Rugby ATL Posts Eleventh Episode of ‘The RATL Roundup’ Series

Atlanta, Georgia – June 20th, 2020. In this, the eleventh episode of our informational live series ‘The RATL Roundup,’ Rugby ATL invited three more members of our Summer Residency to share their backgrounds with the game, and their first encounters with the professional environment here at Rugby ATL. This week, Vice President of Operations Kevin McCorry had the pleasure of sitting down with Terrell Nelson of Western Washington University, Sean Atkins of Western Michigan University, and Frankie Macnamara of American International College. These three young men came down hereto develop themselves as players, as the potential professionals of the future.

Frankie Macnamara has just entered his sixth year playing the sport of rugby, picking it up as he entered into high school to play with his friend, and share the game with his sister. Following his time playing for Grand Island, New York, Frankie ended up at American International College and has tried to attend every camp he can to develop himself as a rugby player, through the guidance of his coaches. As an incoming upperclassmen at AIC, Frankie is excited to take what he is learning from his time in the 404 and bring it back to his college team.

Sean Atkins has been a very recent convert to the game, though the rugby resume he boasts from his time at Western Michigan University may suggest otherwise. In two years, he has been a part of teams that have reached a National Championship in both fifteen’s and seven’s at the D1AA level. As a former football player, the biggest thing that Sean spoke about as a difference between the two sports was the culture, as he told of the immediate welcoming into his new program, and how his new team felt like family. Sean attributed his growth from this camp to coaches Kurt Coleman and Neets Gericke, for how much they stressed the need for an attention to detail some of the games micro-skills: like running lines, passing, and catching.

Terrell Nelson has been a rugby player since he was nine years old, thanks to his dad, who started a boys and girls rugby club back in his home state of Washington. Terrell played for Chuckanut Bay Rugby Club, as well as Bayside Rugby Club of British Columbia, Canada, before being selected to play for the Washington State select team. Playing primarily at scrumhalf, Terrell has relished the individual time he’s had to talk with coaches Kurt Coleman & Nese Malifa, two former flyhalves, for what they’re looking for out of a great halfback.

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