NEWS

Holden Yungert as NOLA Gold Look to Crack the Playoffs
Written by Joe Harvey | Photo by Ed Moran
There is a broad grin across the face of Holden Yungert when he joins the Zoom call. It doesn’t take long to figure out the reason, he and his NOLA Gold teammates are just several days removed from their 20-21 win at the LA Memorial Coliseum over the LA Giltinis.
It was thanks to Hanno Dirksens’ 79th minute try that NOLA were able to secure the victory, the former USA U18 international fed the ball by Yungert as the Gold camped themselves in LA’s 22m as time ticked away.
Photo by Brian Jackson
No doubt it was already a special day for the scrum-half, the California native having grown to prominence as a player in the state. Having attended Saint Mary’s College, Yungert played on three championship teams, was named a first-team Collegiate All-American, and was the MVP of the D1A College Rugby Championship in 2017.
Often cutting a striking figure on the field thanks to his mutton chops, the 27-year-old is a ferocious competitor, a key reason that Nate Osbourne has kept Yungert in Louisiana for each year of Major League Rugby.
CRACKING PLAYOFF RUGBY
If you had to describe NOLA’s four years in MLR so far, you’d probably call the team the ‘nearly men’. On two occasions, the team have faded at the end of the season, eventually resulting in the team having never managed to play post-season rugby.
Currently second in the East Conference, leapfrogging Rugby United New York thanks to their better record, Yungert believes that he and his teammates reaching the playoffs would be a just reward after several years of hurt and especially after an impressive win on Sunday night.
“I would say that we are all pretty juiced,” Yungert said. “I don’t think any of our guys every counted us out, I know we were underdogs, but we got a sniff and kept the momentum going. It came at the perfect time.
Photo by Brian Jackson
“I have been here for four seasons now and we have narrowly missed out on the playoffs every time and that is a big goal for us, just to crack that spot. We are sitting pretty right now, but there is still a lot of hard work to do, and it would just be so huge for the organization.
“The fans, they want it, the players want it and it’d just be the icing on the cake for us.”
DIGGING DEEP
With four players away with the USA Eagles and two with Canada, a number of players who have been on the fringes of selection so far this season had to step up to the plate against LA.
Playing their fourth consecutive away fixture at the Giltinis, NOLA are certainly running the gauntlet to end the season and will close out the season with two more games on the road.
With Seattle up this weekend before what looks to be a massively vital encounter with New York to close out the regular season, Yungert is massively impressed by how his teammates have taken on the increased responsibility with others unavailable.
“We have got two more away games and it looks as though we are going to match up with New York for a winner takes all final game, so we are pretty stoked,” Yungert said. “We have got a lot of international guys away and the boys have stepped up. I would say, hands down, we have got the best 35-man squad in the whole league.
“The intensity that these guys bring at training, and we match each other, we are probably playing in the best competition every day at training.
“I think this past weekend was a great example of how hard our guys have been working. We have got guys like Cam Dolan who are always going to be on that roster, but these guys (at NOLA) don’t always get to shine.
“Gio Lapp came in, he made his debut for Gold, played a stunner for 6-70 minutes, made all his tackles, did everything he needed to do, and it is just that next man up attitude.
“We are just grinding away; we found a way and I couldn’t be happier for the boys who have put in the work.”
NEXT UP
Heading back to the west coast in order to take on Allen Clark’s Seattle Seawolves, while the two-time champions are well out of playoff contention, the message all season has been that by no means are the side a pushover.
More than aware of this, Yungert believes that by matching the efforts of a team with nothing to lose, he and his teammates can head back east in good spirits.
“You can never count a team out,” The 27-year-old said. “It is an odd shaped ball, right? It bounces either way. They could get up on us and we could have a hard time coming back.
“They are a good team, so we have to respect them and some of the most dangerous games are ones where you think you have them and their backs are up against the wall.
“They are out of the playoffs and have nothing left to lose, so they are going to come out firing and we have got to match them.”
HOW TO WATCH
NOLA Gold plays the Seattle Seawolves on Sunday night and fans in the USA can watch on FS2, while fans abroad can watch for free on The Rugby Network.
Recent Posts

Catching Up with the Rookie of the Year: Dallas Jackals’ Sam Golla
Written by Joe Harvey First overall pick in the 2022 Major League

Gallagher Premiership Rugby Rights Acquired by Major League Rugby’s OTT Platform The Rugby Network
DALLAS (August 20, 2023) – Major League Rugby (MLR) today announced a

Inter Miami CF’s Florida Blue Training Center and the Miami Sharks Rugby Club Strike Landmark Deal
The Professional Rugby Team Secures the AutoNation Sports Field at the Florida

Rugby World Cup France 2023 | Watch Parties
For seven consecutive Fridays, NOLA Gold is making an event of every

Meet The 2023 MLR Draft’s First Overall Pick, Ricky Rose
Written by Joe Harvey | Photos Provided by Rick Rose Ricky Rose
Categories
- Chicago Hounds
- Dallas Jackals
- Expansion
- Games
- Headlines
- Highlights
- Houston SaberCats
- In the News
- League Announcements
- Miami Sharks
- MLR Collegiate Draft
- MLR News
- New England Free Jacks
- New York Ironworkers
- NOLA Gold
- Old Glory DC
- Press Releases
- Rugby ATL
- San Diego Legion
- Seattle Seawolves
- Team News
- Toronto Arrows
- Trades
- Utah Warriors
- Videos
Archives
- September 2023 (5)
- August 2023 (7)
- July 2023 (19)
- June 2023 (43)
- May 2023 (41)
- April 2023 (46)
- March 2023 (28)
- February 2023 (17)
- January 2023 (4)
- December 2022 (4)
- November 2022 (7)
- October 2022 (7)
- September 2022 (4)
- August 2022 (3)
- July 2022 (8)
- June 2022 (46)
- May 2022 (71)
- April 2022 (56)
- March 2022 (58)
- February 2022 (55)
- January 2022 (13)
- December 2021 (8)
- November 2021 (10)
- October 2021 (15)
- September 2021 (11)
- August 2021 (17)
- July 2021 (60)
- June 2021 (63)
- May 2021 (67)
- April 2021 (49)
- March 2021 (35)
- February 2021 (14)
- January 2021 (15)
- December 2020 (14)
- November 2020 (7)
- October 2020 (13)
- September 2020 (13)
- August 2020 (11)
- July 2020 (17)
- June 2020 (14)
- May 2020 (8)
- April 2020 (3)
- March 2020 (24)
- February 2020 (42)
- January 2020 (13)
- December 2019 (7)
- November 2019 (7)
- October 2019 (9)
- September 2019 (7)
- August 2019 (5)
- July 2019 (11)
- June 2019 (51)
- May 2019 (75)
- April 2019 (88)
- March 2019 (77)
- February 2019 (76)
- January 2019 (51)
- December 2018 (7)
- November 2018 (10)
- October 2018 (8)
- September 2018 (12)
- August 2018 (14)
- July 2018 (10)
- June 2018 (46)
- May 2018 (43)
- April 2018 (34)
- March 2018 (25)
- February 2018 (31)
- January 2018 (37)
- December 2017 (10)
- November 2017 (25)
- October 2017 (25)
- July 2017 (1)
- March 2017 (2)