Finlay Mitchell is making his mark on the field
MARVIN, N.C. — Student athletes in the Marvin Ridge Middle School rugby program were recently very excited to hear that one of their coaches was named High School Rugby All-American by USA Rugby.
Marvin Ridge High School sophomore Finlay Mitchell (who helps his dad, head coach Alan Mitchell, with the middle school rugby program) was one of only 32 players at U18 level selected to attend USA Rugby’s Elite Pathway winter training camp in San Diego in December 2021.
Finlay, who was born in Ireland and is a recent transplant to the USA, has been playing rugby since the age of 6.
“I’ve always loved rugby,” Finlay said, “so I was very happy when we discovered I could continue to play when we moved to Charlotte in 2017.”
In fact – both Charlotte and North Carolina have a robust and thriving rugby community, with many teams playing over winter and spring seasons, across all age groups, from kindergarten to HS seniors. With the emergence of professional Major League Rugby and the first MLR Collegiate draft held in 2020, rugby is fast becoming one of the most popular and fastest growing youth sports in the USA.
This popularity meant that All-American spots were highly contested and hard won. USA Rugby Scouts watched hours of film and traveled many miles over the course of the season to watch and evaluate prospects at games and Talent ID camps.
“I felt very honored to be offered a spot at the Winter Camp,” Finlay said, “and it’s possible my dad was equally excited! It was obviously an amazing opportunity and definitely the biggest milestone in my rugby development so far. Learning from the Elite Pathway coaches and training alongside some of the most talented players in the nation really raised the bar! The Olympic Athlete Training Facility in Chula Vista was a fantastic venue, and the whole camp was just an all-round outstanding experience.”
Rugby in the US has a very global outlook, and through the programs there are many opportunities for players to travel and play at elite levels. Finlay has played in Florida, Utah, Arizona, California, Canada and at the 2021 High School Nationals in Kansas City – with possible tours to Argentina, Ireland, Spain and France on the horizon. He has made friends with players from other states, and many other countries. However, he strongly emphasizes that rugby is for everyone.
“Rugby is a lot of fun! The community is very friendly and welcoming – and it’s very social,” Finlay said. “A lot of my closest friends are players from other clubs and high schools that I’ve met through rugby.”
As a starting linebacker for Marvin Ridge High School football program, he’s quick to point out that rugby also develops many useful transferable skills for players of other sports.
“We have a lot of multi-sport athletes playing in their off season,” Finlay said. “It’s very popular with football, lacrosse and soccer players, and I also play alongside wrestlers, swimmers and golfers. I know I wouldn’t have made the transition to football so smoothly when I arrived from Ireland if I hadn’t had years of rugby behind me. The disciplines that rugby develops – physicality, ball handling, tackling, spatial awareness, speed and agility — have translated really well into my football.
“Luckily for me, the main football and rugby seasons don’t overlap. It can still be a bit tricky in the off season, with some juggling, but Coach Carter and his coaching team at Marvin Ridge High School Football, and Coach Zehmke at Charlotte Cardinals are very helpful and encouraging to multi-sport athletes. They understand the transferable skills between the two sports help their players perform better on the field, and rugby is particularly complementary to football – my rugby training significantly contributes to my continuing development as a footballer.”
Finlay currently plays for Charlotte’s newest rugby club, The Charlotte Cardinals.
“My family is a founding family of The Cardinals,” Finlay said. “We made this decision because the Cardinals have a first-class coaching team at all levels (he has a brother who also plays rugby at Middle School level), and it will be very competitive at various games and tournaments across the country. However, we also really buy in to the goals and aspirations that Coach Jason Zehmke and the Board of Directors have for the club. It’s first and foremost a rugby family – we all hang out and do things together, like go watch a Checkers game or organize a pickup game in the park. Our team camaraderie is solid, but we don’t just feel part of a team, we feel part of a community – and that extends to the wider vision of the club to reach out beyond ourselves and serve the communities around us.
“Yes, we want to reach as many people as we can and introduce them to the sport of rugby, but we also want to make an impact in other very tangible ways – through donations of clothing, toys, games and, of course, volunteer time. The Peter Zehmke Foundation has been set up to provide necessary athletic and game day kits to any player in need, and the club hopes to sponsor players from underserved communities for travel and educational opportunities through rugby, that otherwise would not be available to them. Finally, there’s the food. Whatever we do, there’s always lots of food involved – and some of the parents are really amazing cooks – so that’s a huge incentive!”
For the next couple of years, when he is not playing his part in helping this vision come to life and continuing to work on his football and rugby development, Finlay will be found with his head in the books, studying as a student in Marvin Ridge High School’s International Baccalaureate program.
“I’ve just started to think about colleges over the last few months,” Finlay said. “My parents are big believers in taking every opportunity that’s presented and have really encouraged me to keep an open mind and not close any doors. Fortunately, I’ve had interest and contact from college coaches, and I’m blessed to have some great options out there for me. It’s very exciting – and a bit daunting if I’m honest!”
In the meantime, Finlay is very happy to enjoy Charlotte, NC and USA rugby.
“US rugby is going places,” Finlay said. “If rugby here continues to grow at grass roots level, with more players growing up in the sport and expanding the pool of available athletes, there’s absolutely no reason why the USA Eagles wouldn’t be unstoppable. With the USA likely to be hosting the 2031 Rugby World Cup, I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of where rugby here is going – we have a lot to look forward to!”
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