The USA Rugby Men’s Eagles have named their preliminary 50-man training squad which includes 40 players who will assemble next week in preparation for the Pacific Nations Cup. The squad consists of a pool of players who will be considered for the final 31-man roster traveling to Japan in mid-September. The upcoming camp in Colorado and Pacific Nations Cup (PNC) will be factors for Head Coach Gary Gold and staff to make final selections.
The squad includes three uncapped Major League Rugby players in Rugby United New York’s Ross Deacon, Houston SaberCats Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz, and Seattle Seawolves Riekert Hattingh.
Mike Petri and Lou Stanfill, who retired from the National Team after the 2015 Rugby World Cup and Thretton Palumbo and Mikey Sosene-Feagai, who have not played with the Eagles since 2016, also join the preliminary squad.
Eagles Sevens Captain Madison Hughes, Martin Iosefo, and Ben Pinkelman are also on the squad.
The U.S. Men’s National Team 15s will assemble next week in Colorado in preparation for the Rugby World Cup. The team will participate in the Pacific Nations Cup and will face rival-Canada at Infinity Park in Glendale on July 27, followed by Samoa and Japan in Fiji on August 3 and 10, respectively.
One final test match between the U.S. and Canada will take place at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver on September 7. The Eagles will then head to Japan to face England, France, Argentina, and Tonga in Pool C at Rugby World Cup 2019.
For tickets to see the Men’s Eagles face Canada in Glendale and Vancouver, visit usarugby.org/tickets.
For tickets to what promises to be the most popular Rugby World Cup to date and a full schedule, visit rugbyworldcup.com.
USA MEN’S EAGLES PRELIMINARY TRAINING SQUAD
RUGBY WORLD CUP JAPAN 2019
| PLAYER NAME | POSITION | CLUB | CAPS | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Ainuu | Prop | Toulouse (FRA) | 5 | |
| Malon Al Jiboori | Flanker | Glendale Raptors | 2 | |
| Nate Augspurger | Scrumhalf / Wing | San Diego Legion | 21 | |
| Marcel Brache | Wing | Western Force (AUS) | 16 | |
| Nate Brakeley | Lock | Rugby United New York | 18 | |
| Bryce Campbell | Center | London Irish (ENG) | 25 | |
| Ben Cima | Flyhalf | Seattle Seawolves | 10 | Won’t assemble for PNC at this stage |
| Nick Civetta | Lock | Doncaster Knights (ENG) | 22 | |
| Shaun Davies | Scrumhalf | Glendale Raptors | 22 | |
| Ross Deacon | No. 8 | Rugby United New York | – | Won’t assemble for PNC at this stage |
| Ruben de Haas | Scrumhalf | Free State Cheetahs | 11 | |
| Cam Dolan | No. 8 | NOLA Gold | 44 | |
| Dylan Fawsitt | Hooker | Rugby United New York | 8 | |
| Mikey Sosene-Feagai | Hooker | Auckland (NZL) | 4 | |
| Eric Fry | Prop | Vannes (FRA) | 44 | |
| Hanco Germishuys | Flanker | Glendale Raptors | 15 | |
| Riekert Hattingh | No. 8 | Seattle Seawolves | Won’t assemble for PNC at this stage | |
| James Hilterbrand | Hooker | Manly Marlins (AUS) | 18 | |
| Will Hooley | Fullback | Bedford Blues (ENG) | 8 | |
| Madison Hughes | Fullback | USA Sevens | 3 | |
| Martin Iosefo | Center | USA Sevens | 3 | |
| Olive Kilifi | Prop | Seattle Seawolves | 26 | |
| Tony Lamborn | Flanker | Melbourne Rebels (AUS) | 18 | |
| Titi Lamositele | Prop | Saracens (ENG) | 27 | |
| Ben Landry | Lock/Flanker | Ealing Trailfinders (ENG) | 18 | |
| Paul Lasike | Center | Harlequins (ENG) | 13 | |
| AJ MacGinty | Flyhalf | Sale Sharks (ENG) | 21 | |
| Will Magie | Flyhalf | Glendale Raptors | 23 | |
| Siaosi Mahoni | Lock | San Diego Legion | 2 | Won’t assemble for PNC at this stage |
| Samu Manoa | Lock | Seattle Seawolves | 22 | |
| Ryan Matyas | Wing | San Diego Legion | 12 | Won’t assemble for PNC at this stage |
| Tim Maupin | Wing | NOLA Gold | 9 | Won’t assemble for PNC at this stage |
| Gannon Moore | Wing | Utah Warriors | 3 | |
| Paul Mullen | Prop | Houston SaberCats | 10 | |
| Thretton Palamo | Center | Houston SaberCats | 17 | |
| Greg Peterson | Lock | Newcastle Falcons (ENG) | 22 | |
| Mike Petri | Scrumhalf | Rugby United New York | 57 | Won’t assemble for PNC at this stage |
| Kapeli Pifeleti | Hooker | San Diego Legion | 2 | |
| Ben Pinkelman | Flanker | USA Sevens | – | |
| John Quill | Flanker | Rugby United New York | 33 | |
| Paddy Ryan | Prop | Rugby United New York | 4 | |
| Blaine Scully | Wing | Unattached | 46 | |
| Jamason Fa’anana Shultz | Flanker | Houston SaberCats | – | |
| Lou Stanfill | Lock | San Diego Legion | 56 | Won’t assemble for PNC at this stage |
| Tevita Tameilau | Lock / Back row | Glasgow Warriors (SCO) | 15 | Won’t assemble for PNC at this stage |
| Joe Taufete’e | Hooker | Worcester Warriors (ENG) | 22 | |
| Mike Te’o | Wing | San Diego Legion | 23 | |
| Dino Waldren | Prop | San Diego Legion | 19 | Won’t assemble for PNC at this stage |
| Chance Wenglewski | Prop | Rugby ATL | 3 | |
| Psalm Wooching | Flanker | San Diego Legion | 4 |
USA MEN’S EAGLES STAFF
General Manager | Dave Hodges
Head Coach | Gary Gold
Assistant Coach, Attack | Greg McWilliams
Assistant Coach, Set Piece | Shawn Pittman
Assistant Coach, Defense | Jaque Fourie
Strength & Conditioning Coach | Huw Bevan
Performance Analyst | Jimmy Harrison
Assistant S&C and Analyst | Tom Kindley
Team Doctor | Mark Sakr
Team Doctor | Sam Akhavan
Head Athletic Trainer | Kevin Ng
Athletic Trainer | Kristen Douhan
Massage Therapist | Daliah Hurwitz
Team Manager | Chris Hanson
Assistant Team Manager | Mark Drown
USA MEN’S EAGLES 2019 SCHEDULE
*All times local
Pacific Nations Cup
- vs Canada Sat, July 27 | 6 PM MT Infinity Park, Glendale, CO Purchase Tickets
- vs Samoa Fri, Aug 2 | 10:30 PM ET Anz Stadium, Suva, Fiji
- vs Japan Sat, Aug 10 | 12:35 AM ET Anz Stadium, Suva, Fiji
Rugby World Cup Warm-up
- vs Canada September 7 | 7 PM PT B.C. Place Stadium, Vancouver, B.C. Purchase Tickets
Rugby World Cup Japan
Broadcast on NBC Networks
- vs England September 26 | 6:45 AM ET Kobe Misaki Stadium
- vs France October 2 | 3:45 AM ET Fukuoka Hakatanomori Stadium
- vs Argentina October 9 | 12:45 AM ET Kumagaya Rugby Stadium
- vs Tonga October 13 | 1:45 AM ET Hanazono Rugby Stadium
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