Tom Pittman: 'From C’Chartres into an Eagles squad... it's going to be an eye-opener'

After a season in the French fifth division, Tom Pittman could be calling himself a Test match player this July.

When USA Rugby confirmed their men’s Extended Player Squad for 2025, the 26-year-old’s name was included in a fly-half group that also contained AJ MacGinty (Bristol Bears), Luke Carty (NOLA Gold), Rand Santos (University of California, Berkeley), and Chris Hilsenbeck (Chicago Hounds).

Unlike his soon-to-be compatriots, Pittman does not play his rugby on home soil or in the Gallagher Premiership. In fact, he is a relative unknown.

To date, the fly-half has never played a top-flight rugby match. In the past three seasons, Pittman has plied his trade with Jersey Reds and Cornish Pirates in the Championship before a move to French fifth division club C’Chartres Rugby last summer in pursuit of game time.

It is there, on the outskirts of Paris, that a charge to play international rugby has slowly gathered pace over the past 10 months.

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He picked up the phone to RugbyPass on a Monday afternoon, less than 12 hours after getting back home following a 45–17 win over USA Limoges and a 10-point haul from the kicking tee.

“I’ve played 21 games, I’ve started 20 and I’ve scored over 260 points,” Pittman said. “I got here and straight away the coaches put a lot of faith in me. That just gave me a lot of confidence coming here.

“At Jersey and Pirates, it was a bit different. I would start one game, be on the bench (the following match) and then wouldn’t be picked.

“Ultimately, I was looking for a season where I got that backing. I’d like to think I’ve performed on the pitch and shown everyone what I can do. It has been refreshing.

“It has been good to look back at the games every week and work on things, whereas at Pirates and Jersey I’d watch training back, I’d be on the bench and couldn’t really get into the rhythm of the game.

“Here I’m playing 80 minutes every week, finding good confidence and some form. It makes a difference playing every game.”

Pittman has developed a newfound confidence with his extended minutes on the pitch.

Before, he saw himself as a running fly-half and capable from the kicking tee. Now, he is a more well-rounded controller of the game who relishes the roar of opposition fans trying to put him off when he’s eyeing up a shot at goal, the smoke from flares, and the banging of drums.

For almost as long as he can remember, Pittman has wanted to play professional rugby.

As a teenager, he was part of the Bath Rugby Academy while at the King’s School, Taunton, and enrolled at the University of Bath to play BUCS Super Rugby alongside Jack Kenningham (Harlequins) and Max Ojomoh (Bath Rugby).

Covid-19 brought his final university season to a premature end, before a spell with the Boroughmuir Bears in the Super Series, and a crisis at Jersey led Harvey Biljon to bring the playmaker to the Channel Islands.

Big Season Ahead! Let’s go CCR! 💙🤍 pic.twitter.com/YHZSpd5HSV

— Tom Pittman (@tompittman78) August 12, 2024

In fact, outside of a spell dressing up as Leroy the Lion at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire, all of Pittman’s work has been centred around rugby in some sense.

But even if his dedication to the game that has inhabited most of his waking thoughts for nearly two decades has contributed to USA recognition, even the 26-year-old admits there has been a sprinkling of good fortune.

Grandson of former Ireland hooker John Hewitt Wilson, it was while applying for an Irish passport in February that his grandfather’s birth in Massachusetts came to the attention of Pittman’s agent, James Percival.

In the past, it was a fact that had been brushed over, but in a world where Major League Rugby teams are on the hunt for USA-qualified players and the national team is undergoing immense change, it was life-changing.

“I’ve always said hard work pays off,” Pittman said. “You don’t get luck through a random opportunity, but the USA opportunity is just luck. My grandad being born in the US is just luck.

“I have spoken to Scott two or three times now and every time I speak to him about the Eagles project, it sounds awesome.

“To be in that environment with someone like AJ MacGinty and learning off him, that is going to be awesome and a massive learning curve.”

78′ | DROP GOAL @MuirBears
Tom Pittman wanted what fellow FOSROC Super6 stand-offs Bruce Houston and Jason Baggott also have, an elusive drop goal.

In doing so he extends the Bears lead to six points with only minutes left on the clock.

[23-17] pic.twitter.com/LlUCVCIidx

— Arnold Clark Premierships (@ScotRugbyPrems) August 29, 2021

“Going from C’Chartres into an Eagles squad, I think that is going to be a big eye-opener to see where I am at in terms of my ability.

“I’ve got the opportunity to go there through hard work, getting up early to do my extra training, extra skills and all that.

“This season has been a massive learning curve for me. I’m out here, living in a flat by myself and this season I’ve been very focused on achieving what I’ve wanted to achieve.

“There’s still a lot of work to do – on my skills, decision-making and communication – but I am definitely heading in the right direction.”

Pittman is honest when asked about what the future has in store.

His international call-up is a clear sign that the 26-year-old could well be outgrowing his surroundings in C’Chartres – no matter how good they have been to him.

With Test caps potentially joining Longleat on his CV, opportunities could appear higher up the French league ladder or back in England, although pursuing the American dream is rarely done in Europe.

“If I really want to take things seriously with the Eagles, and that’s what I want to do, possibly playing in MLR is maybe the best option for me,” Pittman said.

“Having that connection and communication with the coaches and other players week in, week out, I think that’s probably the best thing for my development.”

This July, the Eagles will play Tests against Belgium and Spain in Charlotte, North Carolina, before hosting England in Washington DC.

Afterwards, the team will regroup before they host the Pacific Nations Cup, where a return to the Rugby World Cup is on the cards.

At this moment in time, the opportunities are endless.