National team primed for ‘biggest rugby event in US history’

Teacher by day … father and rugby player by night.

That's the life and times of 30-year-old Mike Petri, who is a member of the United States national rugby team that will take on the All Blacks of New Zealand — the top-ranked squad in the world — on Saturday afternoon at Soldier Field in Chicago (3:30 p.m., NBC).

"This is the biggest rugby event in U.S. history," Petri told The Post in a phone interview. "The All Blacks are the most prestigious team in the world and to have them here is incredible."

As an amateur rugby player, Petri has to find time to make a living, and in addition to his training, he has to juggle his job as a teacher at Xavier High School in Manhattan, in addition to caring for his young daughter.

Petri is a member of the New York Athletic Club, which trains twice a week and is one of the top rugby clubs in the country.

"You just need to make efficient use of any time you get and that's how [it's] been like," he said. "You learn important time management skills … When I can sleep and recover, when I can get grading work done, prep work done, [work on] my fitness, weight sessions, [and] skills. Sometimes you feel like there isn't enough time in the day."

Rugby isn't a mainstream sport in the United States, but Petri, who is involved in youth rugby, is doing his best to change that, as he has written two rugby books, including a children's book entitled "R is for Rugby."

"My wife and I were looking for children's books and there were no rugby books," he said. "She encouraged me to put thoughts together. I ride the subway and drew some rhymes and ended up writing these two books."

Petri says that the goal of the books is to introduce different aspects of the game and improve child literacy, while also promoting the sport.

"[Rugby] has given so much to me, I want to give back," he said.

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