Pen Green Alum Zach Test Named RUGBY Mag's 7s Player of the Year

03/14/2014, 6:45pm PST
 
By Bob Benson
 

Peninsula Green Rugby Club Alumni, Zack Test, (Redwood City) was named by Rugby Magazine, [the definitive magazine for Rugby Football in the United States] as Rugby Magazine’s Sevens Rugby Player of the Year on Jan 1, 2014.  Zack lives in Redwood City, CA when he is not training at the San Diego Olympic Training Center or traveling on the IRB (International Rugby Board) Sevens circuit with the USA Sevens Rugby Squad.

Zack grew up in Redwood City (Emerald Hills), CA, and started his rugby career with the Peninsula Green Rugby Club (Woodside, CA) as a sophomore (10th grade) and played for 3 years with the Pen Green Club.  He quickly showed rugby prowess and became Captain of the team in his Senior year.  He was named to the USA U18 team and then the USA U19 and U20 teams.  In 2007 Zack (along with Travis Benson, also of the Pen Green Club) was named to the USA U19 team that won 4 of 5 games at the IRB World Cup in Belfast, Northern Ireland.  In 2008, Test (along with Jared Braun and David Tamilau also of the Pen Green Club) was named to the USA U19 team that placed 2nd in the IRB World Cup in Kenya. 

Test attended Woodside High School where he was a star Wide Receiver on the Woodside football team.  After graduation from high school Test played wide receiver on the University of Oregon football team, before deciding to commit to rugby on a full time basis.  He was selected to the USA Sevens team in 2010 and has become one of the leading players on the USA team.  Test holds the scoring title for the team, and has been co-captain of the USA squad.  In the 2012-2013 season Test was named to the All Tournament team on 2 occasions.

Test is an active Peninsula Green Rugby Club Alumni, and he frequently helps coach the current Beaver squad when he is home from his USA Sevens Rugby Team training.  Test is always available to help younger rugby players achieve their goals.

Zack will be leading the USA Sevens Rugby Team at the IRB Las Vegas Sevens on Jan 24-26 in Las Vegas, NV.

The following is the text of the article written by Alex Goff of Rugby Magazine on Jan 01, 2014.

RUGBYMag Men's 7s Player of the Year: Zack Test

Zack Test has the ability to be among the best 7s players in the world, and in fact might already be there.

His 2012-2013 season showed a big step forward in his skills. He changed how he evaded tacklers, eschewing his signature move and instead incorporating a series of different attacking options. He became more direct in exploiting gaps. He improved his rucking and his ability to retain ball in contact.

He was named to the HSBC All-Series team, and deserved to be there, and he is RUGBYMag’s Men’s 7s Player of the Year.

“It always feels good to get recognition for how hard you work, but it’s not about me it’s about the team,” Test told RUGBYMag. “I am not too worried about individual awards, I just want to play a role on this team and help the USA be a top-eight team.”

Test unveiled a few extras this season. He has always been good in the air, but he made massive strides in his defense, and even unleashed a snappy kick from the hand that resulted in more than one Carlin Isles try.

“I’ve been playing on the circuit for quite a while now and the game kind of slows down for you,” Test said. “After a while you realize you were in a situation and you might have made the right decision or the wrong decision, so you think of those situations and learn the ins and outs of the decisions being made. But it’s also the chemistry of the team. You know if you take a risk you know someone’s going to be there and you’re still going to get the ball back. As far as kicking, I’ve been working on kicking for the past couple of games and reading the game. And I know Carlin Isles, if we can keep it in bounds but near the sideline he’s going to get it. So it’s something I hope we can keep doing.”

 

 

 

Zach Test - Cover of Rugby Magazine - played PenGreen for 3 years, now plays on USA Eagles, and is an active PenGreen "Beaver" alum)