New Orleans Gold & Ben Tarr
The New Orleans Gold signed Eagles prop Ben Tarr for the inaugural 2018 Major League Rugby season. Ben was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and moved to the Coast Coast area of Queensland Australia.
Ben is 23 years old, 5’11” and weighs 246 pounds. He has played both tighthead and loosehead prop for the USA Rugby Men’s National team and is Eagles No. 459.
Ben went to high school at the Brisbane Boys College from 2007-2011. In 2012 he went to The Southport School, an independent Anglican school in Queensland. He continued his education at the University of Queensland in Brisbane from 2013-2017 where he will earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Management in December.
Ben Tarr and Rugby
In 2012 Ben played for the Queensland Schoolboys team and then was selected for Australian Schoolboys. At the end of 2013, he trained with the Queensland Reds in the U20 program and played for the Reds U20s 2014. That led to his selection with the USA Rugby Under-20s in 2014 for the Junior World Rugby Trophy competition where they finished in third place after beating Uruguay. In 2014 he also played for the Souths Rugby Club from Brisbane. The Magpies play in the Queensland Premier Club competition.
In addition to the 2014 Junior World Rugby Trophy competition, Ben played in the 2014 Americas Rugby Championship with the USA Selects, and with the 2014 Eagles November European tour.
Ben made his debut for the Eagles on November 8 against Romania in Bucharest when he replaced Olive Kilifi at tighthead prop. He has since gained 11 caps with his last test against Canada in San Diego on July 1, 2017.
In February 2015 Ben was signed to play in the first professional rugby league in the United States and he played with PRO Rugby’s, the Denver Stampede. He also played club rugby for the Glendale Raptors from 2015-2017.
In October 2017 he played for the USA Selects in the Americas Pacific Challenge. He also has been training with the Wests Bulldogs.
Ben Tarr Comments
Ben commented about New Orleans: “I am extremely excited to be joining NOLA Gold. It is a wonderful part of the world and full of great people. I’m really hopeful that I can make a positive contribution, as this time around I think professional rugby in the United State is in good hands.”
New Orleans Gold
- Nate Osborne – Head Coach
- Todd Fitzgerald – Assistant Head Coach and Assistant General Manager
- Sebastián Kalm – Backrow
- Moni Tongauiha – Center
- Hubert Buydens – Loosehead prop
- Eric Howard – Hooker
- Ratu Peceli Rinakama – Flyhalf, Scrum-half, Wing, Fullback
- Bobby Johns – Center, Flyhalf, Scrumhalf
- Matt Hughston – Center, Flanker
- Jojo Tikoisuva – Wing
- Tim Falcon – Owner
- JP Eloff – Flyhalf, Center, Fullback
- Ryan Fitzgerald – General Manager
- Holden Youngert – Scrum-half
- Michael Baska – Fullback
- Derrek Van Klein – Loosehead Prop
- Ben Tarr – Tighthead Prop
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