There’s a lot on the plate of Madison Hughes, as the former USA age-grade star is set to captain Dartmouth and also compete for a place on the USA 7s team.

Hughes is part of the 7s Eagles High Performance assembly, and after that will return to New Hampshire to help Dartmouth prepare for a challenging Ivy League season. Head Coach Gaivn Hickie told Goff Rugby Report that he supports Hughes’s plans to push for a 7s spot, and so will expect his captain to be absent for a few weekends this season.

Hughes and Hickie both say there are players on the Dartmouth team to back him up.

“We’ve got a good leadership group,” Hughes told Goff Rugby Report. “Pete Savarese broke his leg at 7s nationals and was a really big player for us. He’s returning, which is good. Wilson Chockley is also going to be a big leader for us. And Zack Fowler is just getting better and better as he keeps playing, and some younger guys are developing and maturing into those leadership positions, as well.”

Still, all eyes are on Hughes, who has been a massive factor for Dartmouth since his freshman year, when he was MVP of the CRC as the Big Green won their second-straight title at that invitational. Hughes is a vocal player whether he is captain or not, and that won’t change.

“On the field it’s mostly kind of positional stuff - I don’t get into the rah-rah stuff that some people do,” said Hughes. “In the locker room I’ll say stuff but really I want to lead by example and set high standards.”

Setting high standards means, however, you need to be patient, and Hughes acknowledges that he has been impatient with himself.

“You can be frustrated for a second, and then go on for the next thing,” Hughes said. “I don’t think it’s constructive to be impatient with others, because we’re working together for a common goal, and there ave been time where I’ve been impatient, and it’s something I want to change. I want to be constructive and help all of my teammates perform to the best of their ability.”

While he’s a veteran and a leader with Dartmouth, Hughes is still a relative newbie on the 7s World Series circuit. He played well for the USA last season, and could well get a look with the 15s team, too - Dartmouth will be playing him a bit at scrumhalf for that very reason as the 5-9 Hughes still makes coaches nervous when he lines up at fullback or outside center.

“It was such an incredible experience with the 7s team,” said Hughes. “Making my debut I was unsure where I fit in with the team. Then Hong Kong and Tokyo the team started making strides and I felt better and better. I think I really grew a lot as a player - learning how I can be better as a player and know how to play at that level.”

Hughes said he needs to improve almost everywhere. The speedy, sidestepping back continually beats his opponents in college rugby. At the international level, things are harder.

“There’s always going to be someone faster than me, bigger than me, so if I improve at every level - my decision-making, by passing and tackling, and my kicking, then I can make my own mark,” he said. “I want to be a very good player on the circuit, and in order to do so I need to play to the best of my ability. But I can’t let setbacks overcome my play.”

All of this started when Hughes was a student at Wellington College in England. He qualifies for the USA thanks to an American mother, and when the High School All Americans came calling, he was thrilled to answer.

“The exposure on that high level was huge,” said Hughes. “I had one High School All American tour, two Junior World Rugby Trophies and two College All American tours, so the exposure of that high level rugby allowed me to develop as a player and expand my areas of play. I took on kicking with the High School All Americans and it’s become a central component of my game now. So developing and expanding on different skills helped me, and working with the coaches who have been in the system helps a player understand what he needs to do to develop, and also helps the coaches see how a player is developing.”