Meet Nick Davies: Marine veteran, W. P. Carey student and rugby captain

4 minutes

 

 

Born and raised in England, Nick Davies' first introduction to rugby was when he was just three years old. After enrolling in an undergraduate program at W. P. Carey School of Business, Davies’ passion for the sport led him to re-establishing the rugby sports club team at Arizona State University.

“I grew up playing rugby in England, and I've been playing ever since,” Davies said. “I have the honor and privilege to captain and to be the president of the team now. Leadership came easily, they needed someone to take charge. They needed someone to push them in the right direction and grow the club.”

“And I've had the opportunity to go from 15 or 20 guys in practice to now having over 70 guys,” he added. “And we have three full teams.”

Not only is Davies the leader of the rugby team, but he also serves as the president of Sun Devil Sports Clubs board for Sun Devil Fitness at ASU’s Tempe campus, where he oversees more than 50 clubs. Sports clubs are student-led and coached teams that compete against other universities, locally and across the nation, for league championships. 

“I have the privilege of working with three very intelligent young women that help me run the board,” Davies said. “We delegate the funds, we facilitate and manage those teams and we allow them and assist them in competing year after year in different divisions and their different leagues.”

Davies set his sights on ASU and W. P. Carey while serving as a United States Marine. 

“I spent five years as an infantryman and a Marine security guard watchstander,” Davies said. “I worked at embassies around the world. I spent a year in Frankfurt, Germany, a year in Iraq and then a year in Belize. I had a really great experience in the military, I met some really amazing people. I got to see a lot of the world.”

After meeting some fellow Marines who made the choice to move to Arizona to study at ASU, Davies followed suit to the Grand Canyon State.

“I thought, why not join them and give it a go here at Arizona State?” he said. “The weather is usually beautiful and sunny.”

After his experiences in the Marines led him to an embassy in Belize, Davies chose to pursue a degree in business with a focus on global politics at W. P. Carey School of Business.

“I was speaking to some special agents and they were discussing their fields of study and how they got into the role. And it really clicked to me that having an understanding of business and also the politics of the world and how that all intertwines and intermeshes is really interesting,” Davies said. “And it's another way of seeing people and places. And so, that's the degree for me and I'm really excited that I chose it. And I'm really glad that W. P. Carey has such a great business school.”

Davies cites the opportunities for personal interactions with professors as one of the most rewarding aspects of being a W. P. Carey student.

“I didn't realize that I would have the opportunity to have such one-on-one face time with professors,” Davies said. “Some of the lecture halls are really large, there's 250, 300 students, but I've still been able to have a connection and one-on-one meetings and face time with professors.”

“And that's allowed me to not only gain more knowledge, but also be more secure in my studies and moving forward,” he added.

Now, in his senior year at ASU and in his final semester as rugby captain, Davies is planning to continue to support the men’s team from the sidelines.

“I'm really proud of the legacy that I've created, the foundation that I've created here at Arizona State,” Davies said. “And I'm excited to come back and watch the boys play. I'll definitely come back to games and I'll be excited to come to homecoming and other events here at Arizona State.”

Sharing his advice for his fellow Sun Devils, Davies said it’s all about finding your community.

“I would tell all students who have an interest in a sport to find something, to find a community, to stay competitive, to play hard and to train,” Davies said. “Not only does it help you with your academics, but it helps you as a person and with your mental health and your fitness and everything else.”

After graduation day, Davies hopes to follow his passion by working with the governing body for the sport.

“My plans are to work for World Rugby, that is the goal,” Davies said. “World Rugby organizes and officiates all of the tournaments that happen worldwide, I would love to be part of that.”

-

Students who want to support the ASU men’s rugby club can follow the team on social media and watch them play at ASU’s Recreation and Sports Fields at 510 S Dorsey Ln.