The Jump
Former TWHS rugby star Kieran Farmer goes pro
Todd James
Mar 21, 2018, 3:49 pm
Jumping directly from high school to the pros doesn’t happen anymore.
Even the best high school players in their respective sports have to trudge through the minor leagues or play at least a mandatory season of college before joining “The Show.”
Having just turned 19-years-old, Kieran Farmer has made the jump from playing high school rugby in 2017 to making the official roster of Major League Rugby’s Houston Sabercats.
Farmer was named best back in Texas Rugby in 2016 and 2017. It was during the high school championship match last May where Sabercats’ coach Justin Fitzpatrick first noticed Farmer playing the fly-half position.
“Kieran had a great weekend for The Woodlands and they ultimately won the championship,” said Fitzpatrick, on VYPE’s Locker Talk Radio podcast. “I made a note of who this kid was and when we invited him to our summer (rugby) combines he did very well.
“At the international level, it’s not unusual to see younger athletes make the jump to professionals as a 19 or 20-year-old. International rugby is little bit different in that regard to American football.”
Farmer’s international journey came from a Scottish upbringing.
Born in Aberdeen, Scotland, his father worked in the energy industry. As a result, his family moved to Azerbaijan when Farmer was only six. It was there where Farmer was invited to play for a friends’ team made up of Scottish expatriates.
Farmer brought his athletic skills to The Woodlands in the sixth grade and ended up playing for the local youth rugby club. Farmer would excel at the club level before making the ultimate jump to the professional Sabercats, whose exhibition season started in January.
“Obviously the level of play is a lot higher at this level with speed and strength,” said Farmer, a four-time MVP for The Woodlands. “These are grown men who are smart with their tactics and how they manage their game. It has been a big adjustment.”
Farmer had the advantage of playing for a highly-organized and developed squad during his high school years under coach Phil Beck and club director Frank Rizzo.
“Kieran came to us as a highly- skilled youth athlete where he was able to dominate immediately from the fly-half position,” said Rizzo. “But his true asset came with his leadership skills through encouragement and work ethic.
“When you’re the best player and you’re the hardest worker on the team, there’s no better motivation from a coaching perspective.”
Rizzo believes Farmer is in a great situation with the Sabercats, where success will ultimately come with time and practice.
“Coach Fitzpatrick is the greatest coach in the world when it comes to strategy and player development,” Rizzo said. “Kieran’s fan base is going to grow outside of The Woodlands very quickly and I believe he has the potential to be an outstanding international player within a few years. He’s that talented.”
The Houston Sabercats are part of the newly formed Major League Rugby whose inaugural season begins April 21.
For more information on the Houston Sabercats, visit their website at HoustonSabercats.com. Feature photo provided by Houston Sabercats.
This article appears in the March Issue of VYPE Magazine. Pick up your copy at any one of our locations today!
Fresh off their 50th win of the season, the Houston Astros begin a three-game series in Colorado on Tuesday night, looking to stay hot against a Rockies team still searching for answers.
Houston enters the matchup atop the AL West with a 50–34 record, having won seven of its last 10 games. Though the Astros haven’t been as sharp on the road — just 18–20 away from home — their pitching and power-hitting combo continues to give opponents fits. Isaac Paredes leads the team with 17 home runs, and when Houston clears the fences multiple times in a game, the results speak for themselves: an 18–5 record when hitting two or more homers.
Victor Caratini has quietly chipped in during this recent stretch, going 8-for-33 with three home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games, helping make up for some offensive inconsistency. Houston’s team batting average over that span sits at just .225.
Left-hander Colton Gordon takes the mound Tuesday, carrying a 3-1 record and 3.98 ERA into his ninth start of the year. He’ll face a Colorado offense that’s scuffled all season, particularly at home. The Rockies have managed just eight wins in 40 games at Coors Field and are riding a 2–8 skid. Rookie righty Chase Dollander (2-8, 6.06 ERA) gets the start for Colorado as he looks to slow down a Houston team that has found different ways to win.
While Hunter Goodman and Mickey Moniak have provided some spark for the Rockies at the plate, the team has been outscored by 26 runs over the past 10 games and owns one of the league’s worst pitching staffs, a troubling combo against an Astros club that doesn’t need many openings to take control.
This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season. For Houston, it’s a chance to keep momentum rolling against the team with MLB’s worst record. For Colorado, it’s another test in a season full of them.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -173, Rockies +144; over/under is 11 1/2 runs
Astros news
Shay Whitcomb has been recalled from Sugar Land to take Pena's place on the roster.
We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/a6oeV62gcP
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 1, 2025
Here's a preview of the Astros lineup for Game 1.
So what stands out? With Peña unavailable, manager Joe Espada is once again using Paredes to leadoff, followed by Jake Meyers in the two-spot. Caratini is hitting fifth and will serve as the DH. He's followed by Yainer Diaz and Christian Walker. Cooper Hummel will hit eighth and play left field, as Jose Altuve is playing second base. Mauricio Dubon will hit ninth and fill in for Peña at shortstop.
Image via: MLB.com/Screenshot.
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