New Orleans Gold Re-Signs Hubert Buydens

New Orleans Gold & Hubert Buydens

New Orleans Gold Rugby re-signed Hubert Buydens for the 2019 Major League Rugby season. He is 36-years-old, 6’3″ and weighs 260 pounds. He is from Saskatchewan and attended the University of Saskatchewan.

He will join the team after earning his 50th cap for Canada while winning the World Rugby repechage and qualifying for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Hubert Buydens: Rugby vs. Football Choices

Buydens in a native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and was active as an athlete playing hockey, basketball, and soccer before turning to rugby with the Saskatoon Wild Oats Rugby Club.

According to the Globe and Mail, Inc., he also played football at Walter Murray Collegiate and won three junior national titles with the Saskatoon Hilltops of the Prairie Football Conference. He was considered one of the country’s best linemen over his five years in university football. While playing football, he also played rugby for the Prairie Fire, Castaway Wanderers, and Prairie Wolf Pack, until he decided to devote his attention fully to rugby.

Buydens then compared rugby and football to the Globe and Mail saying that “The mentality is similar at the positions I played in both sports though.” “It’s a very physical battle up front as a prop, and I do a lot of work that doesn’t get recognized by much outside rugby; same as an O-lineman, who don’t get recognized as much as a quarterback or a receiver.”

Buydens and New Zealand Rugby

In March 2013 Buydens went to New Zealand and played for the New Plymouth Old Boys, who played in the Taranaki RFU’s Senior A competition. Patrick Johnston of The Province, discussed Buydens signing in New Zealand and provided a better understanding of the Taranaki competition be speaking with Taranaki Daily News rugby writer Glenn McLean.

McLean indicated that the Taranaki competition is among New Zealand’s best. “I would put it in the top six in the country behind Auckland, Canterbury, Wellington, and Waikato,” he said. “There is no doubt the standard has diminished since Super Rugby squads have increased but it still has a large number of provincial players involved.”

“Physically, it’s a standard that shouldn’t be too much of a transition for these two Canadian caps; it’s the rugby sense that will be a tougher adaptation. The BC Premier League is of a good standard on its own, but no one would argue that a league dominated by Canadian-trained players, most of whom learned the game as teenagers or older, will see play develop as quickly as it would in a league stocked with players who’ve been training since they were toddlers. That’s just reality.”

Buydens talent was recognized in New Zealand, as he was signed by the Manawatu Turbos of the ITM Cup. “Buydens played 16 games for the Turbos over the 2013 and 2014 ITM Cup competitions. His commitment and work rate set him apart from the rest and his relentless determination makes him a huge asset to the Turbos forward pack.”

He also was scheduled to return to the team after the 2016 PRO Rugby season, until his ACL injury curtailed that plan.

Professional Rugby

In addition to playing in New Zealand with the New Plymouth Old Boys and then with the Manawatu Turbos, Buydens has played professionally in North America with the San Diego Breakers and then with New Orleans Gold Rugby Club.

Hubert Buydens joined the San Diego Breakers in PRO Rugby for their inaugural 2016 season until an ACL injury prematurely ended his season on June 12, 2016, against the Ohio Aviators. He made six appearances for the team and scored one try.

In 2018 he played with NOLA Gold Rugby making eight appearances and scoring one try. He was a team leader and his international and professional experience was an asset, one which will be utilized again in 2019.

Hubert Buydens & Canada National Team

The Canadian international loosehead prop has 47 caps for Canada. Buydens was a starter for 37 of these matches and also started in the eight matches that he played for Canada at the Rugby World Cups in 2011 and 2015.

His first international test cap was obtained in the Canada v England A (Saxons) match in Toronto, Jun 10, 2006. His last test was against Uruguay in Montevideo at the Americas Rugby Championship in Montevideo on March 3, 2018.

Buydens also played for Canada A in the Americas Pacific Challenge in 2016 as captain and in 2018. He then returned to the Canada National Team for the November Repechage tests against Kenya, Germany, and Hong Kong with the winner gaining the last spot in the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Hubert Buydens: Club Rugby & Provincial Rugby

Buydens played with the Castaway Wanderers of the British Columbia Premiership and he also has played with the Prairie Wolfpack in the Canadian Rugby Championship.

New Orleans Gold Comments

We’re proud to announce the re-signing of Hubert Buydens. The Canadian international will bring up his 50th cap for the national team on Saturday. Buydens was a key cog in the Gold forward pack last year as he took on a leadership role in the squad. The savvy veteran previously played for the Prairie Wolfpack, San Diego Breakers and Manawatu in New Zealand’s Mitre 10 cup. Please join us in congratulating Hubert on his 50th cap and re-signing with the Gold.