Tony Ridnell
Tony Ridnell is an American businessman, former international rugby player, and army officer. He is the founder of TRInternational, Inc., a Chemical sales company.
US Army
Upon graduating from West Point, Ridnell attended the United States Army [Field Artillery School|Field Artillery Basic Course] in 1982 at Fort Sill, OK. His first station was Schofield Barracks, HI, where he served as a platoon leader and fire support officer. At Schofield Barracks he continued to play rugby, and was selected for the Combined Services Rugby Team at the National Military Championships in 1984. Following the National Military Championships, the Combined Services Rugby Team toured England. In 1985 Ridnell attended the Field Artillery Advanced Course at Fort Sill, and later served as a Field Artillery Battery Commander stationed at Fort Lewis, WA. He left the service in 1988 to pursue a place in The Eagles, the United States national rugby union team.Rugby career
In 1985, Ridnell was named to the United States national rugby union team, the Eagles, under coach Ron Mayes. Earning his first cap as Eagle No. 168 in his first match for Jim Perkins, he started at Blind-Side Flanker (No. 6) against Australia in the 1987 Rugby World Cup. In 1989, he would suffer a knee injury and have thoughts of never being able to play again. He returned to international play at the 1991 Rugby World Cup, starting against Italy at No. 8, losing 30-9 at Cross Green, England. Ridnell became an accomplished 7s player, leading the pack at every Hong Kong Sevens tournament from 1989 to 1993 under Eagles 7s Coach Emil Signes. Having established himself at the Canberra, Fiji, and Hong Kong Sevens Tournaments, he earned a spot representing the United States in the first Sevens World Cup.Sevens squads|His] final international tournament was the 1993 Sevens World Cup, where he helped the United States earn a 31–0 victory over the Netherlands. Ridnell's final International 15s match came in 1993 against Canada at No. 5-Lock on 19 June 1993. Ridnell continued his international career, representing the Eagles on the 7s team until 1994. In total, he earned 14 International XV caps and 71 Sevens caps.