![Former SCSU Football Player Selected To Olympic Rugby Team](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2016/07/Garrett-Bender-Large.jpg?w=630&h=420&zc=1&s=0&a=t&q=89&w=980&q=75)
Former SCSU Football Player Selected To Olympic Rugby Team
UNDATED - Another former St. Cloud State University athlete is heading to the Summer Olympics. Former SCSU football player Garrett Bender today (Monday) was named to the US Men's Rugby team.
Garrett Bender, photo courtesy of USA Rugby
Bender is one of 12 athletes on the team.
He helped lead Minneapolis Washburn to a state rugby championship when he was in high school. He was recruited to play linebacker at SCSU, but then shifted his focus to rugby.
This is the first year rugby will be played in the Olympics since 1924.
Rugby will be played at the Olympic Games in Rio from August 9th through the 12th.
More From AM 1240 WJON
![Team USA Earns First Place in Group A, Advances to Quarterfinals](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2022/02/attachment-GettyImages-1370320620.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Another Gold Medal Winner Returns Home to Minnesota](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2021/08/attachment-GettyImages-1332680612.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![WATCH: Here’s the Olympic Moment We All Need to Start Our Monday](http://townsquare.media/site/65/files/2021/08/attachment-GettyImages-1331777729.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Alise Willoughby Eliminated in BMX Racing in the Semifinals](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2021/07/attachment-Alise-5.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![St. Cloud’s Willoughby Advances to Olympic BMX Semifinals](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2021/07/attachment-Alise-3.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![St. Cloud’s Alise Willoughby Making 3rd Olympic Appearance](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2021/07/attachment-Alise-Willoughby-1.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![BMX World Champion Alise Willoughby Hangs at Hometown Track](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2019/08/Alise-Willoughby-.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Meet the Minnesotans Competing in the 2018 Winter Olympics](http://townsquare.media/site/68/files/2018/02/GettyImages-914021404.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![SCSU Ice Tech Taking His Talents to the Olympic Games in 2018](http://townsquare.media/site/67/files/2017/11/Cory-Porter-Checks-his-ice-at-the-Herb-Brooks-National-Hockey-Center.jpg?w=980&q=75)