Rugby United New York & Paddy Ryan

Rugby United New York signed Paddy Ryan at tighthead prop. Patrick is 27, 6’1″ and 265 pounds. He is from Cork and Chicago and his brothers Timmy and Dave both played (play) professional rugby.

Paddy was eligible for the USA team, as his mother is from the United States. A good tighthead prop is not one to pass up, so Paddy was selected to the Eagles and played as a reserve against Ireland on June 10, 2017, as a reserve. He then started against Canada in Hamilton on June 24.

Paddy was selected for the USA Rugby Selects for the 2017 Americas Pacific Championship in Montevideo, Uruguay, however, was the trial with Bath United precluded his attending.

Paddy will be returning to the Eagles for the November 2017 tour to play Germany and Georgia on November 18 at Brita Arena in Wiesbaden, Germany and on November 25 in Tbilisi, Georgia. Interim Head Coach Dave Hewitt will provide leadership for the Eagles, while new Eagles Head Coach Gary Gold, attends to Worcester Warrior’s responsibilities.

Paddy Ryan and European Rugby

Paddy began to play rugby with Highfield RFC in Cork and progressed through the youth system. He represented the team in the All-Ireland Under 18s Championship in 2009 and also played in the under-20s.

He joined his brother Dave at the Munster Academy from 2009-2010 and in 2011 played for Rugby Viadana in the Italiana Rugby d’Eccellenza. The following year, he helped the London Welsh win the RFU Championship. For the 2014-2015 seasons, he played for Libournais, a France Federale 1 team. He then signed a two-year contract with the Aviva Premiership Newcastle Falcons in 2015.

In 2017 Paddy had a trial with Bath Rugby and currently is back with the Highfield RFC, where he began his rugby journey.

Ryan made his first appearance for the US National Team in June of 2017 when he came on as a replacement against Ireland, a nation he knows very well. He went on to make his first start 2 weeks later, in a World Cup 2019 qualifying match against Canada. He has 4 caps and is currently in the USA player pool and expects to contend for a spot on the World Cup roster.

Comments on 2017 & 2018 MLR Signing

Comments were made by former USARugby Head Coach John Mitchell and my Patrick “Paddy” Ryan.

John Mitchell, former USA Rugby Head Coach

“We only got one assembly with him due to his late arrival and that was in June 2017. He has huge potential even though he did not meet our standards at that time. He seems to have a very good character and fitted into the group well.”

Patrick “Paddy” Ryan

Paddy was excited to join Major League Rugby during 2018. He said, “I’m very excited by the challenge to move over to Austin and am really looking forward to seeing how Major League Rugby is going to shape out in their first year.”

As for being an Eagle, it’s a huge honor for me to wear the shirt. I have a lot of family in Chicago that was so proud of me, as well as my family back home in Ireland. It was nice to get my first cap against Ireland. It was a special day and it was nice to have my girlfriend to be out there for it.”

“I think that the Eagles as a squad and USA Rugby as a country, is moving in the right direction.”

As for me, my rugby was at an all-time low after I was injured last January. That kept me out for the rest of last season and I was just back fit at the end of May. I hadn’t played in five months, so there weren’t any teams in Europe that would take me in that also suited what I was looking for.”

“When I received a phone call from Austin, I got really positive feedback on where they were trying to go as a club. I thought that I would like to be part of that, so I am moving to Austin in January and can’t wait to get started.”

Rugby United New York Comments

Prior to joining Rugby United NY, Ryan spent last season in Austin, with fellow teammates Marcus Walsh, Mike Brown, and Ross Deacon. Paddy’s brothers, Timmy and Dave, are also experienced professional rugby players.

Ryan told us “I’m excited to be in New York City playing professional rugby. We have a strong squad, I can’t wait for the regular season to begin. I expect us to compete.”

Head Coach Mike Tolkin said “We’re pleased to add Paddy Ryan to our squadron of front rowers. His solid ability in the set pieces, as well as his international experience, makes him a valuable addition for us.”

Welcome to New York, Paddy.