Sacramento Express

Last updated
Sacramento Express
Full nameSacramento Express
Union USA Rugby
Founded2016
Disbanded2017
Location Sacramento, California, U.S.
Ground(s) Bonney Field (Capacity: 11,440)
Coach(es) Luke Gross
League(s) PRO Rugby
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1st kit
Kit left arm Sacleft.png
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2nd kit

The Sacramento Express were a professional American rugby union team that played in the short lived PRO Rugby competition. They were based in Sacramento, California, and played their home games at Bonney Field.

Contents

History

In early November 2015, PRO Rugby launched its Facebook page and scheduled an announcement for November 9, 2015. [1] On November 9, 2015, PRO Rugby made an official announcement outlining its plans and a framework for the competition. USA Rugby affirmed that it sanctioned and supported the PRO Rugby competition. [2] PRO Rugby announced its first team, Sacramento, on November 18, 2015. [3]

In February 2016, Luke Gross was announced as the head coach of the new Sacramento PRO Rugby team. [4]

The league reportedly had begun extending contract offers to select players by mid-February. In early March, the league made its first official announcement regarding player signings when it announced that Italian international Mirco Bergamasco would be joining the Sacramento team. [5] Sacramento and other teams started convening their players in mid-March 2016 to begin training. [6]

On December 20, 2016, all PRO Rugby players received notice their contracts will be terminated in 30 days if progress is not made towards resolving disputes between the league and USA Rugby. [7]

Venue

Sacramento
Bonney Field
Capacity: 11,442
Bonney Field 2015-05-20.jpg

Current players and staff

Roster

The squad for the 2016 PRO Rugby season: [8]

Sacramento roster

Props

Hookers

Locks

  • Flag of the United States.svg Rich Knight
  • Flag of the United States.svg Robert Meeson
  • Flag of the United States.svg Sione Sina
  • Flag of the United States.svg Matt Doubek

Loose forwards

Scrum-halves

  • Flag of the United States.svg Joshua Holland
  • Flag of the United States.svg Jope Motokana
  • Flag of the United States.svg Chris Saint
  • Flag of Samoa.svg Ronald Dwyer

Fly-halves

  • Flag of Australia (converted).svg Harry Bennett
  • Flag of England.svg Alex Hodgkinson

Centers

Wingers

  • Flag of the United States.svg Rashad Harbor
  • Flag of the United States.svg Shane Moore
  • Flag of the United States.svg Jojo Tikoisuva
  • Flag of the United States.svg Fatai Vailala

Fullbacks

  • Flag of the United States.svg Garrett Brewer
  • Flag of the United States.svg Ryan Thompson
(c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped.

Coaching staff

PositionName
Head coach Flag of the United States.svg Luke Gross
Assistant coach Flag of the United States.svg Kevin Battle
Assistant coach Flag of New Zealand.svg Fred Waititi
Head Athletic TrainerTaylor Masten

Season summaries

C=Champions, R=Runners-up, W=Wooden Spoons
CompetitionGames
Played
Games
Won
Games
Drawn
Games
Lost
Ladder
Position
CRWCoachDetails
2016 PRO Rugby season 41034 / 5 Luke Gross 2016 Sacramento Express season

Leading players

SeasonsCaptainMost triesMost points
2016 John Quill Olive Kilifi (3) Mirco Bergamasco (77)

Coaches

CoachTenureMatchesWonDrawnLostWinning Percentage
Luke Gross 2016410325.00%

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. "Pro Rugby Announcement Coming Next Week", Goff Rugby Report, November 4, 2015.
  2. "PRO Rugby Launches First Professional League in North America", USA Rugby, November 9, 2015.
  3. "It's official: Sacramento will get team in nation's first pro rugby league", Sacramento Business Journal, November 18, 2015.
  4. "Gross Picked To Lead Sacramento PRO Side", This Is American Rugby, February 4, 2016.
  5. "Bergamasco To Sacramento", This Is American Rugby, March 9, 2016.
  6. "US professional rugby a step closer as five teams begin training for kick-off", Guardian, Martin Pengelly, March 14, 2016.
  7. Down Goes PRO
  8. "PRO Rugby Preview – Sacramento". Americas Rugby News. Americas Rugby News. April 16, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2016.