San Diego Legion signed Ryan Matyas for the third consecutive year for 2020. Ryan is 28-years-old, 6’1″, and 195 lbs. He will be 29 at the end of 2019. Ryan played in 11 matches, including the MLR Championship, in 2019.
Matyas is from Tucson, Arizona and graduated from Tucson High School. He then attended the University of Arizona and later became a rugby coach for the Junior Varsity and Developmental sides, as well as an assistant coach for the men’s sevens team.
Matyas began playing rugby in 2003 at age 12 with the Tucson U19 Barbarians and continued with Tucson Rugby Club until 2011. He then moved to the United Kingdom and played for a season with Tondu RFC in Bridgend, Wales.
Matyas played college rugby at the University of Arizona at in 2013 was honored as a Collegiate All-American 7s player. He also played with the Junior All-Americans.
He also played club rugby with the Tucson Magpies, Tempe Old Devils, played in New Zealand in 2015 with the East Coast Bays RFC and with North Harbour Sevens. He played most recently with Old Blue of New York and with the Northeast Academy ODA. Matyas also played rugby professionally with the San Diego Breakers in 2016.
Eagles XV & Eagles 7s
Ryan Matyas made his Eagles XV test debut against Chile at Fort Lauderdale, Feb. 20, 2016. He has been capped twelve times, with his last test against Romania at Bucharest on November 17, 2018. He has played both wing and center for the national team. Ryan also played for the USA Selects in the Americas Pacific Challenge in 2018.
Matyas is also a capped Eagles 7s player. He earned his first cap in the 2013 season opener in Gold Coast, Australia. In August 2013 he helped the All-Americans win the Serevi Rugbytown Sevens. Rugby Today indicated that “Matyas earned a full-time contract for that season, garnering selection to six tournaments before suffering an injury between the Glasgow and London stops.” He is Eagle XV #486.
Rugby 7s
“Matyas also played with Negro y Azul at the Rugbytown 7s in 2016, and he suited up for the Northeast ODA and at Elite City 7s before getting in a few 15s games with Old Blue and returning to New Zealand for a second 7s season.”
Matyas returned to the Eagles 7s at the Silicon Valley Sevens tournament in Nov. 2017.
DJCoil Rugby Interview
Ryan Matyas discusses how San Diego has fostered his rugby goals, the 2019 MLR season 2, & challenges of being a rugby spouse. (Post-match interview: Rugby United New New York vs San Diego Legion at MCU Pak on April 14, 2019)
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