Before he landed the job last year as head coach of the region’s major league rugby franchise, Old Glory DC, Scotsman Simon Cross had never visited America. “It’s a phenomenal place. We couldn’t be happier,” he says. OGDC and the 10 other professional rugby squads kicked off the 2025 campaign in February and play until June. When not on the pitch, Cross, wife Sara, and their two sons, ages 7 and 11, live in Springfield.
How has practice been going for the new season?
We do our morning training indoors at the St. James in Springfield, which has been a godsend because of the weather. Then we go to George Mason University [in Fairfax] for the outdoor facilities. George Mason is really important for us. The grass field, as opposed to a turf field, is one of the reasons we had the boys fit for so many of the games last year. Rugby should be played on grass.
How is the family finding Northern Virginia?
We’re settling in nicely. The boys are playing for Vienna [Youth] Rugby. We’ve met some really special people who have been inviting us to parties, and even a [Scottish poet] Robert Burns Night.
Any surprises since your arrival?
The yellow school buses are something you only see in movies in the U.K. But when the kids started getting on at the bus stop, we ended up meeting a ton of people from the neighborhood. The community swimming pools have been an absolute revelation for us as a family. We have one at the top end of the road and one at the bottom end, and they are amazing. So when summertime comes, we spend most of our late afternoons and evenings down at the pools.
Where have you visited that you enjoyed?
We’ve been going into DC and have a lot of fun wandering around, looking at the monuments and museums. DC is fast becoming one of my favorite cities now. And Northern Virginia, too. We’ve been out to Great Falls a few times, doing some of the hikes on the trails up there.
And if we asked your wife the same question?
Ah, Tysons. She really enjoys the malls and the shopping side of things. But Great Falls for her is really a special place. She really enjoys the trails and hikes — it’s just a beautiful place. National Harbor is lovely. We spend a bit of time down in Fredericksburg, which is pretty as well. We just feel very blessed to be in and around this area. If you go two hours in any direction, you get a whole different experience. In the U.K., two hours in any direction and you’re in a different country.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Feature image courtesy Old Glory DC
This story originally ran in our April Issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
