Houston SaberCats & Zach Pangelinan

The Houston SaberCats have signed Zach Pangelinan for his second Major League Rugby season with the club. He is 30-years-old, 5’8′, and 195 pounds.

Zach is from Hagatna, Guam and has had a successful soccer and rugby career. He attended Simon Sanchez High School where he was a standout athlete. His Senior year he played rugby and represented Guam’s Under-19s in a tournament in Chinese Taipei.

It was soccer that he gravitated to early in his sporting career. In 2004 he played for Guam’s Under-18s Soccer team. From 2005-2008 he played for Guam Shipyard Football Club, winning the Guam League titles four times from 2005-2006. He made six appearances for the Guam National team and scored four goals between 2005-2008. He played in the East Asian Cup in both 2005 and in 2008. He also played in the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008.

In 2007 he joined Old Mission Beach Athletic Club and has been active with the club since then. In 2014, he was named MVP in the Pacific Rugby Premiership and in 2017 was named Co-MVP of the California Cup.

In 2016 Zach played professionally for the San Diego Breakers. In 2017 spent six months in Australia playing for Randwick Rugby Club in the prestigious Australia Shute Shield. Later in 2017, he joined the Houston SaberCats, where the team has utilized him at fullback. He also can play wing or flyhalf. The SaberCats has utilized Sam Windsor to kick at goal, however, Zach is a very capable kicker, who can strike from midfield.

Zach is a versatile player, whose makes the team better when he’s on the pitch.

Zach has not forgotten his rugby roots in Guam. He attends local tournaments when home and shares his rugby insight. Guam would benefit from a full-time rugby coach from overseas.

USA National Team

During the 2009-2010 World Rugby Sevens Series and parts of 2011, Zach represented the Men’s Eagles Sevens team. He also played for the Falcons in the South American tour to Chile and Argentina in 2015.

Zach also played for the Eagles XVs and has two caps as Eagles No. 437. He made his debut against Tonga at Colwyn Bay on November 17, 2012, starting at fullback. He also played the following week against Romania in Bucharest as a reserve.