Graduating Kansas City Jr. Blues player Will Ben Sims will enroll at Trinity College, Dublin University, this coming fall.

Sims follows the path of several prominent American players in spending time at Trinity, but most of those players attended as graduate students. However, current USA and Stade Francais star Scott LaValla made the same choice some years ago, opting to play rugby at the Tony Smeeth-coached Trinity team, and ultimately captaining the team in his senior year.

Meanwhile, Sims was captain of the Jr. Blues.

"He has been one of the best players I have coached in the six years that I have been coaching the Jr. Blues," said KC Coach Chris Lawler. Like Lavalla, Sims is a loose forward, and mostly a No. 8, and while a USA age-grade spot has been tough to find because he's not big, he is a tough and smart rugby player. Lawler said Sims might well move to scrumhalf or outside back.

He did play some scrumhalf for the KC Blues DIII team last fall and coach Aseri Baritu was complimentary of his play there.

"Will Ben understands the game better than any kid I have coached and I think he will be one kid to keep an eye over the next few years," added Lawler. "Even though he has not made the age grade teams, he captained the Heart of America select side U17 team as sophomore and captained the HOA U19 team the last two years as a junior and senior. He was also caught the eye of the Severi coaches after they saw him play for the KC United 7s HS team in the Vegas 7s HS Bracket. He was invited to the Severi HS 7s camp in Denver a couple of weeks after Vegas, and did well enough there to get invited to the Severi 7s HS residency camp that took place in late June in San Diego. From the reports, he did well there too. He is a great kid and excellent rugby player."

Sims's journey to Dublin began because another KC coach, Joe Fridkin, knows Trinity Head Coach Tony Smeeth (Smeeth coached former Cal All American and KC Jr. Blues USA age-grader Tony Vontz). Fridkin made some inquiries as to a spot for Sims, and an email discussion led to a place at the prestigious university. Sims departs for Ireland on Friday to attend the preseason rugby camp at Trinity before he starts school in a couple of weeks.