Conversations with Matt Lumkes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Lumkes.

Hi Matt, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My journey to rugby 7s has been wild but highlights one of my favorite aspects of rugby in the U.S. – the wide variety of backgrounds that players come from. For myself, growing up in a family where my dad was an Olympic Trials Steeplechaser and my mom ran collegiately holding a record for Calvin College, I was surrounded by sport at an early age. While I played soccer early on through high school, my focus began to shift my senior year toward the Navy SEALs due to the rigor and competitiveness of the program as well as the question “Could I do it?”.

Unfortunately after graduating and training for several months going through the recruitment and BUDs contract process, I ended up tearing my ACL not long before my ship date in 2016. The following year resulted in a major loss of motivation and depression in which I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. Deciding I needed some kind of goal to work toward, I signed up for an Ironman Triathlon although I did not even own a bike.

After completing two ultramarathons and an Ironman that year while working construction and attending community college, I heard I was accepted into Purdue University which is when I began to focus on football despite never playing. I would walk into the office weekly for an entire semester until finally, they put me in touch with the safety coach who was instrumental in eventually securing me a private try-out. Transforming my body from long distance to sprinting took time, but after a year they offered me a private try-out.

To prepare for the contact, I joined Purdue University’s rugby club which is how I found out about the sport and I played the second half of a Fall semester. While the football try-out went well according to the safety’s coach, the COVID pandemic hit during the time of selections that Spring stopping any possibility of my being selected. After graduating and working as an S&C coach at Premier Strength and Performance in Burlington, Vermont, I picked up rugby again beginning of 2022. That Spring I was put in contact with the Saratoga Jockeys who I played with that Summer.

To fully pursue the sport, my wife and I moved that Fall, and I played with the Chicago Lions rugby club, In December of 2022 I was selected to represent the Saratoga Jockeys in the Grenada Rugby World 7s. To give me the best shot to make it to the next level, we recently moved to Denver, CO where I am excited to join the Denver Barbarians 7s program which has some of the best coaching in the country. Looking back, the diverse pathway I have taken has worked incredibly in shaping me for rugby, a game of speed, grit, and endurance, and the opportunities this amazing sport gives me domestically and internationally.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Between work, injuries, and the non-traditional pathway to elite rugby 7s, I am older than many other athletes working toward the goal of playing for the national team. While I look at it as a blessing given more life experience and a faster learning curve, it can feel like I’m behind on the process at times.

However, I owe my faith and family for the encouragement and motivation to pursue these goals. Long-term, I would love to stay involved with sport and do my best to provide instruction and resources to players who may not know much about rugby but are interested in the values and global opportunities it can bring.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
In rugby 7s, the game is played with two 7-minute halves and a brief halftime on a field similar to a soccer field. This same format has been introduced in the Olympics. Given the short duration, the game is explosive, and exhausting, and will expose any player that is failing to give it their all. One missed tackle may be the deciding factor in a game. While my greatest asset has always been my speed, I am focusing on being the most consistent player on the pitch. The mental toughness in making smart decisions while fatigued is one of my favorite aspects.

I specialize in speed, especially at my size, but I am most proud of my ability to learn and put that knowledge to use. Whether it is in rugby or my future career outside of rugby, that ability will continue to help me in anything I do. The international touring club I am a part of (Saratoga Jockeys Elite 7s) has had a huge impact on my rugby career so far and the emphasis on culture, building each other up as men, and genuinely wanting our teammates to succeed sets us apart from the majority of rugby clubs.

Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
My family has been the most supportive people in my life and a large reason for any success I’ve had. They have been a part of my goals from training for the Navy, to school, and now rugby. My wife Gabi has the best work ethic I know, training as a professional triathlete while attending Purdue’s Veterinarian school, and continues to push and support me in all areas of my life. Both of our goals have brought us to Denver, CO for the high-level training it offers and we have been loving every second of it.

For anyone interested in becoming partners with the Saratoga Jockeys, feel free to email me! We are always on the lookout for companies with similar values that are interested in mutually benefiting each other. We will play in Ireland, the U.K., Amsterdam, and Portugal in the following months and are finalizing sponsorships!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jockeysrugby.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattlumkes/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattlumkes?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

Image Credits
https://www.instagram.com/tien.films/?hl=en  and John Lumkes