Paul Emerick

Birth name	Paul Louis Emerick
Date of birth	(1980-01-24) January 24, 1980 (age 44)
Place of birth	Emmetsburg, Iowa
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	215 lb (98 kg)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Centre, Wing Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2000–2004 2010 Northern Iowa Panthers Malone RFC () Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2004–2005 2005–2006 2006–2008 2008–2010 2010 2011–2013 Amatori Catania Overmach Parma Dragons Overmach Parma Ulster Rugby London Wasps 1 5 43 38 2 4 (0) (5) (15) (25) (0) (0) International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2003–2012 United States 53 (85) Correct as of 30 December 2012 National sevens team(s) Years Team Comps 2002–05, 09–10 United States 17 (145) Correct as of 28 Feb 2012 Coaching career Years Team 2018–2021 Houston SaberCats (assistant) 2019 Houston SaberCats (interim head coach) 2022– American Raptors

Paul Emerick (born January 24, 1980) is the head coach of the American Raptors in Glendale, Colorado.^[1] He was the defense and skills coach and the 2019 interim head coach for the Houston SaberCats of Major League Rugby. He was a former USA international rugby player. He played centre, fullback or wing for the USA Eagles. Last played professionally for London Wasps.^[2]

Club

Emerick was born in Emmetsburg, Iowa,^[3] and played his university rugby with the University of Northern Iowa Panthers. He then moved into senior rugby with the Chicago Lions^{[citation needed]}. He moved to Italian rugby in the 2004–05 season joining Amatori Catania and then to Overmach Parma the following season. In the summer of 2006 Emerick completed a move to Celtic League side Newport Gwent Dragons, the side he helped knock out of the Heineken Cup in a playoff a few months earlier with Overmach Parma. In 2008 Emerick re-joined Italian club Overmach Parma from Welsh regional side Newport Gwent Dragons. Overmach Parma had gone through a re-organisation that saw the club merge with Noceto in August 2010 to form Crusaders Rugby Parma. In September 2010 he joined Ulster Rugby on a 3-month contract.^[4] He signed a deal with London Wasps in February 2012. On August 7, 2013 Emerick announced his retirement from professional rugby.^[5]

International

Emerick was first capped by the USA Eagles in April 2003 against Spain and as of September 2011 Emerick has been capped 54 times becoming the first back in Eagles history to have more than 50 caps. As of June 19, 2012, Emerick had notched 15 career tries for the United States, ranking him second on the all-time list and first among active players.^[6]

Emerick received a yellow card in the closing minutes of the Eagles' 2007 Rugby World Cup match against England for a tip tackle on England's Olly Barkley. Emerick was subsequently suspended for five weeks, ruling him out of the remaining Rugby World Cup campaign.^[7] He was suspended for ten weeks in 2009 for kicking Canadian center D. T. H. van der Merwe in the head during a qualifying match for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.^[8]

Coaching career

Paul Emerick is the skills and defense coach for the Houston SaberCats of Major League Rugby on September 20, 2018.^[9]

International tries

Try	Opposing team	Venue	Competition	Date	Result	Score	Ref.
1	Uruguay	Cricket and Rugby Club, Buenos Aires	2003 Pan-American Championship	August 30, 2003	Won	31–17	[10]
2	Canada	Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton	2004 Churchill Cup	June 19, 2004	Lost	29–32	[11]
3	Italy	Stadio Lamarmora, Biella	Test match	November 27, 2004	Lost	25–43	[12]
4	Canada	Olympic Stadium, Tokyo	2005 Super Cup	May 25, 2005	Lost	26–30	[13]
5	Barbados	Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara	2007 Rugby World Cup Qualifier	July 1, 2006	Won	91–0	[14]
6	Uruguay	Parque Central, Montevideo	2007 Rugby World Cup Qualifier	September 30, 2006	Won	42–13	[15]
7	Uruguay	Stanford	2007 Rugby World Cup Qualifier	October 7, 2006	Won	33–7	[16]
8
9	Uruguay	Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy	Test match	November 8, 2008	Won	43–9	[17]
10	Georgia	Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City	2009 Churchill Cup	June 21, 2009	Won	31–13	[18]
11	Portugal	Estádio Universitário de Lisboa, Lisbon	Test match	November 13, 2010	Won	22–17	[19]
12	Georgia	National Stadium, Tbilisi	Test match	November 27, 2010	Lost	17–19	[20]
13	Tonga	Pillar Data Arena, Esher	2011 Churchill Cup	June 8, 2011	Lost	13–44	[21]
14	Russia	Sixways Stadium, Worcester	2011 Churchill Cup	June 18, 2011	Won	32–25	[22]
15	Ireland	Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth	2011 Rugby World Cup	September 11, 2011	Lost	10–22	[23]
16	Italy	BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston	Test match	June 23, 2012	Lost	10–30	[24]
17	Romania	Stadionul Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest	Test match	November 24, 2012	Won	34–3	[25]