Goondiwindi’s Mark Offerdahl becomes Captain America
He hails from a Queensland border town, but journeyman Mark Offerdahl is a true rugby league marvel who has risen through the ranks to become Captain America.
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HE is the kid from Goondiwindi who became Captain America.
This is the remarkable tale of Mark Offerdahl — a Queensland journeyman — who has played in Australia, England, America, France and Wales.
He has contested matches against Fiji, Italy, PNG, Cook Islands, Jamaica, Canada and Scotland.
Now, at age 32, Offerdahl has finally landed as skipper of the United States team to contest the World Nines at Bankwest Stadium, starting today.
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Eligible to represent America through his grandfather and father, Offerdahl will lead the US team despite having returned home to play with his home town, Goondiwindi Boars, in Queensland.
His Dad, Mike, bought a pub at Goondiwindi when Mark was just seven. His brother, Michael, today runs that same pub.
Offerdahl was previously a member of the 2013 and 2017 USA World Cup squads. Friends, media and teammates have dubbed him Captain America.
“I think someone in the media gave it (Captain America moniker) to me a while ago. The boys take the piss out of me now, so does everyone back in “Goondi’,” Offerdahl said.
“But it’s a massive honour, huge, to captain America. I just hung in there. My dad was a war baby. His dad was in World War II, in the Philippines and PNG. He is American.
“Dad has a US passport and lived there for a fair while. He was in the American army as well. He went to Korea. When I was born, I got the passport.
“I also played at White Plains — the team was called Connecticut Wildcats back then — in 2013 and we won the competition. It was only half an hour above New York City.
“I also ended up in Chicago a bit playing rugby union. I will hopefully get back there one day. I love how passionate they are with sport, how passionate they are with life, the different places there are to go visit.
“I have been all over the shop since I left school — I have been from club to club — but I’m back in Goondiwindi now. Some clubs liked me, some didn’t. I have probably been my own worst enemy sometimes.
“I have been lucky enough to travel — France, England, America. I always said I would come back to coach and play at my home town and we had a pretty good season just gone with Goondiwindi Boars. We want to win it but the Toowoomba comp is bloody hard.”
“I was Gold Coast born but we moved out to the Goondiwindi area when I was seven.’
America has drawn a tough pool against Australia, New Zealand PNG.
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“But we spoke about it the other day — it will be great exposure to play against Australia, PNG and New Zealand in our pool. They are the best in the world and you can say it’s something you have done,” he said.
“Some of the boys in this team say rugby league is more relatable than NFL, not better, just more relatable.”
Offerdahl also played juniors with Manly Sea Eagles along with stints at Easts Tigers in Brisbane and Illawarra Cutters. He also signed with English clubs London Broncos and Sheffield Eagles.