AG Rugby & Paul Oakenfold Kick Off Season on Saturday

The new season start of Austin’s Major League Rugby team, AG Rugby, at Circuit of the Americas kicks off on Saturday with an unexpected bang: come for the match and beer, stay for Grammy Award-winning global superstar DJ and producer Paul Oakenfold, the “godfather of electronic music.”

Photo by Circuit of the Americas

Immediately following AG Rugby’s battle with the Utah Warriors March 20 at Bold Stadium, Oakenfold performs a live set, his first as a Central Texas resident. We sit rang up the 57-year-old Mile End, London, native as the “city guy through and through” discusses his move to Bastrop.

Austin Chronicle: I feel like I’ve been asking this question a lot, but why are you here? Why Austin?

Paul Oakenfold: [Laughs] I’ve been touring America for many years. I first came to America performing, then started scoring movies, and moved to Los Angeles. Over time, Austin’s been a city I really enjoy going to.

I’ve been living in America for 15 years now, and Austin always brought a smile to my face, so I thought, “One day, I’d like to go and live there.” I fell in love with Austin, got friends there. I have been coming here for over a decade.

I always felt that I’d like to go to Austin one day in my life and settle there.

AC: What kick-started the process?

PO: Several months before COVID, I had a good friend here, a real estate agent, and I said to her, I said, “I’m serious about this. Start looking for me.” And she found this wonderful ranch.

AC: A whole ranch?

PO: Yeah, it’s exciting. I’ve never lived or experienced anything like this. I said to myself, “You know what? If I'm ever going to do it, I’m going to do it now.”

So I bought the ranch, and then COVID kicked in, and then I’m like, “Oh shit. What am I going to do? I’ve suddenly bought a ranch.”

[During most of COVID pandemic] it sat there. I locked it up. And then in November, I was like, “You know what? I’m going to go down there and look at it.”

Seriously, with my hand on my heart, I got off the plane, and I was like, “Man, this is such an exciting adventure for me, and I’m really going to jump into it with both feet.”

Paul Oakenfold (Photo by Cameron Cone)

AC: How did you get involved with AG Rugby?

PO: [AMF Executive Director Jennifer Dugas] said, “Look, we’re doing rugby,” and I’m like, “Rugby’s the second biggest sport in the UK after soccer.” I’m like, “Yeah.” I mean, I’ve been to a couple of international games, and she said, “Would you like to perform?”

I’m like, "Yeah, sure. This makes sense.” I’m now a local. I want to support something new.

AC: You’re already starting to get comfortable here.

PO: I’m just doing all the things that we do when you move into a new place: Making friends, reaching out to the Austin Music Foundation, Austin City Limits, South by Southwest. I’m letting people know that I’m here, part of the community within music, wanting to help and support as I do in Los Angeles with the Grammys and workshops.

So, I plan to finish the ranch, and fingers crossed, once COVID’s moved away and we’re all in a better place, I’ll be hanging out.