NOLA Gold traded with the LA Giltinis to gain the second pick in the Major League Rugby Collegiate draft. They sent LA their second-round pick, as well as giving up a foreign player spot for 2021. The team used this pick to select Brian Nault, a 23-year-old prop, who is 6’2″ and 240 lbs.
Brian is from Shelton, Washington, and attended Shelton High School. He began playing rugby in 8th grade when he was 14 for the Shelton Rugby Football Club, thanks to encouragement from his older sister Diandra, who also played rugby. He played football in high school and was a “three-time All-Narrows league performer for the Shelton High Climber football team at both offensive lineman and linebacker.” He also played rugby with the Shelton and the Washington Loggers Select Side and his performance led to his selection as a High School All-American in 2013 and in 2014. The All-Americans traveled to England in late March and early April, playing national age-grade teams from Wales, Belgium, and England along with local schools and academies.
Brian graduated from Central Washington University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Global Wine Studies and was a standout with the rugby team while he attended. He played loosehead prop and was honored with an invitation fo the 2019 All-American Camp, played for the USA U20s in 2015 and in 2017 attended the Sharks International Academy.
“Brian came to us [at CWU]as a big recommendation out of high school. When he arrived in Ellensburg, he was considered the best high school player in the country at the time for a position he was not even drafted for today. That right there is a testament to him. For him to come in and be as consistent as he was showed a lot not only about his character but also his work ethic,” Coach Thornley said. “He moved to the front for us and worked his tail off each day. He has always been a coachable player and in the last two years, he’s been a major leader for us. You can’t respect a guy like him because when he spoke, players listened. He did whatever it took to win and has been one of the most competitive guys we’ve ever had. It’s made a huge impact and I am happy to see him move on to the next level.”
Brian also has an unusual pet for his area, a pet kangaroo named Roo Roo.
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