'It's crazy!' - Shropshire rugby star helps American university go unbeaten and win national title

Gabe O'Reilly, from Whitchurch, had been contemplating quitting the game, but lifting the National Collegiate Rugby crown last month has reignited his passion for the sport.

The 21-year-old, a Swansea University student currently on an exchange year at the University of Tennessee, helped the Vols go undefeated as they won every available title. He set up Tennessee's opening try in the national final in Houston, Texas, where they beat Bowling Green 21-15.

O'Reilly said: "It's by far my most proud moment. I can't really put it into words, I have had a smile on my face for so long. It has been pretty awesome.

"It was genuinely crazy, that is the only way I can describe it. Normally, in that kind of situation I would have been nervous, but it was just pure excitement.

"We all understood the opportunity we had to make history for rugby at Tennessee, go a whole year undefeated and win everything we could have. 

"We scored in the 79th-minute to win the game, it was crazy."

O'Reilly, who plays at centre, helped Tennessee secure their second national title in four seasons. Prior to the national finals, they won the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference Division 1AA title to qualify for the 'Elite 8'.

Rugby is a club sport at the University of Tennessee and is not supported by the NCAA or Tennessee Athletics. As it is not a varsity sport, the team received no funding for travel to Texas and instead relied on donations from parents and alumni.

"We got really lucky and we were able to double the amount that we needed to fund the trip," O'Reilly explained. "We were able to take between 40 and 50 lads to Texas, and a lot of people who weren't playing came to support us which really helped."

The 21-year-old played his club rugby at Newport, representing Shropshire at county level, and also turned out for Haberdashers' Adams in Newport.

The year before heading to America, O'Reilly partially tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and was close to walking away from the game altogether.

"This season, I had been saying it would be my last one playing rugby and that I would pack it in after this," he revealed.

"But rugby is great. When you move somewhere new, being able to join a club and have that social aspect where you meet a load of people, it's one of the main things I look for. 

"I don't want to give it up as much now. I think this has really put rugby back to being something I really enjoy doing."

Playing in Tennessee did not come without challenges, particularly as he was the only overseas player in the squad.

He said: "One thing I really struggled with was the heat. It was about 35 degrees and humid, it was really different to back home. 

"I had got used to playing in the rainy weather in Swansea. So that tough and I was struggling a little bit."

O'Reilly returned home to Whitchurch to spend Christmas with his family and said he had not stopped smiling since the historic triumph. Although, he admitted that he missed his teammates, who have become a second family. 

"I have spent every day for the past five to six months with at least one teammate, so it is weird now," he admitted. 

"It's been really surreal, the whole experience. From the moment we started training there was a really good feeling around the camp.

"I was really surprised when I got there as well, because I knew rugby was growing in America, but I didn't know what level it was at until I got out there and started practicing. It was a really pleasant surprise to see they were playing at such a high level.

"The way the whole team has accommodated me being over there made it a lot easier. For thanksgiving I was down in California with one of my teammates with his family, he invited me over. As much as they are teammates, I made really great mates.

"That was something that made it a lot easier for me. From the moment I got to Tennessee, the coach picked me up from the airport and dropped me off at someone's house where I got to stay for a week, it has all been very accommodating."