By George: Piggins' Vegas link after cousin named in USA team
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The famous Piggins name is set to feature in Las Vegas, with Wes Piggins named in the USA squad to play Canada on the eve of the NRL's season opening double-header at Allegiant Stadium.
Wes, whose grandfather John is a cousin of Rabbitohs godfather and ARL Hall of Famer George Piggins, moved to the United States with his family eight years ago and plays for the South-West Florida Copperheads.
The 21-year-old’s links with the Rabbitohs run deep as his father, Darren Piggins, also played Jersey Flegg for South Sydney.
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Piggins, who was invited to trial with Salford, made his Test debut in December’s 30-26 defeat of Jamaica, and the hardworking forward will again line-up for the USA against Canada in Las Vegas on March 1.
Afterwards, he will join his father, who is a member of the USARL Board, at Allegiant Stadium to watch their beloved Rabbitohs take on the Sea Eagles in the double-header, in which the Broncos and Roosters will also play.
“My father is George’s first cousin, and they are very close,” said Darren, who was wearing a Rabbitohs cap when he watched Wes make his first appearance for their adopted country in Kingston.
"I have always been a Rabbitohs supporter. I played juniors for Mascot in the Souths Juniors competition and was coached by [long serving former Rabbitohs official] Frank Cookson, many years ago.
“I played Jersey Flegg, but I had some shoulder problems, so I thought I’d knuckle down and concentrate on work.”
After founding Workout World in Wollongong in 1992 and growing the business to 35 outlets in Australia, Piggins moved to Florida with his American-born wife Brooke, sons Wes and Liam, and daughter Alana.
Wes and Liam, 20, who are cousins twice removed to George, had played juniors for the Como-Jannali Crocodiles in the Cronulla Rugby League competition and they continued playing for the Copperheads.
“Rugby union is bigger here, so the boys started playing that before we found some rugby league for them,” Piggins said.
“Rugby league is played in the summer so you can play both and a lot of the guys are rugby players who have come across.
“Wes plays for Life University [in Atlanta]. They are one of the top schools and he has got a scholarship there, but he is a rugby league guy.
"He isn't really suited to rugby union. He has got power, but his best attribute is his endurance.
“After the Jamaica game, the coach [former Raiders forward Sean Rutgerson] said he was just a machine because, late in the game, when other guys were getting tired, he was coming in and just knocking them over, hitting well and hitting the ball up in the difficult spots off the tryline."
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Veteran USA halfback Peter Lupton, who played 185 Super League matches for London Broncos, Hull FC, Castleford and Celtic Crusaders also told Piggins: “I am so impressed with Wes. He was a machine”.
Salford coach Paul Rowley has also shown an interest in Piggins as the Super League club has a partnership with the Copperheads.
“He was actually offered the opportunity to play for Salford because he has won our best and fairest award each of the three years he has played,” Darren said.
“He is at college now in Atlanta, so he knocked the Salford opportunity back. They offered him to go to college over there, but he is a bit of a homebody so he doesn't like to travel too far."
Asked if Wes had ambitions to play in the NRL, Darren said: “I think he would love to but over here [the NRL] is another world away”.
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After being heavily involved with rugby league in the USA, Piggins believes there is playing talent and a fan base for the game to develop.
“All of the mates I have taken to watch a league game have loved it,” he said.
“The way I try to explain it is to just say it is like American football; you get six downs instead of four, and you can’t pass the ball forward.
“You go for it and whatever part of the field you are in you can do a long kick, a punt, a bomb or something like that. They all know American football so they get it and they find it a lot easier to understand than rugby union.”
Piggins said there would be a huge talent pool as American football players who don’t earn a college scholarship effectively have no other playing options.
However, he believes that the game would have greater success in developing players from the United States if rugby league was played in high schools.
“Rugby league is continuous, whereas a lot of the athletes here are used to that explosive football and then having a two-minute rest, so the things they find difficult are endurance, as well as skillset,” he said.
“There is plenty of room for growth and if this takes off, which I am sure it will do with the NRL behind it, it would be good if the USARL could work with them to create pathways.
“I think realistically if we could get rugby league into the high schools and get the kids playing from a young age it would make a huge difference. If we could open up pathways to the NRL that would attract players to our game.
“There would be that many kids available to play because they are not making the football team, so the majority of people don’t have a sport to play.
"There is definitely a lot of potential here.”
