An exclusive interview with Harley Wheeler
NOLA Gold’s Damian Stevens opens up about his Rugby World Cup experience, scoring against San Diego, staying cool under pressure, and building rugby culture in New Orleans. A must-read Q&A for fans of the game and followers of GOLD
Q: Can you walk us through that try you scored after Cooper Coats’ perfectly executed kick-and-chase? What were you seeing in that moment, and how did it feel to help restore the lead?
Damian Stevens: Firstly, credit to Cooper for making the line break, which put the team in a very good position to even get to the point of me chasing the ball. So yeah, credit to Cooper for that, but as he was running, he looked over to his right and saw me, and then I thought he believed that I could get to the ball and kick it, so he kicked it. I was actually calling for him to pass it to me, but he kicked it and then just started celebrating when he saw me running, so it was pretty exciting.
Q: Tensions were high throughout the game. One of San Diego’s players pushed you a few times. How do you stay calm and try not to react in those situations?
Damian Stevens: From our team’s point of view, we want to be the type of team that can get under the team’s skin but do it in a great, sporty manner. So we actually got that. We got them to react the way they did, and that made it easy for us to stay calm because we knew exactly what we were doing. At the same time, we were just standing up for each other as teammates, and staying united and connected through it all.
Q: As someone who’s played internationally for Namibia, how do you bring that experience into your role with NOLA Gold, especially regarding leadership and on-field strategy?
Damian Stevens: Each individual needs to know their role within the team, and then it makes it easier for everyone to focus on the job. Most of the time you don’t have to say anything, but for me as a 9, I make my connections with a 10. So, if me and my ten, which was Reece on the weekend, if we are connected, then we can have great discussions on the team and make sure we’re on the same page which makes it easy to drive the whole team towards the same path.
Q: You were the head coach of the Harahan River Coyotes Rugby Football Club. What made you want to get involved in the community and with coaching?
Damian Stevens: Yeah, I did that in 2022, and then Chase Jones, Ale Lopeti, and Reece Botha did it last season. I got involved because when I signed for NOLA Gold, the plan was always to come over and develop a rugby culture within New Orleans. That was the pathway from the beginning, so I came here with that mindset already.
Q: You might not be the tallest player on the field, but that certainly has its benefits. How do you leverage your size to your advantage as a scrumhalf?
Damian Stevens: In most teams worldwide, scrumhalves are the smaller players on the field, so that makes me feel comfortable in my position, both on the field and in the team. I don’t really look into it too much. It has its benefits and its disadvantages. Still, you figure it out on the field and the training field, how to get across when obviously, you are at a disadvantage.
Q: NOLA Gold came out on top in their last home matchup against Old Glory DC. What is essential for ensuring the same result when playing away next week?
Damian Stevens: We are focusing on cutting the errors out of our game, those minor discipline errors. If we can continue doing that and working on it, we should be able to get out on top at the end of the day. Yeah, so if we can cut out the DAPs (dumb a** penalties), that would definitely benefit the team and give us confidence.
Q: What do you do when you’re homesick?
Damian Stevens: Fortunately, I’m married now, so I have my wife here, which makes it easier, but it is sometimes difficult. In today’s life, it’s so easy that we can just get on a phone or video call and speak to our parents and family back home. That’s what I do when I’m home sick, or I just try to be around my teammates.
Q: How do you manage the tempo of the game from the scrumhalf position?
Damian Stevens: I try to play as quickly as possible, but the team needs to be in position for me to do that, so if our team is aligned, we can all be on the same page and work as hard. We speak about effort as a team, and we want to push the effort in the team. With intense effort, it makes it easy for any scrumhalf in the world to play as quickly as possible. It’s about tempo, you know, so if you’re going forward, you’ll play quick; if you’re going backwards, we’ll slow it down. We do all this to control the game and then release pressure by kicking.
Q: In what ways are the teams you’ve played for the most different?
Damian Stevens: Being at NOLA Gold, we are very connected. We are a very connected group of players, and we all get along with each other. We have mutual respect, but at the same time, we are very competitive too. In different teams, you often have some individuals trying to be better than others, and you have some kind of competitiveness, but not in a positive way, you know, and that affects a team. There is usually some ego, and that affects the team negatively most of the time. For NOLA Gold and the past five years I’ve been here, that has always been one of our positive things as a group of players. We all respect each other and are mutually competitive, and that’s always been great. It’s almost like in New Orleans, everyone’s trying to get along and have a great time, but respect each other simultaneously.
Q: Tell us more about what it is like to play in the Rugby World Cup.
Damian Stevens: For me, that is probably the pinnacle of every rugby player’s career. There are so many players who want to play in the World Cup, and so many players who have. But for me, I just think firstly, I was very privileged that I got to be there and be able to compete in one of the best places in the world, which is amazing to do. So, you can kind of rank yourself I believe; so yeah, for me, playing at the World Cup is just about that experience and basically feeling like you’re on top of the game.
Rapid fire questions
Your 30th birthday is coming up in June. How do you plan to celebrate?
I think we play around my birthday in June, so first, get the W, and then figure it out from there. I’m sure my wife will figure something out, but I’m focused on the game for now.
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
Night owl.
Beach or mountains?
Beach.
Other than rugby, what is your favorite sport to watch?
I would say soccer, I think.
Favorite meal from home?
Braaivleis, basically BBQ.
Stay tuned for more exclusive Gold Talk interviews as we follow NOLA GOLD’s journey through the season! Plus, don’t miss out on the action—get your tickets now and cheer on NOLA GOLD at their next home match!
