Volume 4
First-hand war stories from playing in the Heineken Cup, or Europe for that matter, are going to be scarce in the States. Every time RugbyZone asks Kort Schubert anything on any subject, we uncover priceless knowledge for the American rugby youth. With the arrival of the storied European rugby competition, the following Q&A takes us through the Magners League, to Perpignan, to stepping onto the pitch with the great one, Jonah Lomu. Do yourself a rugby favor and read on.
RZ: Can you explain your path/decision making which lead you to become one of the select few Americans to play in Europe professionally?
KS: I first realized that I could potentially play overseas when I was selected for the Eagles in 2000. I made it a long-term goal then to finish my career at Cal, participate in the 2003 World Cup, and eventually pursue a professional career in Europe. Having performed well at the '03 World Cup, that goal seemed to be more attainable than ever before. So in December 2003 I reached out to all of the Premiership clubs in England, writing letters and emails, until finally I got word from my agent that Wayne Smith and the Northampton Saints were interested. Northampton had established a prominent academy whereby younger players (ages 16-21) would train full-time and participate in the then-named Zurich "A" League, which consisted of second- side teams from each Premiership club. I knew that this was the perfect opportunity to establish myself amongst local players and coaches while training and playing in a professional environment. The opportunity at Northampton ultimately led to a contract with the Cardiff Blues in Wales where I played 2 seasons consisting of fixtures in the Manger's League (Wales, Scotland, and Ireland), EDF (Wales and England) and Heineken Cup competitions.
RZ: While in England and Wales, what were the biggest cultural differences you experienced on and off the field?
KS: I wouldn't say there were many cultural differences on the field other than language, for example when playing in countries such as Italy or France. Like most sports, when you take the rugby pitch any differences there may be are forgotten and the game is played. As for off the field, the main cultural differences I experienced were centered on the food and landscape in Britain. Coming from San Francisco where most culture's culinary tastes are offered, I was pleasantly surprised by Britain's love of Indian food and meat pies, although you still get a lot of meat, potatoes, and vegetables. As for the landscape, when I first arrived in England I was soon reminded that the country was a lot older than America. After visiting a castle and seeing the "town center" in Northampton, I knew it would take a while to adapt to my "new" -- although "old" -- surroundings.
RZ: Who are some of the bigger names on the world rugby stage that you have been able to play with/against through your time across The Pond?
KS: I would say the biggest "name" I played with was Jonah Lomu at Cardiff, although he was approaching the end of his career when he came to play with the Blues. Others I've faced include Percy Montgomery (Newport Dragons), Martin Corry (Leicester), Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster), etc.
RZ: In your opinion, how does Northern Hemisphere rugby compare to Southern Hemisphere rugby?
KS: I've never really been one to compare Northern and Southern Hemisphere rugby. This is probably due to the fact that my rugby experience in the Southern Hemisphere is rather limited, having only played on the 1998 All American Tour to New Zealand (3 weeks), the 2002 All American Tour to South Africa (2 weeks), in the 2003 World Cup in Australia (4 weeks), and in other random test matches throughout my career. What I will say is that despite what others may say, in my experiences I've found that Northern Hemisphere rugby is definitely on par with the Southern Hemisphere in terms of overall skill and physicality.
RZ: With the Heineken Cup just around the corner, we're wondering if you had a chance while you were with the Cardiff Blues to participate in this competition?
KS: I participated in the Heineken Cup during the 2 seasons I was at Cardiff. We played clubs such as Gloucester, Leeds, Stade Francais, Perpignan, Ulster, Calvisano (Italy), etc. throughout the group stages.
RZ: Do you have any memories of the Heineken Cup which stand out?
KS: For the most part, my Heineken Cup experience was on the losing end of matches against English and French competition. During my first season we lost 2 close matches to Gloucester and 2 very lopsided matches to Stade Francais. I would say my fondest memory (although in retrospect not that special) would have been against Ulster at home when we won our only Heineken Cup match that year and I assisted on a try-saving tackle on Tommy Bowe to keep the momentum in our favor. We managed to win that match 16-12 so now that I look back on it, another try for Ulster could have meant a goose egg in the win column for our HC campaign that year.
RZ: Are you able to follow Northern Hemisphere competitions? If so who are some of the stronger teams at present?
KS: It's difficult to follow Northern Hemisphere rugby with the lack of television coverage in the U.S. Most of the information I get is from reading up on various Web sites and blogs on the Internet. It seems like the Welsh teams are doing well in the Magners League with the Ospreys, Scarlets, and Blues all in the top 5 although Munster still remains the team to beat with 5 league wins out of 5 played this season. As for the Premiership, Bath, Sale, and Leicester are top of the table and gaining momentum as the first round of Heineken Cup fixtures approach. I wouldn't rule out the Wasps and Saints who are sure to put pressure on the top teams as the season progresses.
RZ: Can we expect a new crop of American players coming down the pipeline to wear Magners, Guinness and Heineken Cup club team jerseys in the near future? If so, who?
KS: I would love to say "yes", however with the current laws against number of foreign players per team (i.e., non EU passport holders), it seems unlikely in the short term that, other than current players, many American players will get the opportunity to play in these top competitions in Europe. This is not to say that we don't have quality players that, if given the opportunity, could excel in Europe. It's just that the designated "foreigners" are normally high-profile Southern Hemisphere players with a hefty price tag, forcing North Americans players to compete in lower divisions in Britain and other competitions in countries like Italy and France. For example, American players such as Paul Emerick and Mike Palefau have been fortunate to land contracts in Italy where they can get consistent playing time and exposure to the Heineken Cup, European Shield, etc. I think the ultimate goal for any American player should be to train and play full-time in a professional environment, whether it's in the Magners League in Ireland / Scotland / Wales, Guinness Premiership / National Division One in England, Super 10 in Italy, Top 14 in France, Currie Cup, NPC, etc. The best advice I can give an emerging American player is to seize any opportunity to move overseas and establish oneself. The initial sacrifice will seem like nothing compared to the eventual rewards.
On a side note, I highly recommend that any national team caliber player looking to play overseas should thoroughly check their lineage in order to identify a potential parent or grandparent born in Europe which could qualify that player to obtain an EU passport.
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They do, however, know the difference between trying hard and being lackadaisical. The harder a student-athlete works in school along with his attendance record is strongly considered by colleges prior to a scholarship being offered. Coaches do believe there is a correlation between effort in the classroom and effort on the athletic field of play. Dedication and reliability go hand-in-hand.
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Officer Training Corps) program may be the most rewarding experience a young man or woman can receive. In this blog entry I want to distinguish between the two elements of government academic training and possibly assist you in the benefits of applying and competing for a military academy or ROTC program. 
