If your into physical, and aggressive sports, than the Rugby league is the rig sport that meets your interest. Peter Reyes, 21, is a tough athlete in then league as he represents White Plains Rugby Football Club War Pigs where he puts in hard work to ensure a victory with his team.
He's always had his mind set on going to the league but it wasn't until after he attended Kutztown University that the young athlete from Putero Rico made his official decision to step into the field, ready to put in serious work. With Reyes's physique, at 6'2, 225 lbs, he already sums up an intimidated athlete, however, his competitive nature is no joke as he plays the position of lock and flanker.
Reyes will take opponents down with his strength to ensure that they will not score but also has the speed to gain points for his team.
Check out Reyes's interview below where he discussed the elements of Rugby, preparation for a game, and what it takes to be an athlete in the league:
News For People: What are the concepts of Rugby?
Peter Reyes: In Rugby, there are no time outs. There are no water breaks. You keep going until there's an injury or someone scores. It's two half, 40 minutes on each half with a total of 80 minutes of a running clock similar to soccer. You can only pass laterally or backwards. If you wanna pass the ball, you gotta kick it forward, and in order to score you have to run the ball into the try zoned dot it down for five points, and then wherever you place the ball down you have to kick it so it's easier to place the ball in the center for an easier kick, however, if you place the ball in the corner when you score, it will be a harder kick. Another way to score in Rugby is a penalty which results into three points, similar to football.
News For People: With no timeouts, how long arev the games in Rugby?
Peter Reyes: The running clock are 80 minutes, an we assume to play at least 85, 90 minutes a game. Usually an hour and a half your expected to be on the field.
News For People: Knowing that theirs no breaks, how do you push yourself to continue, and you have to play throughout 80 minutes of the game?
Peter Reyes: That's where your conditioning, and backing yourself, and knowing when to use your gas tank, and when not too. You don't wanna outwork yourself. You don't wanna outpace yourself like anything else like a workout. Rugby is like a marathon. It's not a sprint. There's times when you sprint. There's times take your foot off the gas peddle, get into position, then you can rest when we get there. We always say we wanna get there early to the spot that we have to be at so that we can rest when we get there but we always wanna keep moving, keep driving. When you train, you train really hard above 80 minutes to 90 minutes of cardio no doubt when your prepared for the game.
News For People: How do you prepare for a game?
Peter Reyes: Personally, I have my trainers Marc and Ace. I train at Hiit Space. I also do some weightlifting but at Hiit Space we really focus on cardio, and bodyweight which is similar to Rugby because the whole time your running or doing pushups your getting off the ground your tackling which in Hiit Space we do a lot of ladder work, and speed training, and cardiovascular endurance, and being able to keep going a long amount of time being able to triple train. That makes it very hard to train at higher levels than what the games are being played at, for example, if I'm working 45 minutes continuously at a non-top space at Hiit Space, it's gonna be similar to playing 80 minutes in a Rugby game.
News For People: How does your body feel, not only after training at Hiit Space with two hardcore trainers, but also the fact of knowing that your going into a game where there's no breaks, and you have to bring your A-game at all times?
Peter Reyes: It's all about the preparation, and setting your mind right. When I come to Hiit Space, and hit the weights I know I'm getting my body prepared. I know that I have to play the 80 minutes. I know that I have to bring my A-game at all times, and I know that when I train I think of my goals. I think what I want to achieve of the game. I visualize, and every time I push myself a little bit harder, my trainers know that they have to push me past the limit I can handle that way I am prepared for the game.
News For People: What is the mindset heading into a game?
Peter Reyes: Every game is a must-win situation. We're 0-0.
News For People: After winning this year's championship, and heading into another game the following weekend, how was the process in terms of ending a season victorious, and jumping right back into the league?
Peter Reyes: It's been a great opportunity. We won a championship at the Empire GT GU D2 for White Planes War Pigs. It was a long season. We've got revenge on Buffalo, they were a big club. We were able to knock them off. We beat them 29-15, and then the week after that I was selected to play for USA Ruby South, and I told my trainers that this was gonna be happening. They got me prepared. They got me in the gym. I did somme fieldwork on my own. I've been eating more healthy, eating more right, and I prepared myself. I went out there, and got to start for the USA Rugby South. I scored a try, and it was really an awesome feeling. I know that all the work I put in is not gonna be in vain.
News For People: The league is currently on the off-season?
Peter Reyes: Right now, we're on off season. We have about one month until we start back in the iddle of January, begining of February. We'll be training all throught the spring, beginning of summer, and we start games in about the end of February, beginning of March, and then We'll continue here on out until about may, and then there will be a one month break from may to june, and then we start games up again in june.
News For People: How long is the period time in every season?
Peter Reyes: You usually have a month and a half during pre-season, and theme games will last for 2-3 months. Your looking to a 3-4 span but really it's a whole... It's a lifestyle. It's all year round for me.
News For People: Who would you consider as the teams' biggest competition in the league?
Peter Reyes: I would say it's gonna be tough. We got some teams coming across from the west coast. We just wanna look forward but I would say a big club that we gotta look out for is Mystic River from Boston, and we're probably gonna see them in the second rounding the championship. If we beat them, we'll get a shot at Nationals. So, I'm looking forward to it.
News For People: How do you strategize before competing against a tough team?
Peter Reyes: We wanna focus on the little things. We wanna focus on the basics, the things that other people aren't getting right. We add up all those little things. All those inches. All those things that we wanna work on a little bit harder, put in a little extra work. When your a champion, champions don't work hard. They outwork their opponent, and that's what it's gonna take to beat this team.
News For People: How does the team practice for every game?
Peter Reyes: We wanna put ourselves under so much stress. We wanna put ourselves under more stress in the game. So, we put ourselves in control of situations like you know two minutes left in the game, we must score, and if we don't score then we run. There's things like that, we have to force ourselves. There's non-negotioables in Rugby. Drop-pass are non-negotiable. We gotta make sure we set a standard. We gotta be aggressive. We gotta be strong. Everything we do, it has to be with passion, with knowing where we're going, knowing what's everyone's jb, and everyone knows their job.
News For People: What do you want people to know about you, individually, as an athlete in the Rugby league?
Peter Reyes: Individually, I want people to know that I was an underdog. When I was younger, I was kind of a chubbier kid. I didn't really fit in too much, and now as I got older, and I grew up more I started to workout and become one of the teams. I noticed that you can make it. I wanna show everyone else that it's possible to achieve your dreams if you work really hard, and you are faithful, and you trust God, and you trust your family, and you back yourself, and your trainers, you eat right. you do all the right things because good things happen. I want people to know I'm a hard worker. I'm a good teammate. I want people to know tat you too can be inspired by my story. I want everyone around the world to know that I'm the comeback kid.
News For People: What made you decide to pursue an athletic career in the Rugby league?
Peter Reyes: I started playing in high school. I played at Xavier High School. Going into Xavier, everyone knew it's a Rugby school. We always have big competition, and big scouts, and when the time came for college, there were a couple of college coaches looking at me for Rugby, and I said, "You know, I really love the game." It''s brought me a lot of friends. It's brought my family closer together. It's made me a better person. It made me find my why in life. I like to pass that on, and I like to continue playing because it makes me happy.
News For People: Knowing that your preparing for the season set for next year, what can people expect from your team?
Peter Reyes: I just want you to look for a team that's gonna be working hard, looking to outwork our opponent. We're not big on flash. We're not big on style. We're just here to pound you, and we're here to be aggressive. We're gonna get in your face, and play hard defense all game long, and that's how we're gonna win.
News For People: How would you describe the relationship between you, and your teammate?
Peter Reyes: The relationship between me, and my teammates are great. I trust them. There is a lot of mutual respect. There are a great group of guys who are hard working dedicated, and respectful.
News For People: What else can fans of the Rugby league expect from White Plains War Pigs?
Peter Reyes: The team is going to go the distance, and will do ut's best to prove it's worth. We are here to compete.
News For People: What advise would you give to athletes whho wants to join the Rugby league?
Peter Reyes: I would advise they have a good attitude, they are professional, show up on time. They must be ready to work.
News For People: Anything else you would like to add?
Peter Reyes: Shoutout to my family. My trainers Marc, and Ace as well for helping me get ready. Lately, my friend, and past coaches for putting me in this position to do well, and showcase my talents.