BROOKVILLE, N.Y. — Will Lynch gutted through most of his final season of high school rugby in his native Australia with a labrum torn in two spots in a shoulder.
"Every time I made a tackle I'd be in pain," said Lynch, a native of Queensland in Australia. "I sort of knew it was over."
Leaving rugby behind rather than opting for surgery has opened another door, though.
Lynch, a true freshman majoring in finance, who has a distinctive kicking style stemming from his rugby roots, made his collegiate debut with the LIU football team at Toledo on Thursday. He officially punted 10 times, averaging 39.8 yards.
"I didn't obviously plan on punting as much as I did, but it's good to get the experience out of the way, especially in front of that type of crowd and on that type of stage," Lynch said.
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While training for rugby at a school field back home, Lynch had stumbled upon an older friend who was kicking an NFL ball with a trainer.
His interest piqued, Lynch ultimately connected with that trainer — countryman Davan Dyer, a former punter at Louisiana Tech — and began preparing for a career in American college football.
Punters have routinely come to college football from a rugby background.
"I got in touch with the coach, and from there it all took off," Lynch said.
Lynch had been intrigued with the United States and football throughout his childhood. He had befriended a San Francisco native who was living in Queensland with his family, Calvin Conley. Lynch frequently visited the United States for vacations, including to Los Angeles and Hawaii.
Lynch's parents, Rachel and Scott, currently are vacationing in Hawaii. They plan to be on Long Island for the LIU football team's home opener on Saturday at 1 p.m. against fifth-ranked Villanova.
Lynch applies a rugby style to his kicking. Rather than a U.S.-raised kicker whose hips are square to the direction he is punting the ball, Lynch rotates his hips as he punts.
Ideally, the 6-foot-4, 182-pound Lynch will avoid receiving the brunt of a defensive lineman's fury. But his rugby training has prepared him for any contact he might receive.
"I was in a position like quarterback," Lynch said, reflecting on his rugby career. "I was directing everything on offense. I was not a very strong tackler, so they tried to hide me. I was the person directing traffic.
"I've been hit pretty hard. I've been run over. I've been a speed bump."
