THE GROUP stage of the 2015 Rugby World Cup may be drawing to a close, but Queanbeyan has some proud representation at the tournament thanks to America’s Eagles outfit.
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Nathan Osborne is the Assistant Coach of Team USA, and after his time playing with the Queanbeyan Blues and St Edmund's teams, he works with the Eagles in attack, focusing on their backline play.
Unfortunately, the USA are still yet to win a game at the 2015 tournament, but Osborne says there’s plenty for the team to accomplish.
“Just making sure we compete in every game is massive for the sport in the States,” he said.
“We haven't played our best or to what we know we can. But we have also done some great things in our games to prove we belong at this level.”
Osborne is optimistic of success at this World Cup, even with only one game to go.
“We will win a game here,” he said.
“We've had some good moments. We led Scotland 14-6 at halftime and almost came over the top of Samoa in the second half. We just need to put a full game together, stick to our plan and we will be ok.”
Osborne’s rugby journey started at the age of six and his father John had been coaching various codes of football before then.
This was the start of Osborne’s inspiration for his current role.
“I've always wanted to coach. My Dad, John, coached rugby league for most of my life all over from Woy Woy, to the Queanbeyan Blues, then onto Rugby Union with Easts in Canberra. So I've always wanted to do it,” he said.
After a brief spell playing with Randwick in Sydney, Osborne holidayed in the USA on two occasions.
The second time, he met his future wife, Renae, and never came back.
“That was 10 years and three kids ago,” he laughed.
However, a coaching opportunity didn’t arise until after Osborne had moved to Minnesota, where he lives with his family.
“I started coaching in Minnesota for Metropolis RFC,” he said.
“I was playing for the club for a few years then thought I'd try coaching when they needed someone. I started as a player/coach and moved into me just focusing on coaching after that.”
Osborne said by growing up in Australia, he brought a unique quality to both his Minnesota club and the USA team as he was around Rugby from a young age.
“The fact I've been playing it my whole life, plus growing up in a house where your dad is coaching and so one is just not something that is normal in America,” he said.
There are a host of differences between Rugby in Australia and in the USA he said, with amateurism proving a real stumbling block in the States.
“Of the 31 man squad, 13 are pros and 18 are amateurs. So they have full time jobs, families and school. So we have teachers, plumbers, bartenders and so on. They train twice a week and play for a club team. So it's very hard for them to go from that to, say, playing the Wallabies,” he said.
He was quick to point out that the Eagles gave the Wallabies a fright in their recent encounter in Chicago, before going down 47-10.
But Osborne doesn’t mind the underdog tag.
“I love being the underdog. I love the guys and the work they put in.” he said.
“Playing New Zealand, Australia and South Africa all in my first year in the job is a big enough challenge. But it's great we are getting those games and crowds to see them.”
Osborne didn’t rule out a return to his country of birth, especially to continue coaching.
“It's a dream of mine to coach back in Australia, and also bring my girls to live there and experience what it's like to grow up in such a fantastic place,” he said.
“I would come back for the right job and I hope to one day.”