Ryan James is one of four players from California chosen, the others are Mika Kruse (of Bullard High in Fresno), Amitai Means-Nieto and Ziggy Tua of Belmont Shore (Long Beach).

Ryan James was a standout athlete in football where his team (Cathedral Catholic) went 15-0 to win the CIF Championship this past season. He played rugby with Aztec Warriors (which is under the Young Aztecs and the youth affiliate of the San Diego Old Aztecs). Ryan started playing contact football at the age of 7 and didn’t get exposure to playing rugby until he was 12 (but has been playing both since then). He’s been a part of Aztec Warriors rugby playing in their U-12 program and U-18s program.

Now we said Ryan wasn’t exposed to rugby until the age of 12, but that has to do with playing rugby. He comes from a family that has long rugby roots.

Ryan is of Samoan and African American decent. His mother Sonya, is full Samoan but was born and raised in New Zealand. Sonya said “Ryan is dual citizen and could say in a sense he had rugby in his blood with roots that take him back to the best rugby country in the world "New Zealand" and the All Blacks!" His mother shared that she does have a dream that maybe one day Ryan may play professionally in New Zealand.

Sonya told us that Ryan's great grandfather played rugby in Samoa; and Ryan's (4) uncles in New Zealand grew up playing rugby and played as far as High School Rugby. So when we say he wasn’t “exposed” to rugby we do have to put that into context.

While Ryan has been a stand out in both football and rugby, his true love is rugby and he attributes much of his football success to what he developed through rugby.

Ryan James along with Patrick Madden of the Young Aztecs were the only 2-High School Freshman that participated in SoCal EIRA when it was being established back in 2013. Now if you don’t know there is a lot of great youth rugby and talent in southern California so to stand out in that crowd requires some serious skill.

Sonya told us that from his freshman year to his senior year of high school Ryan worked hard and earned a spot as a High School All American selection three times under legendary Coach Salty Thompson and in this past year (his Senior year) was invited to participate in his first Junior Men's All American Camp at the Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Chula Vista, CA.