The Barometer Online

Issue date: 3/16/07 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Peter Strong Zach Heath, who plays hooker for the OSU rugby team, played his first game for the United States Under 19 National Team in a win over Canada. Soon he'll travel to Ireland for the World Junior Championships.

Zach Heath, a freshman in forest management, will get to experience an opportunity few people his age ever get to have. Heath is a member of the United States Under 19 (U-19) National Rugby Team and will travel to Belfast, Ireland to participate in the World Junior Championships featuring 24 teams from around the world April 4-21.

Heath is one of 26 players for the No. 13 Americas who will open in pool B and face off against Canada, Romania, Russia and Zimbabwe, each ranked 14th, 16th, 19th and 53rd, respectively.

Heath's position on the team is known as a hooker. A position he also occupies when he plays for Oregon State.

"I guess it's hard to explain unless you know rugby," Heath said about his position. "I hook the ball back in the scrum and I'm also responsible for throwing the ball in on line outs, when the ball is put back into play after it goes out of bounds."

Heath first got enveloped by the world of rugby as a sophomore in high school thanks to a friend who had already been playing since junior high.

"He told me, 'hey, you should come out for rugby, it's a lot more fun than track.'"

Heath, who also played football in high school, saw "another opportunity to be running and tackling like football, so I thought I'd give it a try."

When comparing the two sports Heath doesn't hold back. "I like rugby a lot more." Heath explained. "It's a lot nicer for the player I think. Mainly because you can make your own decisions as you go along, whereas with football the coach just gives you the play and you go do it."

This is only Heath's fourth year playing the sport.

Yet in that time the sport has taken a hold on him. "It's fast, it's hard-hitting and it's exciting, there's not a lot of stoppage."

However, the rough and tumble nature of the sport has yet to take a tole on Heath."I've never had a concussion, I've never really had anything other than just small little injuries."

Continued...

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