For many top high school rugby players, football season is upon us. For Bronson Teles of the Katy Barbarians in Texas, it’s no different.

An imposing football player as a defensive end, and in rugby as a No. 8, the tall, big-striding athlete is one to watch.

Teles began playing rugby at nine years old, and has played with Katy ever since.

“I fell in love with rugby watching the Springboks as I was growing up. My heroes are Schalk Burger and Bakkies Botha,” said Teles. 

He got the attention of HS All American Coach Salty Thompson, and was invited to the 2014 Winter Camp and was a reserve for the 2014 JV tour of France and Belgium. A participant in the Texas Eagle Impact Rugby Academy program, he was a key part of the Texas All-Stars team in 2015 and platted in the Stars & Stripes game. This season, he is co-captain of the Katy HS football team, which has already started its season.

Rugby and football are both going well for the young talent.

“Rugby is going really good, just prepping and training hard for the upcoming season, and football season is here, just ongoing training,” he said. We are definitely planning to win a state championship in rugby this year and do big things for Team Texas and hopefully excel with the HSAA camp in December.”

You see he has goals. He plans to study engineering in college and will soon achieve the rank of Eagle Scout - he completed his Eagle Scout project of designing and building benches and a ball pit for a local day camp.

HS All American Head Coach Salty Thompson is high on Teles.

“He’s a good student and has a bright future in the game,” said Thompson, who has no problems seeing a potential HSAA star playing football through the fall. “Alex Magleby and I encourage multi-sport athletes in high school. There are numerous benefits to playing other sports and dangers of early specialization in any one sport.”

College is on the horizon for Teles and it seems as if rugby is more in the picture than football. He has expressed interest in Texas, Texas A&M, Arizona, and Life, but wisely hasn’t settled on any one school yet.

“I have been to a few visits to get a feel of where I might fit in best,” he said. You get the feeling that as far as rugby goes, he’ll fit in just fine anywhere.

Bronson Teles is our Aircraft Charter Solutions Player of the Week.