Rugby ATL re-signed Ross Deacon for the 2022 Major League Rugby season. The 28-year-old No.8 is 6’2″ and 255 lbs.
Ross played 676 minutes in 15 matches, starting 7, and scored 8 tries for the Ratlers in 2021. In Fall, he was the captain of Life Men’s Club in the American Rugby Premiership.
Ross played 275 minutes, starting 4 times in 5 matches for Rugby ATL during the truncated 2020 MLR season. During the Fall, he played for Life Men’s Rugby Club. Ross played as a reserve against the Utah Warriors in the team’s 2021 preseason match.
Ross played with Rugby United New York for the 2019 Major League Rugby season. He played 846 minutes in 13 matches, starting 12 times, and scored 1 try. He carried 110 times for 691 meters, made 101 tackles, and had 14 lineout takes with 1 steal.
He also started all three matches for RUNY during the 2018 exhibition season and was then sent on loan to MLR’s Austin Elite. With Austin, he started 5 of 8 matches, playing 474 minutes, and scored one try.
Deacon was born in San Francisco to Irish parents and moved to Ireland at a young age. While there, he developed into an accomplished rugby player. He began playing rugby at age of 7 years old for Enniscorthy RFC. His talents were apparent while at Kilkenny College, attending there from 2006 to 2012.
After graduation, he pursued a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport and Exercise Science from University College in Dublin from 2012 until graduation in 2015.
Knowing that Deacon was the U.S. eligible for the national team, his rugby prowess was followed by US National team selectors. In 2013, he appeared for the USA Under-20 team in the Junior World Rugby Championship qualifiers beating Canada and then in the JWRC facing England, South Africa, and France.
In 2016 Deacon moved back to the U.S. and has been playing with New York Athletic Club since then. He excelled in the Atlantic Rugby Premiership. He also played in a representative match for Stars Rugby XV at lock against the Capital Selects on January 29, 2017.
Rugby United New York, who had Associate team Major League Rugby status in 2018, signed him and the 6’2″ and 242 pound back row started all three matches.
After the exhibition season, he was loaned to Austin Elite for the inaugural 2018 Major League Rugby season. There he played in all eight matches, starting five of them, and scored one try.
Deacon is a young talented back-row player, who has also played lock. His experience and versatility have made him an important team member for RUNY during the 2019 MLR season and will also apply to Rugby ATL in 2020.
Ross was selected for the greater training squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Although he was not on the 31 man roster, he is on the National team radar.
Deacon started for Life University Men’s team and contributed to their 2019 Atlantic Rugby Premiership Championship. Life also played in the Elite Cup against the Chicago Lions.
DJCoil Rugby Interview: Rugby United New York’s Ross Deacon
Ross Deacon, Rugby United New York Back Row, discusses his rugby career in Ireland and the U.S., as well as, his inclusion in USA National Team expanded squad. (Interview May 19 at MCU Park)
Other Articles
DJCoil Rugby articles by Doug Coil are also available on Facebook. Other Social Media sites to follow or subscribe to include Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for interviews.
