From fans to professional athletes, he seized the "accident" of a lifetime with passion | Sports exchange student
Original by TRASHGUN Sports Life
Ma Zhen's sports journey began with a recruitment poster for a university rugby team.
When Ma Zhen saw that recruitment poster for the university rugby team in 2012, perhaps he didn't imagine that, years later, he would indeed become one of China's first generation of professional rugby players.
Ma Zhen wearing rugby gear for the first time
Ma Zhen's growth process is similar to that of other Chinese children. Initially, he also fell in love with basketball. However, out of pure curiosity, Ma Zhen, who had never been exposed to rugby, joined the school's rugby team, and from then on, his life trajectory changed completely.
In 2014, Ma Zhen had the opportunity to represent China at the first World University Rugby Championship. This competition deepened his understanding of rugby and motivated him to continue persevering.
In 2016, Ma Zhen became the first professional player from China in the China Arena Football League (CAFL), the country's inaugural professional indoor American football league.
In the 2016 CAFL draft, Ma Zhen was selected by the Dalian Dragon Kings.
Ma Zhen's professional rugby career can be seen as a microcosm of the state of professional rugby in China.
From his debut in the CAFL in 2016 to the postponement of the league in 2017 due to unforeseen circumstances, and despite a brief return in 2019, the league's participant numbers, game quality, and media coverage have significantly declined compared to its early days. In just a few years, the professional rugby scene in China struggled to thrive and eventually met its demise.
With the professional league suspended, Ma Zhen began to seriously contemplate his future. Realities of employment and career choices loomed ahead. After the first season ended, Ma Zhen briefly transitioned into coaching youth rugby, but he understood that it wasn't his ultimate destination.
Just as he displayed precision and speed as a wide receiver on the field, Ma Zhen swiftly made decisive choices in his life. He quickly identified two key life goals: sports and career. Thus, pursuing sports scholarship overseas emerged as the optimal solution for Ma Zhen. Securing an offer from the University of Oregon, Ma Zhen embarked on his journey of sports exchange studies.
Ma Zhen said, "Rugby introduced me to the world of sports, while studying abroad allowed me to see the industry secrets behind sports."
According to Ma Zhen, there are tens of thousands of young people in China involved in rugby-related training, which fills him with confidence about the future of rugby in China.
Although the path to professionalizing rugby in China is long, Ma Zhen is willing to contribute all his efforts to the development of rugby in China. He is committed to persisting in his love for rugby.
