To be a successful Major League Rugby team, the team needs quality players at key positions. playing in the front row is a premium area of need. MLR teams have been stocking up on these players for the 2019 season. Rugby United New York is no exception and it has Chris Sullivan to fill in at prop.
Chris is 35-years-old, 5’11”, 240 lb, tighthead prop. He also balances his career as a Chiropractor in Manasquan, New Jersey with the demands of playing professional rugby. Many of his clients range from Pop Warner athletes to NFL players and everything in between.
Chris is originally from Louisville, Kentucky and attended Pleasure Ridge High School. He was on the football and wrestling teams and graduated in 2006. He then attended Western Kentucky University and was a College All-American in football in 2006 and played rugby in 2007. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science.
Chris attended Life University from 2008-2013, earning a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science and a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree. While there, his rugby accomplishments earned a spot on the USA Selects under then Eagles Head Coach Mike Tolkin, who is now the head coach of Rugby United New York. He played for the Selects against the Argentina Jaguars in the Americas Rugby Championship on October 11, 2013, and also against Canada and Uruguay.
After graduating from Life, he has since played club rugby with Old Blue and with his current club, Monmouth Rugby Club.
Chris played professionally during the 2018 Rugby United New York three-match exhibition season against the Ontario Arrows, and the home (recap) and away matches against the Boston Mystics. He also played during the two 2018 preseason Runy matches against the Capital Rugby Union Selects and the New England Freejacks.
The 2019 Major League Rugby season consists of 16 regular season matches with the top 4 teams competing in the playoffs. Early in the season, there are also issues where National team players will miss MLR playing time as they are playing in the Americas Rugby Championship. Injuries and National Team Camps at the end of the season prior to the June internationals could also tax the depth of squads.
Chris has played in many high-performance matches and is an experienced tighthead prop. He is likely to see playing time during the 2019 MLR season with RUNY.
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