Grosse spent his collegiate career at West Point, made appearances for the USA U23s and Falcons teams, and now calls Old Glory DC home. It’s far away from his hometown of Spokane, Wash., but it’s pretty fitting that he’s now representing the nation’s capital in MLR competition.
“Being from a military background, going to West Point, (Old Glory) DC is probably the perfect place for me as a player,” said Grosse, whose two siblings attended the United States Naval Academy. “There's a ton of military people in this area, and the overlap of rugby and military is a lot bigger than you think.”
Grosse played lock for the Black Knights, leading the team to a D1A National Championship in his senior season. He earned Rugby East All-Conference First Team honors for his efforts before Old Glory DC drafted him with the No. 15 pick in the 2022 MLR College Draft. Those collegiate seasons, however, played an important role in the development of Grosse, who didn’t begin playing rugby until he was 17.
“Everybody was bought in with the goal of winning games and getting that championship,” Grosse said. “It was really a brotherhood.”
Not only have the bonds from his undergraduate days lasted – he still runs into former teammates and military ruckers in DC’s club rugby circles – but also have the lessons he learned from his time in the academy.
“When you go to West Point, there's a lot of everyone wanting to be a leader,” he said. “Sometimes being a leader is understanding that you're not going to be the captain or you're not going to be the main leader, but you have to have your sphere of influence, whatever that is, in your smaller groups.”
And Grosse has helped set the standard for Old Glory DC through his four seasons with the team. He broke through to start in all 18 matches of 2024 and quietly became the second-fastest draft pick to reach 50 caps. Grosse has already pinpointed some points of pride that have been set in this sprint of a 2026 season.
“The base of our team is just defense, and when you have a good defense, you set yourself up for success,” Grosse said. “We've bolstered our team, and we brought in some very good guys that help us from that defensive point of view. We're getting a lot closer every day, and we've seen immense growth just in the first three weeks of the season.”
Old Glory DC will host its home opener this weekend, and there’s an extra layer of excitement for the occasion. The team shifted its headquarters within the D.C. metro this season, now calling George Mason Stadium home. The move brings a college audience and vibrant local community within walking distance of professional rugby, and with plenty of community events around the team’s homecoming, the team is preparing to make a statement for its supporters.
“We're very excited for the new stadium,” Grosse said. “The new area – the communities of Fairfax and Allendale – they're welcoming us with open arms.”
Grosse has been a part of playoff-bound Old Glory DC teams of the past, and he’s experienced the close losses at the hands of Chicago and New England the past three seasons. This year’s roster, however, won’t take anything less than a meeting at SeatGeek Stadium on June 21.
“We definitely have championship expectations with this team,” he said.