Ryan James grew up in San Diego and went to Cathedral Catholic High School where he played football.
But James found himself drawn to rugby in eighth grade, when he was 12. Soon, with opportunities to play more often, he traded the gridiron for the pitch.
Today, he is a wing/fullback for the San Diego Legion, playing in front of family and friends at Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley.
“It’s definitely a really good experience and San Diego is one of the best fan bases in the league,” said James.
He and his teammates will take to the Snapdragon pitch at 7 p.m. Saturday when the Legion meets RFC Los Angeles for their 2024 home opener.
The Legion, part of the 12-team Major League Rugby league, was founded in 2017 and is coming back from a season that was successful, but ended in heartbreak.
They went 15-1 during the 2023 regular season, including a league record 13 wins in a row, but lost the July championship game 25-24 to the New England Freejacks.
Head coach Danny Lee said the team is using the loss in the finals to motivate them this year.
“Everybody’s hunting us, everybody’s trying to beat us,” Lee said.
The Legion started its season with two road games – a loss to the Seattle Seawolves 25-19 March 2 and a Sunday win, 30-23, against the Dallas Jackals.
The team is not only trying to win – they’re trying to win over fans. The sport, still growing in the U.S., has deep fan bases in other parts of the world, including Britain, New Zealand, Ireland and South Africa.
“I think San Diego has always been a sports-driven, sports-passionate city,” said James. “Especially with the Chargers leaving, a lot of fans looking for a physical sport like that, rugby is the next best thing. Some might say it’s better.”
To cultivate fans, the team website has a Rugby 101 section that offers educational
videos about the sport.
Star center Ma’a Nonu, a two-time Rugby World Cup Champion, said he’s noticed more fans showing up at Snapdragon.
“We get a lot of fans that cheer a lot,” Nonu said. “We’re trying to make it our fortress, really.”