WELLINGTON, NZ – A true character – and one of our favorite rugby players and people – Chris Baumann, will be heading to New Zealand after the his Denver Stampede take on the Ohio Aviators in Obetz, OH on Sunday, in the PRO Rugby Final.
The USA Rugby Men’s 15s prop will be joining the Super Rugby Hurricanes ITM squad – the Wellington Lions -on a short-term deal. We are not 100% sure of the details, yet.
For those that haven’t had the pleasure of knowing Chris, he’s a man that has toiled all over the globe and went years between opportunities with Team USA. He is a study in perseverance, hard work and has battled long and hard for his opportunities.
Baumann’s also a charter member of the Lou Stanfill Mullet Militia.
The Lions are thin in the Prop Department, so with the PRO Rugby season winding up and the Stampede’s success coming in no small part from their talented front row, phone calls were made and a deal was done.
It’s a great situation for all involved, as PRO Rugby players continue to get attention from professional teams abroad. PRO’s Director of Rugby Steve Lewis had this to say of the Baumann deal: “I’m very excited for Chris. It’s great for him and us and we look forward to seeing more of our players signing contracts overseas.”
Another player getting noticed is LangiLangi Haupeakui, who’ll be training with the Aviva Premiership Harlequins. Make sure to check out Matt Ryan’s excellent profile of the emerging force in the back row.
But back to the front row and Baumann… We’ll be watching and rooting for Chris but it will be interesting to see how he gets his RV down under.
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