After six years as a constant presence on the USA pitch, Men’s Eagle No. 498 Nick Civetta has announced his retirement from international and club rugby. With 35 international test caps and a Rugby World Cup appearance in 2019, Civetta’s sights are now set on the next chapter in his professional career, while continuing to give back to the game as a rugby administrator and coach.
“It is a difficult thing to pass on to life after rugby,” said Civetta, “Playing the game professionally for a decade was a gift and a true privilege. I will miss my teammates dearly. I love the challenge that rugby presents–the pressure, the pain, the elation–and the ability to rise to it with my brothers. In the big wins and the big losses, I always felt as if I gave my heart, body, and soul to my performances. I had the time of my life representing my country. I am grateful for the time I had in an Eagle’s shirt, for the friends it forged, and for what it taught me. My time in the No. 5 shirt has come to an end.”
An American football player in high school who also took New York All Section honors in wrestling, Civetta found rugby in college at the University of Notre Dame, where a friend suggested he play during his freshman year. Excelling through the ranks, Civetta received consecutive Collegiate All-American honors his junior and senior year in 2010-11, earning him an invite with the USA Falcons during the 2012 Americas Rugby Championship at the developmental level. Nick would next play professionally and raise the level of his game in Italy, before venturing to the Premiership with the Newcastle Falcons in 2016. In November of that year, he wore the USA jersey for the first time against the New Zealand Māori All Blacks in Chicago, and later earned his first test cap with the USA Men’s Eagles against Romania in Bucharest. From then on, the Second Row Forward wore the No. 5 shirt on every tour for the next six years, serving as an experienced and powerful presence in the forward pack.
A native of New York, Civetta joined Rugby New York of Major League Rugby in 2021, culminating in a championship title on home soil in June of 2022.
“No man is an island. There are too many to thank, from the Notre Dame coaches who saw my potential back in 2007, to John Mitchell and Marty Veale, who brought me back into the Eagle’s environment after a prolonged absence. I’d be remiss not to extend a sincere thank you to Gary Gold and the Eagles staff of the past five years for your unwavering support and willingness to guide us through stormy waters. Finally, I need to thank my wife and my mother for finally convincing me to hang up my boots.”
Civetta will remain involved in rugby leadership through his role as Player Board Chair of the US Rugby Players Association (USRPA), as well as a venture into coaching with the University of Oxford Blues. Among a few educational achievements, Nick earned his second Master’s degree in Energy Systems from Oxford in 2022, where he also played in the historic Varsity Match against Cambridge, earning a winning Blue. Following his on-field career and most recent degree, Civetta will spend his time professionally with an energy advisory practice.
“I plan to stay deeply involved in the development of the professional and international game through work with the USRPA. I see a bright future for American Rugby: one that builds broadly and inclusively with all stakeholders to a successful 2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cup. I won’t be a stranger.”
