Young Yank Makes Good in League, and Maybe Union

Tuesday Sep 30, 2008 in Elite Level Rugby Overseas Pros

September  30, 2008 -  The USA may have a crossover rugby prospect in a teenager who plays rugby league in the North of England.

Taylor Welch is a winger for Warrington and made his first-team debut during August after a stint with the Warrington academy.

Welch moved to the USA from Dallas with his father five years ago, and attended Lymm High School. He showed aptitude for rugby league, and was drafted into the Warrington academy, where he has impressed, becoming a regular try-scorer for the Warrington reserves in the second-grade league.

He is believed to be the first American ever to play for Warrington in the Super League.

"It was amazing," Welch told the local press. "To be on the field with players like Matt King and Jon Clarke was just an amazing experience. The coach called me in on Saturday morning and just told me he thought I had been training well and they were going to put me in. I've been on the field for the reserves playing games hard. I've made some very good plays and played some good games. But I was looking longer term to be honest. I was thinking maybe the end of next year, so it's an amazing feeling."

At 18 Welch has youth on his side and he has already stood up to some powerful players in professional rugby – albeit rugby league.

He didn't give himself high marks after his one Warrington run-out, but with the USA 7s coach already testing another league teenager – Shalom Suniula – you wonder if he's shown enough to at least get a look.

Born in Dallas, Welch played Gridiron until he was 13. His mother passed away and his father moved to England where he married an Englsh women. In school Welch played union before being recruited for league, so at 18 he has run the football gamut.

"Rugby league is great," he told local press. "It's faster and harder and the athletes are much tougher than American football players. I'm the first American in Super League. It's a bit of history. I'm very proud of that. I'm proud to be American."