Old Glory DC signed Sam Cusano for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. He was drafted on January 29th in the Major League Rugby Supplementary Draft to reallocate eligible Dallas Jackals players, due to the team’s delay of its inaugural season. The Draft also included six collegiate rugby players who were granted a waiver from participation in the MLR Collegiate Draft 2020, due to COVID-specific extenuating circumstances. Sam was drafted 10th in the draft as Old Glory’s first-round selection. The 23-year-old wing is 5’10” and 186 lbs.
Sam is from Granite Bay, California, and attended Granite Bay High School. He played football at safety and helped the rugby team win the 2016 Boys High School National Championship.
Sam attended the University of California, Berkeley from 2016 through his graduation with an Environmental Economics Degree in 2020. Cal Varsity Rugby won the Varsity Cup over Arkansas State University in 2017 and advanced to the D1A Rugby finals in both 2018 and 2019 with losses to Life University. He also played for Cal in rugby sevens, helping the team win the championship in the 2017 Collegiate Rugby Championship.
Sam finished his collegiate career as a 4-time Collegiate All-American in both 7’s and 15’s and was honored as the Most Valuable Player during the Rugby National Sevens Tournament in 2017. In 2019 he played in the Rugbytown 7s with the Collegiate All-Americans.
Sam did not play for Cal during the 2020 season, as rugby was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Old Glory DC Comments
“I am very excited to be joining Old Glory this season and grateful for the opportunity to continue my rugby career in the MLR,” said the back. “The team and coaching staff have been extremely welcoming and have made me feel at home since I’ve been here. It’s awesome to be joining an organization with such a great team culture and to be able to train and compete in a high-performance environment every day.”
Sam Cusano leaves the sun-soaked west coast to join ranks with former Cal Rugby teammate Jack Iscaro, this spring on the pitch.
“I am most looking forward to experiencing the new city. Having lived my whole life on the west coast, there’s something really special about being in the nation’s capital and having access to the museums, monuments, and historical buildings that have been around since the foundation of this country.”
