Minnesota native Nate Augspurger played in Major League Rugby between 2018-2024. He represented the San Diego Legion (2018-2023), and the Chicago Hounds (2024).

Prior to MLR, Augspurger had signed a developmental contract with USA Rugby between 2012-2013. He attended the Eagles 7s camp in 2013 and signed a contract with the Eagles 7s for the 2013-2014 season, to date he earned 15 HSBC World Sevens Series appearances for the USA. Moving to the fifteens, Augspurger made his test debut for the USA in June 2016 against Italy and has earned 39 caps for his country through 2023. He represented the USA at the 2019 RWC in Japan, and was a part of the team for the 2023 RWC qualifying campaign.

Augspurger represented the San Diego Legion through his first 6 seasons in MLR, earning a total of 48 caps (42 starts) and scoring 22 tries total. He appeared in a career-best 17 games (15 starts) during the 2019 season as the Legion advanced to the MLR Championship Final, falling 23-26 to the Seattle Seawolves on the last play of the game. He suffered an injury early in the 2020 season that would have seen him miss significant time, but the COVID-19 pandemic shut the season down only 2 weeks later, and Augspurger was able to recover in time to take part in the 2021 season. He primarily played scrum-half between 2018-2022, but switch to the wing in 2023 thanks to the signing of Richard Judd, who was the starting scrum-half. On the wing, Augspurger had a stand-out 2023 season, tying his career best in appearances (17) and starts (15) in a season, gaining a huge 1,595m with ball in hand (1st in MLR that seasons), as well as scoring 11 of his 28 tries, including a pair in the 2023 Championship Final against the New England Free Jacks, in which the Legion fell 24-25 in Chicago. Augspurger finished T-4th in league try scoring that seaosn. The Legion finished the 2023 regular season with a 15-1 record, and Augspurger earned 6 Team of the Week selections, tied with Judd for the most in the league. A truly remarkable feat, this was not even the most Team of the Week selections that Augspurger earned during a single season, as he earned 8 selection in 2019. He has earned 17 Team of the Week Selections to date, as well as 2 All-MLR Selections (1st XV in both 2019 & 2023).

Following the 2023 season Augspurger signed with the Rugby New York Ironworkers for 2024, so that he could be closer to family in the NY area. In early December 2023 MLR announced that the Ironworkers would not compete in the 2024 season due to financial difficulties, and a Dispersal Draft would be held for NY & Toronto players (The Arrows had declared that they would not be competing in 2024 a week prior to NY) during with Augspurger was selected 6th overall by the NOLA Gold using a pick acquired from the Utah Warriors in exchange for the Gold’s 1st Rd pick and Utah native, Gabe Mahu’inga. A day after the draft, it was announced that the NOLA Gold had traded Augspurger to the Chicago Hounds in exchange for 2024 Cap Considerations (unknown). He represented the Hounds during 2024, earning 13 appearances (all starts) and scoring 6 tries as the Hounds qualified for the MLR Playoffs for the first time in their short history, where they defeated the NOLA Gold in the Conference Semifinal to advance to the Eastern Conference Final, where they fell to eventual Champions, the New England Free Jacks. Augspurger scored a try in both Hounds playoff games that season, taking his total to 8 on the year to finish T-9th in MLR and reaching 30 tries in total. Augspurger was named to the All-MLR Honorable Mention XV for his play in 2024, his 3rd All-MLR selection.

Achievements:

• 2024 All-MLR Honorable Mention XV
• T-9th in MLR Try Scoring: 2024 (8)
• MLR Team of the Week: 2024 – Rd 8
• MLR Runner-Up: 2023 (San Diego Legion)
• 2023 MLR Back of the Year
• 2023 All-MLR 1st XV
• T-4th in MLR Try Scoring: 2023 (11)
• 1st in MLR Meters Gained: 2023 (1,595m)
• MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 9
• MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 8
• MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 7
• MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 3
• MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 2
• MLR Team of the Week: 2023 – Rd 1
• MLR Team of the Week: 2022 – Rd 1
• MLR Team of the Week: 2020 – Rd 1
• MLR Runner-Up: 2019 (San Diego Legion)
• 2019 All-MLR 1st XV
• MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Semi-Finals
• MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Rd 17
• MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Rd 14
• MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Rd 13
• MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Rd 11
• MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Rd 10
• MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Rd 7
• MLR Team of the Week: 2019 – Rd 5
• MLR Team of the Week: 2018 – Rd 2