Luke Gross
2019
Inductee
While Luke Gross’ rugby career began much later in life than the average international player, nonetheless his accolades are Hall of Fame worthy. Gross was originally a basketball student-athlete at Indiana State University and Marshall University from 1991-1993. Shortly after, he took a liking to rugby and got his start with the Cincinnati Wolfhounds at age 24.
Gross would continue to establish a dominant presence on the pitch, earning 62 caps in 61 starts for the United States from 1996 to 2003, including starts at the 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cups. He sustained his international career for Rivigo in 1998 and won the Italian Cup with Roma.
Luke has been coaching the sport for nearly ten years and holds a 300-level USA Rugby coaching certification. Gross has served as a coach and administrator in various capacities including stints with USA Rugby as the High-Performance Player Development Manager, Head Rugby Coach at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Head Coach for the Sacramento PRO Rugby team in 2016. Gross has extensive experience in coaching U.S.A. age grades and is currently the Director of Amateur Rugby for the Glendale Raptors