A-State Standout Named to Rugby Today Dream Team
JONESBORO — Arkansas State University Rugby standout Robert Zinzan Elan-Puttick has been selected as a member of the 7s Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) Dream Team by the online magazine, Rugby Today.
Elan-Puttick, a senior from Bloemfontein, South Africa, is one of a dozen players named to the list who made the most impact during the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship earlier this month in Philadelphia, Pa.
“Zinzan has been a pleasure to have as a teammate and to coach,” said Shaun Potgieter, A-State head rugby coach. “He had an outstanding senior year on the pitch and led by example as a captain of the team. I am extremely proud of his accomplishments while at A-State. There are some big shoes to fill for the next player taking over Zinzan’s role. I wish him the best moving forward and hope to see him in the red, white, and blue jersey in the near future.”
Elan-Puttick has been a stabilizer throughout his career at A-State. He missed the 2014-15 season after suffering a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). However, he was able to bounce back in this season without missing a beat.
A two-time 7s All-America pick (2013 and 2014) and a member of the 2012 All-Tournament team, he put in strong performances during the Red Wolves’ season as well as the CRC tournament.
In pool play alone, he had five tries and four conversions in four games. He also played a key role in helping A-State to win two national championships in 2012 and 2013 and assisted his team to a No. 1 ranking during that time span.
Throughout the 2016 regular season, he led the fifth-ranked Red Wolves in scoring, conversions and penalty kicks.
Players on the Rugby Today Dream Team include:
Niall Barry, UCLA
Jack Braun, Dartmouth
Zinzan Elan-Puttick, Arkansas State
Chad Gough, Utah
West Hartmann, Kutztown
Cody Melphy, Life
Jesse Milne, California
Seb Sharpe, UCLA
Tyler Sousley, Arizona
Jake Syndergaard, Wisconsin
Evan Towle, Virginia Tech
Russell Webb, California
