William Sherman (born May 22, 2003) is an American professional rugby union player who currently plays as a lock for Japan Rugby League One club Red Hurricanes Osaka.

Early life Sherman was born in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2003. His father, Wade Sherman, had reportedly been a fan of rugby union after encountering people play the sport at Sydney's Bondi Beach in his youth. He later played the sport at school in California and Utah.

Growing up, Sherman was more interested in ice hockey, however later transitioned to playing rugby union at school. He was coached by his father, and was reportedly a talented player. After high school, Sherman enrolled at the prestigious University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and became a standout player in the schools rugby program.

Career At the end of the 2025 MLR season, Sherman was selected by Anthem Rugby Carolina as the first pick in the 2025 Major League Rugby Collegiate Draft. At the time of the draft, he was playing club rugby for Randwick in the Shute Shield. He later made several appearances for the United States U23s on their tour of South Africa under Anthem coach Agustín Cavalieri, before later joining the team ahead of their 2026 campaign.

Sherman was a regular in the Anthem lineup during his rookie season, featuring in all ten of the club's regular-season matches in 2026. He started in six matches, including the historic season opener, when Anthem secured the first victory in franchise's history with a win over the California Legion. Sherman recording an impressive 19 tackles. He also notably contributed to Anthem's only other victory of the regular season, coming off the bench against the Seattle Seawolves in third round and scoring his maiden MLR try.

In July 2026, World Rugby had made the decision to cease its funding of Anthem RC, forcing the club to fold. By August, Sherman joined the Red Hurricanes Osaka in the Japan Rugby League One, Division 2.

Career statistics Club

+ Statistics by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueDivisionAppsTriesPoints Anthem 2026 Major League Rugby 10 1 5 Red Hurricanes Osaka 2026–27 Japan Rugby League One, Division 2 colspan=3 Total 10 1 5

References

External links Profile at UCLA