When watching a sport like football or basketball, it’s hard for great talent to go unnoticed. Highly televised sports allow even the casual viewer to know who’s the cream of the crop.
However, when it comes to club sports on college campuses across the country, great talent can fly under the radar.
As one of the better rugby teams in the country, the ASU men’s rugby team is loaded with skilled players. Though it may not get the recognition of NCAA-regulated sports, it still has some of the most capable amateur athletes in the country.
ASU sophomore Adam Sandstrom is one of these premier athletes.
Sandstrom began playing rugby when he was a freshman at Oconomowoc High School in Wisconsin. In his senior year, he was named to the Wisconsin all-state rugby team. Playing with this team in tournaments allowed Adam to become noticed by officials from the USA Rugby men’s national team.
His stellar play led to an invitation to play with the national team at the U-17 level. Sandstrom was then made a member of the U.S. High School All-American team, which was assembled to find and identify the best high school rugby players and place them on USA Rugby’s elite player pathway.
He played with the team in several international exhibitions against the Ontario U-17 team, but this was only the beginning of his international career.
Last year, after a great season with ASU, he played with the USA Men’s Junior All-American (U-20) team in the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy in Tbilisi, Ga. The tournament offered Adam a new look at the world of rugby as he squared off against some of the world’s most talented U-20 players.
“It’s a whole other level,” Sandstrom said. “It’s a huge step up playing against those teams.”
The team played in four matches, three of which were lost to Russia, Uruguay and eventual champion Samoa. The team captured its lone victory after a tight battle in the seventh place playoff game against Zimbabwe.
“It was an awesome experience,” Sandstrom said. “The whole experience was different. The rugby culture was different from here, and to be able to represent your country is huge.”
He will get another shot to suit up for the U.S. on an even bigger stage when the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy comes to Utah this June.
ASU men’s rugby coach Gary Lane appreciates the national recognition Sandstrom has received for his abilities.
“I’m very proud of Adam,” Lane said. “He has worked hard, persevered and deserves this.”
Although he’s just a sophomore, Adam has big goals for himself in the future.
“Hopefully I’ll be playing for the U.S. in the 2016 Olympics,” he said. “I want to take this as far as I can.”
As he continues to grow and progress at the rate he currently is, there’s no reason to think Sandstrom won’t be standing on the podium with the U.S. in Rio de Janeiro four years from now.
Reach the reporter at talopez3@asu.edu
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