2023-24 Kevin Higgins College Scholarship Recipient: Euan Latimer
Euan Latimer’s rugby journey began at a young age while living in Malaysia, stating “Being an expat in Kuala Lumpur, rugby was the fabric that held the expat community together and introduced me to some of my closest friends.” At age five, he began his formative years with the Royal Selangor Club and then transitioned to the KL Tigers, an affiliate of the Leicester Tigers. Following his family’s decision to move to the United States, he joined Back Bay Youth Rugby Football Club where he continued to excel at fly-half. His involvement in the club extended beyond the pitch, as he was often found coaching younger teams, refereeing games, and assisting with home field set up hours before a game.
He appeared at camps and on the pitch with Eagle Impact Rugby Academy, earning his first international tour nod in 2022 and again in 2023, to Spain. During his high school career, he founded the Laguna Beach High School Rugby Club.
“Euan is a young and upcoming face of USA Rugby and has already shown what this sport can give. This is not to highlight his playing ability alone but his leadership skills and ability to bring rugby to a community of people. In 2021, Euan approached me about starting a high school rugby club in Laguna Beach, CA. Fast forward to 2022 and the high school 7s program has already doubled its size and the community that once knew little about the sport have now come to enjoy the new club in town. The inaugural season (2021) resulted in a 3rd place finish with a bunch of kids who had never played rugby until last year and were captained by Euan the whole way. Starting this club was no easy task and Euan took every step necessary to gather the right people to start this club,” said Laguna Beach High School Rugby Club Head Coach, Bobby Impson.
Latimer graduated from Laguna Beach High School with a 3.7 GPA. Since moving to California, Euan has taken to surfing and describes it as a big part of his life. His proudest moment in the sport, however, comes from his involvement in an organization called Surf and Turf Therapy, a non-profit that provides occupational and physical therapy services to special needs kids through surfing and horse riding. Euan works on the surf side of the organization volunteering the last four years, sharing his love for surfing with others.
Euan will advance his academic and rugby career at the University of California, Los Angeles. While playing for the Bruins, he will pursue a bachelor’s degree in economics. He is hopeful to play at the professional level and represent the United States in the 2031 Rugby World Cup. Following his career, he wants to stay involved in growing the game in the United States.
“From a young age, I have always been fascinated by how the world’s financial systems dictate the way in which we live our lives. Through learning more about economics, I hope to concentrate my studies to a more specific level that will help me make an impact in the rugby world. I hope to make use of my degree by staying involved in rugby and working to help grow the game as a product and work on the financial side of the professional game,” said Latimer.
