Colin Sampic, a Parisian exchange student playing for Michigan for the duration of the 2022-23 school year, is our February Player of the Month. After a strong 15s season, Colin is looking to be a key player this spring. Congratulations Colin!
Position: Flanker
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 175 lbs
Year: Junior
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Paris, France
Why did you decide to play rugby?
I’ve been playing rugby for 10 years [in France], so it was obvious for me to join the Michigan Rugby team.
What have you liked about Michigan Rugby so far?
The intensity which is put into each training, the quality of the coaches and the players, both in and outside the field, the trips that we undertook all around the Midwest, and the friendships built throughout the year.
Describe your most memorable moment on the field.
It has to be the match against Notre Dame at home for the first day of Big Ten Conference. The spectators made the match amazing to play. The numerous tackles on the grass pitch definitely participated in this incredible rugby dispute. Finally, it was the only match in which I was playing as a flanker!!
What’s your most favorite rugby drill in practice? Least favorite?
Most favorite: Drop game at the beginning of the training
Least favorite: Wolverine
What other sports have you played?
Football, judo and tennis
What do you see yourself doing in five years?
Maybe coaching for a young team in my club in France
What is your favorite place in Ann Arbor?
Daines and AO’s [Alex Olsen’s] living room
What is your biggest fear?
Not being able to walk and to run
What is your favorite food?
I have many in mind: quiche Lorraine, tarte fine aux pommes, tomates farcies, rillettes de canard, gratin dauphinois.
Do you have any game-day superstitions? Explain.
I never thought of having any routine and superstitions before a match; I’m a boring guy, maybe.
Who is you favorite superhero and why?
Batman, without hesitation, because acting in the shadows forces you to remain humble, and he doesn’t seek any support, he remains quiet, even if he accomplished a great task.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Reloading before taking a max ammo in Zombies
You’re only in the United States for the duration of this school year. What made you decide to play rugby here? How has playing affected your American college experience?
I played rugby in Paris from 9 to 18 years old, for a club named SCUF whose locates in the North of the capital. After high school, I moved to Reims, and I played Seven’s with my University, called Sciences Po. So, when I came to the US, in order to pursue my rugby hobby I joined the team. Moreover, it has to be said that joining the rugby team would be a great way to meet and build friendships with American people and to participate in the campus life. Indeed, I wanted at the beginning of the year to improve my English skills, and joining the team helped me to speak and to understand English better.
I don’t know what I would be doing right now during my days if I didn’t join the rugby team, and I wouldn’t have been able to travel as much as I did, whether in the Midwest, or in Washington DC and South Africa!!
How has your experience playing rugby here compared to your experience playing in France?
In my club in France, we competed in the second national division, but we were the smallest team—that is to say, none of us hit the gym, and we were all very tiny, even the props. I was maybe the strongest guy in my team, that’s to tell you… but we managed to overthrow and to destroy teams with stronger players than us. So I was not very used to playing with strong guys, and when I first entered in the conference room at the end of August and I saw you guys, I told myself that the experience would be difference, and that it will be way more difficult to go with the flow. Not only you were strong, but you had the cardio.
However, I managed to go with the flow, and even if it was difficult to follow at the beginning, I quickly figured it out that I needed to play the same as I used to play in France, with the intensity and willingness to beat the opponent no matter how the other team is shaped. I think we all understand now that rugby is a combat sport, and the team who wants the more wins at the end. That’s why I am pretty confident for the Seven’s season, because we all changed our mindset to become a team who can win.
Again, congratulations to our February Player of the Month, Colin Sampic!
