U.S. rugby needs more players. The answer could lie in basketball

U.S. men's rugby union head coach Gary Gold had an epiphany while watching an NBA game at Crypto.com Arena in February 2022, concluding that basketball players — due to their handling, dexterity, and passing skills — would make better rugby converts than NFL players. Gold, who was preparing his team for the 2023 Rugby World Cup with a goal of reaching the quarter-finals, argued against the conventional wisdom of recruiting from American football, calling NFL players 'one-dimensional.' His theory led U.S. rugby talent scouts to target basketball as a more fertile recruiting ground.