An exclusive interview with Ruben De Haas
Ruben De Haas shares insights from playing with the Cheetahs and Saracens, reflects on his epic 100-meter try, and talks NOLA Gold culture, game day mindset, and his favorite rugby memories.
Q: You’ve had stints with both the Cheetahs and Saracens—two very different rugby environments. What did you take away from each experience?
Ruben De Haas: I’ve been able to play with world-class rugby players, so just being in those environments when I was young, it was like I was a sponge. Just being able to learn from them, the way they approach the game, and how they think about the game is what I took away from both of those teams.
Q: You had an incredible 100-meter try against the Houston Sabercats that started with a pick. Can you walk us through that play?
Ruben De Haas: Yeah, so we weren’t in a good position on defense, so I just thought, well, I’ll try and get in the passing lane, and I did that. Then, I got the pick, and obviously, I knew I didn’t have the gas to get the full length, so I just gave it to Ed, and he did most of the work, and I just followed along.
Q: You mentioned having no pre-match rituals—does that reflect a calm mindset, or do you tend to go with the flow on game day?
Ruben De Haas: I just try to stay pretty calm throughout the day and listen to music. I try not to think too much about the game until warm-ups, and then when they start, I just lock into it.
Q: How would you describe the energy and culture of the NOLA Gold locker room?
Ruben De Haas: I would say it’s a lot of good energy. Usually, the boys always have music going throughout the week, and it’s pretty positive. I just think that everybody genuinely cares about each other and has a lot of love for one another.
Q: We were leading for most of the last match, but handling errors seemed to creep in at key moments. Looking back, what do you think the team could’ve done differently to close it out?
Ruben De Haas: What cost us was the first ten minutes after halftime. We gave them two soft tries. It’s something we’ve been working on, and we’ve talked about it a lot. Just those soft moments that get us out of our game, those two soft moments killed us pretty much.
Q: Do you study film of your own performances, and if so, what are you looking for?
Ruben De Haas: Obviously, as a 9, you’re always touching the ball, so I’m looking at my passing, and then honestly, my passing accuracy and kicking. Defensively, just looking at my tackles and stuff like that. Obviously, it’s not just games, it’s training as well, so yeah, I’m always looking at that and trying to find ways to improve.
Q: What is your favorite rugby memory to date?
Ruben De Haas: Probably the 2019 World Cup. The U.S. qualified for the World Cup in 2019, and I was 21, so it was a really cool experience for me, and I really enjoyed it.
Q: How does it feel to once again be called up to play for the USA Eagles?
Ruben De Haas: It’s always an honor and a privilege to be able to be in that team. Obviously, it’s like a 70-man squad, so it still has to be cut down, but hopefully I’ll be able to make it on tour for the summer series.
Q: Scrum-halves are known for their vision—how do you read a defense in real time?
Ruben De Haas: I think it’s just breakdown to breakdown, you’re always looking while you’re running to the next breakdown. Always trying to scan to see where the space is, so yeah, I think as a scrum half, you always have your eyes up, just looking for an opportunity or a gap.
Q: You played football and basketball in high school. Out of the two, which was your favorite?
Ruben De Haas: Basketball was my favorite sport in high school, so I’ll go with that.
Rapid fire questions
If you weren’t playing rugby, what would you be doing?
Well, obviously, like I said, basketball was my thing, so I’d probably try and crack on with basketball, but I don’t know how well that would go.
Favorite meal you had in Tokyo, Japan?
My favorite meal was probably all the ramen out there.
What’s a weird food combination you like?
Okay, I wouldn’t say it’s weird, but since I’m from South Africa, we have a Braaibroodjie. It’s basically bread with cheese and tomato, and then you just put it on the barbecue.
Will you be able to go to Jazz Fest? If yes, who are you trying to see?
I probably won’t be able to, but if I were, I would want to go see Burna Boy and Lil Wayne.
Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck?
I think I have to go with one horse-sized duck.
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!
