New Orleans Gold Rugby Club & Matt Wirken
The New Orleans Gold Rugby Club have utilized Matt Wirken at lock during their pre-season Major League Rugby matches. He is 28 years old, 6’7″, and weighs 265 pounds.
Wirken is from Kansas City, Missouri and graduated from Rockhurst High School in 2008 and played football while there. He then went to Lindenwood University from 2012-2015 and graduated from Rockhurst University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish.
While at Lindenwood, he played rugby and was selected for the Heart of America U20 Selects. He also played with the Kansas City Blues since he was in high school from 2008-2017.
The New Orleans Gold Rugby Club has had three pre-season matches. After opening training camp on January 3, 2018, NOLA Gold has beaten the Capital Rugby Union Selects 68-15 on January 20 at Gretna Park. They then lost two away matches 30-12 to the Houston SaberCats and 38-14 to the Glendale Raptors. Matt was a replacement in each of these matches.
This Saturday, March 24, the team will host the Houston SaberCats at Archbishop Shaw Sports Complex,1000 Salesian Ln, Marrero, LA. Gates open at 2 pm CT and the match begins at 4 pm. Get your season tickets now at nolagoldrugby.com
New Orleans Gold
- Tim Falcon – Owner
- Ryan Fitzgerald – General Manager
- 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
- JP Eloff – Flyhalf, Center, Fullback
- Holden Youngert – Scrum-half
- Michael Baska – Fullback
- Derrek Van Klein – Loosehead Prop
- Myles McQuone – Lock
- William Waguespack – Lock
- Zach Stryffeler – Center
- Vincent Jobo – Flanker
- Cam Falcon – Hooker
- Ben Tarr – Tighthead Prop
- John Sullivan – Back-row & Utility Back
- Nikola Bursic – Lock, Backrow
- Taylor Howden – Fly-half, Center
- Matt Wirken – Lock
- John Stapleton – Fullback
- Joey Sok – Wing
- Melvin Desouza – Wing
- Todd Dupre – Flanker
- Will Crawford – Backrow
- Alex Janotka – Hooker, Prop
- Tim Maupin – Wing
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