Abe Cohen - A Knight's Tale
12 debutants will be taking the field when the USARL Hawks face the Canada Wolverines on September 20. It’s a great sign for Rugby League in the USA as so many new players are working their way into the team and more talent coming through the USARL system.
By Julian Clarkstone
One of the 12 is New York Knights second rower, Abe Cohen. Cohen has been playing for the Knights since 2010 and will come off the bench for the Hawks for their first match against the Wolverines. He has been working towards representing the Hawks for some time and is looking forward to the opportunity.
"I was thrilled to make the USA team. One of my rugby league ambitions was to have a chance to play for the national team, I'm lucky to have that opportunity," Cohen said.
The North-East division is represented by three members of the Hawks team including Cohen, with Marcos Flegmann and Curtis Goddard both representing the 2015 USARL Champions, the Boston 13s.
The Knights came fourth in this division, so Cohen has done an incredible job to stand when his team did not qualify for the playoffs. It was a building year for the Knights, especially with two new playmakers, but Cohen believes his game and the team's cohesion improved throughout the season.
"We were able to build strong chemistry with the team. This year gave me the opportunity to improve my lines, as well as develop leadership skills among a group of new players," Cohen exclaimed.
Cohen represented the North Conference in the North vs. South Conference match prior to the Championship Final. Despite being on the losing side, Cohen gained some valuable insights whilst playing alongside teammates all competing for representative honors. This Sunday, he’s looking forward to playing in the same team as some of the athletes who have experienced rugby league at an international level, instead of playing on the opposing side.
“I will have gone from playing against a lot of these guys to playing with them. Matty Walsh of the Wildcats and Casey Clark of Philadelphia stand out in my mind for the work they've done for their teams. I had a chance to play with both of them in the North vs. South game, and I am looking forward to running out on the field with them on Sunday,” Cohen said.
USA Hawks vs Canada Wolverines
- Sunday 1pm, September 20
- A.A.Garthwaite Stadium – Conshohocken (Philadelphia), PA.
- $5 entry / Kids under 12 FREE
- Enjoy food, drinks, prizes & giveaways! Happy hour specials begin at 12 noon.
USA Hawks Team
Kenny Britt (Warriors), Rodrigus Ceasar (Warriors), Ryan Burroughs (NOVA), Taylor Alley (Warriors), David Aguilar – Wing (Axemen), Rich Henson (Fight), Matt Walsh (Wildcats), Andrew Kneisly (Fight), Gareth Walker (Warriors), Marcos Flegmann (Boston, Jonathon Purnell (Axemen), Casey Clark (Fight), Kevin Wiggins (Black Foxes) BENCH: Nick Newlin (Rhinos), Terrance Williams (Rhinos), Curtis Goddard (Boston), Abe Cohen (Knights)