John van der Giessen
Encyclopedia
John Van Der Giessen is an American
rugby union
player. He plays lock for the USA Eagle XV side. He was selected to tour with the USA Eagles squad for the Autumn 2010 tour of Europe. Van Der Giessen plays his club rugby for Bath Rugby
.
Rugby Captain from 2004–2005 and in 2006 was selected for the 2006 NPC Hawkes Bay Reserve side. He was most recently selected to come to the Rugby World Cup Training Camp and was named to the NA4 Hawks Team. Initially named as the reserve lock for the 2007 RWC, Van Der Giessen joined the team in France for its last two matches, following the injury of veteran USA lock Luke Gross
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player. He plays lock for the USA Eagle XV side. He was selected to tour with the USA Eagles squad for the Autumn 2010 tour of Europe. Van Der Giessen plays his club rugby for Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby is an English professional rugby union club that is based in the city of Bath. They play in the Aviva Premiership league...
.
Career
Van der Giessen's debut for his country was in 2008 against England Saxons. He first started playing rugby in September 2001. He had two training sessions and started his first match that weekend at the 25th Annual University of Idaho Alumni Tournament. The founder of U of I Rugby, Joe McGurkin, and a former U of I player and friend, Conrad Breithbach watched the match. Afterwards they both told him he could go as far as he wanted in rugby, if he just stuck with it. He was a University of IdahoUniversity of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
Rugby Captain from 2004–2005 and in 2006 was selected for the 2006 NPC Hawkes Bay Reserve side. He was most recently selected to come to the Rugby World Cup Training Camp and was named to the NA4 Hawks Team. Initially named as the reserve lock for the 2007 RWC, Van Der Giessen joined the team in France for its last two matches, following the injury of veteran USA lock Luke Gross
Luke Gross
Luke Gross is an American rugby union footballer. A lock who has played for various club sides, he earned 62 caps for the USA between 1996 and 2003; although he was named to the USA squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, and played in the 2007 squad's final warmup against Celtic League side Munster,...
.