The Life-Changing Call that Led Him to the World Cup | Bryce Campbell, USA Rugby

On today's show I sat down with retired USA Rugby center Bryce Campbell, who earned 48 caps, played over 100 pro matches, and most recently suited up for the Chicago Hounds before retiring in 2025 and returning to Indianapolis to help revive Kuntz Stadium.

Campbell remembers discovering rugby at Broad Ripple Park with the Royal Irish, winning a national title, and playing club rugby at Indiana University. Study abroad in Sydney then led to USA Selects, a call from Irish rugby legend Declan Kidney, his first cap against Romania, and a career that included driving Uber early on, signing with London Irish, and competing at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

After returning to the U.S. due to COVID, he played in Austin and Chicago, then helped form Riverside Sports Properties to manage and restore city-owned Kuntz Stadium, host college rugby nationals, support the Indy AlleyCats, and pursue future rugby events and a potential Indy pro rugby team.
 
If you like this episode and want to hear more Get IN. episodes where I interview Hoosiers making a difference, visit getindiana.com/podcast.

You are going to learn about:
- Bryce Campbell's Rugby Journey
- Riverside Sports Properties' Efforts to Restore Kuntz Stadium
- The Past, Present and Future of Rugby in Indiana

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Check out these great clips from the show:
01:19 Guest Introduction: Bryce Campbell, USA Rugby
02:28 Finding Rugby Indiana
04:02 Royal Irish Rise
04:54 Choosing IU Rugby
06:42 Club Life At IU
07:28 Big Ten Rugby Explained
08:15 Why Not NCAA
09:34 USA Pathway Begins
10:06 Australia To Uruguay Breakout
12:40 First Eagles Cap
14:36 Turning Pro In Denver
16:12 MLR Launch And Glendale
18:51 Overseas Dream
20:04 Signed By London Irish
22:01 Life In English Rugby
26:13 World Cup Japan
28:54 COVID Ends Europe Stint
29:53 Back To MLR Austin
31:30 Career Timeline Check
31:58 Finding The Next Team
33:31 Balancing USA Rugby Life
36:01 Becoming A Chicago Hound
37:51 Building A New Club
38:43 Retirement And Indy Pivot
39:29 Reviving Kuntz Stadium
43:19 Landing Major Events Fast
45:38 Bigger Vision For Rugby
48:48 Rugby Origins And Growth
50:30 Indiana Questions

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