament team. In 2013 and 2014 he was honored as a USA Rugby Collegiate Sevens All-American. In 2015-2016, he was also selected by USA Rugby as a first team Collegiate Sevens All-American and was honorable mention for rugby 15s.

This Is American Rugby lists him in a Pool C preview of the 2013 USA Rugby National Club Sevens Championship, playing for WE Rugby, formerly Woodland Exiles in the 2013 USA Rugby National Club Sevens Championships. Ultimate Rugby Sevens, indicated that at the Rugbytown 7s in 2013, he played for the USA Collegiate All-Americans, scoring a try and adding a conversion in beating the Glendale Raptors 31-12 in the Final.

After the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship of 2016, Robert Zinzan Elan-Puttick was selected as a member of the 7s Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) Dream Team by the Evan Lappen of Rugby Today.

Shaun Potgieter, Rugby Head Coach for Arkansas State, said to A-State News that “Zinzan has been a pleasure to have as a teammate and to coach. He had an outstanding senior year on the pitch and led by example as a captain of the team. I am extremely proud of his accomplishments while at A-State. There are some big shoes to fill for the next player taking over Zinzan’s role. I wish him the best moving forward and hope to see him in the red, white, and blue jersey in the near future.”

After finishing his collegiate rugby career, he then played with the Glendale Raptors Club Sevens team in 2016.

During 2017 Zinzan played for the Austin Huns Rugby at fullback and contributed toward the team’s USA Rugby Division I Club National Championship. He will continue with Austin Elite Rugby in the inaugural Major League Rugby season that begins in April, 2018.

Austin Elite Rugby described his addition to the team indicating that he is a “talented, hardworking player with a deep love of the game.”

Zinzan Elan-Puttick Comments

Zinzan commented that “I think some of us have been fortunate enough to have felt that professional setting this past year playing for the Austin Huns. We were put in a professional environment with amazing coaches that tried their best to make us grow as players. Adjustments that need to be made are the fact that we will have to work harder as a unit collectively to become better and build on last seasons success, and then to motivate oneself personally to put in the individual training to get better. The demands are what any rugby player can dream of, literally to eat, sleep, and train rugby. The countless hours in the gym and on the field will be well worth it in the end if one stays disciplined and focused throughout the process.”

“I attended the combine last year and was fortunate enough to have made the squad. Since then we’ve built quite a good squad and it’s something we would like to continue into this up and coming season. So I feel as though Austin is a good fit for me because I’ve grown and learned from coaches and players alike in this past year, and I’m looking forward to yet another year of playing rugby in Austin colours.”