NEWS

‘We Are Here To Win The Competition’ – Lee Ahead Of Maiden Season With The Nola Gold

Written by Joe Harvey | Photos Provided By NOLA Gold

Danny Lee is relishing the opportunity to lead the NOLA Gold.

After three years with the San Diego Legion, the 48-year-old arrived in New Orleans at the end of last summer to learn more about his new challenge and the place he will now call home.

From his time in California, Lee has a 34-14 regular season record and led San Diego to the 2023 Championship Final, where the club lost out to the New England Free Jacks.

He now takes charge of a team riding the high of a second-place finish in the Eastern Conference in 2024 and a first foray into the Playoffs at the seventh time of asking.

Beaten 45-21 by the Chicago Hounds in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, Lee’s primary responsibility is to make sure that last year is not just a flash in the pan and become a regular fixture in the MLR postseason.

Having had time to build his squad and now beginning preparations for their season opener against Anthem Rugby Carolina at The Gold Mine at the Shrine on Airline, the former New Zealand international promises that his team will have their sights set high.

“We are here to win the comp,” Lee said. “It depends on who you talk to here at the organization and their plans for the team – they want to be in the Playoffs and not just be a team that makes the Playoffs and then disappear the next year.

“They want to be in the Playoffs consistently. I am here to get these guys moving as quick as possible, get them playing positive rugby and playing winning rugby to put us in a position to win the competition.

“We are here to win the competition. It is not going to be a straight road, but we have got to hang tough and work hard together.”

What will make Lee’s task a little simpler is the retention of a number of NOLA’s senior players.

Tesimoni Tonga’uiha and William Waguespack will be back in quarters for an eighth season, while the likes of Cam Dolan, Malcolm May, and Ross Depperschmidt are all back for a seventh year.

You then tie in the experience of five-year veterans JP du Plessis and Damian Stevens, who have been significant influences at the Gold Mine since their arrival, and there is consistency among Lee’s squad.

It is a continuity essential to the team’s hopes of reaching the postseason for a second year in a row and for Lee as he puts the building blocks in place for his first season steering NOLA.

“I’m a big believer in continuity and keeping squads together as much as possible,” Lee said.

“The teams that win the most in the world have played together for a long time. You build those connections, and it brings results.

“I am pretty happy with the guys we have got here and have been here a long time. Those guys lead the way in our environment. They are the guys I lean on to bring the other guys in and help them settle in.

“The guys I have brought in are here to add to what was here last year. They are here to add in certain areas and compliment the guys from previous years.”

On top of player retention, Lee has been busy bringing in a host of new faces to Louisiana.

This includes the addition of senior USA internationals Ruben de Haas, Paul Mullen, Luke Carty, and Joe Taufete’e.

The Gold has gained Joe Taufete'e for the 2025 season!💪🏼👑

Taufete’e, a distinguished international hooker and USA Eagle #466, bringing his experience with 37 caps for the USA Eagles. Taufete’e’s impressive career has spanned top teams, including Seattle Seawolves (2024),… pic.twitter.com/1OqRyV2ZTv

— NOLA Gold Rugby (@nolagoldrugby) November 6, 2024

Canada’s Cooper Coats, Kaden Duguid, and Tyler Matchem have also committed to the team, as have former France internationals Kélian Galletier and Xavier Mignot.

Exciting times ahead! NOLA Gold Rugby is thrilled to announce the signing of French rugby star Kélian Galletier through the 2026 season! 👑🏉

With his impressive competitive background, Kélian is bringing his exceptional talent and leadership from the south of France to the city… pic.twitter.com/Zb0PyNeoOC

— NOLA Gold Rugby (@nolagoldrugby) October 14, 2024

Even bringing ex-Legion back-row Tupou Afungia, Tonga international Nikolai Foliaki, Isaac Te Tamaki, and Vilimoni Koroi, who Lee describes as an “excitement machine”, it is a playing group that adds much-needed depth to the side.

“The big thing I wanted when I came here was depth in our squad,” Lee said.

“What that does is put pressure on each other, gives us competition within positions, which brings the best out of them.

“What I noticed with NOLA last year was that they had a really good A-team, but there was a falloff between the starting team, their reserves, and their squad members.

“One of the luxuries I had in San Diego was depth in squad. When we played teams and the intensity was up, we had the ability to bring on quality rugby players, the game changed, and we won games in the last 20 minutes.

“That thought process remains here and that is why we have recruited really well, and we are now deep in positions.”

After hosting Anthem in Week 1, NOLA will then travel to the Miami Sharks and Utah Warriors before their first bye week in Week 4.

Those fixtures will be the first opportunity for the squad to test how the team has bonded since arriving in New Orleans to start preseason.

Getting to learn a new style of play and learn from the Gold’s coaching staff, Lee promises that his team will entertain in the hope of getting supporters piling into the Gold Mine.

“Last season was a phenomenal season for them,” Lee said. “Our style is going to be different.

“We are going to use the ball a little bit more. We are not the biggest team in the comp, so we will need to move the ball a little bit more based on our personnel.

“I think we have the ability to be direct, use the ball when needed, and have good finishers.

“We are going to be a little bit more dynamic around our attack. We are going to have to have that ability to finish off and be as accurate and patient as possible to wear teams out.

“We want to be relentless about how we do things on both sides of the ball. If we can keep the scoreboard down, we give ourselves the opportunity to be there in the end.”