From NRL Rookie to the CanAm Grizzlies
He may not have played in the USARL competition just yet, but Kevin Reed Jr. has still found himself playing Rugby League, except he’s no longer in Walnut Creek, California, he’s in Australia.
Reed will find himself playing for the CanAm Grizzlies (combined Canada and USA team) in the inaugural Liberty Cup match this Friday (September 30) against the Latin Heat at St Marys Leagues Stadium in Sydney.
Before moving to Australia in 2013, Reed played American Football as an outside linebacker, playing college football for Southern Illinois University before doing a mini-camp with the San Francisco 49ers and eventually signing in the Canadian Football League.
When Reed went to Australia in 2013 he was initially there to play American Football, but after just one year he transferred his talents across to Rugby League where he could apply many of the same skills when playing in the wing and center positions for the Belrose Eagles in Sydney.
Playing for the CanAm Grizzlies will definitely be a great way for Reed to cap off what has been a positive year for his Rugby League development, which was taken to new heights earlier this year when he appeared on the Australian television show, the NRL Rookie.
The NRL Rookie is a reality series where athletes compete for a major prize of an NRL contract and while Reed didn’t win the prize, he learnt many valuable lessons from his time spent on the show with Rugby League legends such as Brad Fittler, Mark Geyer and Adrian Lam.
“I think the biggest thing I learned on the show was you can always take it to another level. They really pushed us and made me and the rest of the boys go above and beyond what we actually thought we could,” Reed said.
His favourite moment of his time on the show was scoring a 70 yard try at Pepper Stadium, the home of the Penrith Panthers, and he will be returning there to train when the CanAm Grizzlies commence preparations for the Liberty Cup.
The Liberty Cup will be a great opportunity for Reed to see other US based players, which will be useful in preparing himself for a chance to make 2017 Rugby League World Cup squad with the USARL Hawks.
“ I'm not really sure what to expect (from the Liberty Cup), hopefully just some good footy talent and see where I land on the totem poll of USA players.”
“To be a part something so important like the Rugby League World Cup is motivating enough, I've been in Sydney going on 2 years and I know an experience like this one would be one of a lifetime,” Reed stated.
In the meantime Reed’s focus in firmly on the Liberty Cup, which might be refreshing as he’ll be around teammates with accents that aren’t Australian and also he’ll get to see other USARL athletes pursuing similar goals to himself.
I've actually never played League with any Americans ever so it's gonna be fun to talk American slang and make the game feel like it's at home.”
“Ryan Burroughs (playing for the CanAm Grizzlies in the Liberty Cup) played with my teammates from Belrose back in America and went to high school with a college teammate of mine and Dave Marando (also playing for the CanAm Grizzlies in the Liberty Cup) is at my club Belrose with me, so I've spoken to a couple of the guys before,” Reed exclaimed.
The first Liberty Cup will be held this Friday, 6:30pm at St Marys Stadium, and you can get your tickets either at the gate or online for just $5.
USARL would like to wish Kevin Reed Jr. and all the players for the CanAm Grizzlies the best of luck!