Three Selections for Nelson College Scholarship
Three Selections for Nelson College Scholarship
The success of the Nelson College Scholarship program developed through the US Rugby Foundation is pretty evident given that the program has now been expanded to three student-athletes.
Unveiled in 2023, the Nelson College Scholarship funded two places at Nelson College in New Zealand for two American high school boys where they would study and play rugby. In 2023 that pair was Oliver Kirk (Chicago Lions) and Max Doerfler (St. Thomas Aquinas). Both found success at Nelson and came back to captain their respective HS teams. Kirk was asked back for his senior year at Nelson, where he helped the team with a South Island championship.
Kirk is now a freshman at Cal. Doerfler unfortunately sustained an injury but having already been accepted to West Point, he was able to defer and will matriculate to West Point this fall.
Last year JW Serkees (Greer) and Connor Bender (St. Igsnatius Cleveland) joined Nelson, also finding success on the pitch and learning much in the classroom. Both returned to captain their respective teams. Sarkees is set to attend Penn State in the fall while Bender has been accepted to at least one prestigious rugby institution but has not officially committed yet.
This year, thanks to additional funding for the program, three players were selected to attend Nelson College over the Northern Hemisphere spring and summer.
Jamie Clegg
 Jamie Clegg |
 Charles Gehl |
 Kolomana Kahanu |
Jamie Clegg is a 17-year-old Senior at Gallatin High School in Bozeman, Mont. and a 6-4, 215 second-row forward for Bozeman’s Gallatin Wranglers. His family recently moved from Ft. Collins, Colo. and Clegg was been selected for both the Colorado U18 All-State and the Montana U19 All-State Sides. A karate black belt and involved in multiple sports (soccer and ice hockey), Clegg narrowed his high school focus to rugby, along with student leadership and animal rescue. Clegg attended the Northampton Saints Stowe 5-day Camp in the UK, the Haka Rugby Global Camp in Denver, the Leinster Camp at Syracuse University, and, this past December, the Eagle Impact Rugby Academy’s (EIRA) 5-day winter invitational camp in Arizona.
Charles Gehl
Chuck Gehl is a 16-year-old HS Junior in Missoula, Mont. The 6-0, 250 prop players for the Missoula Stampede. The Stampede has been the Montana State Champion – and Gehl has been their starting prop – every year since his freshman year. Gehl has been selected to play on the Montana U16 and U19 select sides each year as well. An avid downhill skier, hiker, and mountain biker, Gehl is also his captain, since his sophomore year, of the high school wrestling team and has qualified for the Montana State Varsity Heavyweight wrestling championship. Gehl attended the West Point Rugby Camp, and this past December attended the EIRA’s 5-day winter camp in Arizona.
Kolomona Kahanu
Kolo Kahanu is a 16 year-old Junior from Pahoa, Hawai'i and a junior at Timpview High School in Provo, Utah. The 6-0, 190 scrumhalf is dearless on defense and can play anywhere along the back line. Kahanu has played on the Hawaiian State Championship team; on the 1st Place team in the 2023 U16 States Tournament; was Player of the Match in the 2024 Utah Spider Fest. He was also selected for the “Dream Team 7” during the 2024 National Youth 7s Championships in Ohio. Fluent in Hawai'ian, his first language, Kahanu led his high school team to a 2nd place finish in the Hawaiian State Soccer championship and a Hawaiian Island Championship in the competitive open ocean canoe racing. This past December, Kahanu attended the EIRA’s 5-day winter camp in Arizona.
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