Skip to main content
07.06.2026College Men
John Henry Rouse and Josef Mokofisi ready to go.
John Henry Rouse, right, and Josef Mokofisi, left, ready to go.
Author: Alex Goff

Eagle hopefuls are working through a productive summer at a small player development program in the wilds of Kentucky.

It's an almost mythical mountain rugby retreat—you can picture the montage now, players working hard on a farm in Southwestern Kentucky.

Campbell Robb (former captain of Central Washington), John Henry Rouse (Saint Marys), and Josef Mokofisi (Saint Mary's) are in the Gainline Forge, a mountain training retreat that gives them time to prepare for the next step.

The program includes Strength and Conditioning sessions, rugby film study, working on the farm like Rocky in Rocky IV, but there's also more than that. 

Mealtime Gainline Forge
That's a lot of ketchup John Henry. Players learn athletic preparation, and meal preparation, too.

There are life skills. The players cook together and as they eat they lean some adulting advise—career, finance, team-building, rugby.

Indiana University assistant coach Turner Edwards is shadowing the players.

This is all part of a program dubbed the Gainline Forge.

Related Topics

Photo Galleries

Spotlight