Nearly two weeks after arriving in camp, the USA Men’s U20s will walk out against Canada at the Shawnigan Lake School in British Columbia this Saturday, as Head Coach Neets Gericke and the coaching staff have named the first match day 23 for the World Rugby U20s Trophy Qualifier.
The first of a two-match series over the next six days, USA vs Canada kicks off at 6PM ET live on Rugby Canada YouTube.
The squad list will see some returning names from the 2023 U20s group, with five named to the starting fifteen and Oliver Cline coming off the bench. A line up of special young talent will also debut to the Trophy competition with Asa Rosenmeier, Brice Muller, Spencer Huntley and Major League Rugby (MLR) standout, Seth Smith called up from last year’s U18s squad. Smith is excitingly one of three players currently rostered with MLR as Dylan Fortune gets the start at No. 8 and Tevita Kutu selected as a reserve. Fortune and Kutu join the squad mid-season with Anthem Rugby Carolina, the newest professional franchise under the purview of USA Rugby and World Rugby.
32 Collegiate, Club and High School prospects arrived in northern Washington on May 18th for a training camp in lead up to the two qualifier matches. Hosted by the deWilde Rugby & Polo Fields, the squad ran through an intensive 10 days of preparation before sailing up to Langford ahead of this Saturday.
Looking back on training camp, Gericke noted, “The boys competed well back in Washington. We asked them to compete and that’s what they did, so we couldn’t have asked for anything more. We bonded well during our time together and we feel we have the right 23 on the field tomorrow.”
“The main point is for the players to connect. We want to see them communicate well on the field, feed off each other and play for each other. That’s really what it comes down to for us.”
University of California - Berkeley Sophomore, Caden Crist steps up as Captain speaking to the team energy, “Within the squad we have a lot of returning guys from last year’s campaign, so we’re hoping the experience from that group pays off; bringing the lessons learned from international competition into this first game against Canada.”
| NAME | SCHOOL/CLUB |
|---|---|
| 1. John-Henry Rouse | Saint Mary's College |
| 2. Caden Crist (C) | Univ. of California - Berkeley |
| 3. Asa Rosenmeier | Brown University |
| 4. Brice Muller | Babson College |
| 5. George Engels | US Military Academy - West Point |
| 6. Logan Ballinger | Life University |
| 7. Daniel Lowther | St. Bonaventure University |
| 8. Dylan Fortune | Anthem Rugby Carolina (MLR) |
| 9. Spencer Huntley | San Diego Mustangs |
| 10. Rand Santos | Univ. of California - Berkeley |
| 11. Tito Edjua | Brown University |
| 12. Max Threlkeld | Univ. of California - Berkeley |
| 13. Dominic Besag | Saint Mary's College |
| 14. Emmett Cook | Univ. of California - Berkeley |
| 15. Corbin Smith | Hartpury University |
| 16. Seth Smith | Houston SaberCats (MLR) |
| 17. Asbjorn Lau Ross | UCLA |
| 18. Tevita Kutu | Anthem Rugby Carolina (MLR) |
| 19. Miles Malone | Univ. of California - Berkeley |
| 20. Holden Hahn | University of Kentucky |
| 21. Judd Berman | Trinity College |
| 22. Oliver Cline | Univ. of Central Washington |
| 23. Keelan Farrell | Esher Rugby Club |
Head Coach | Neets Gericke
Assistant Coach | Elvis Seveali'i
Strength & Conditioning Coach | Matoko Noudehou
Athletic Trainer | Anna Unnasch
Team Analyst | Luke Richmond
Team Manager | Darran Coleman
USA vs Canada Match One | 6pm ET
Shawnigan Lake School | Shawnigan Lake, BC
USA vs Canada Match Two | 10pm ET
Starlight Stadium | Langford, BC
Qualifying for the U20s Trophy in consecutive years is only the first step in 2024 for the long-term USA development plan. A critical piece to the puzzle is a fundraising and support initiative dubbed, Fuel The Future, aimed at offering the most time and resources possible to the Junior National Teams. A grid of necessities goes into funding a single player's development journey - from travel, accommodations, coaching and supplies, where there is a significant amount of player support required. While World Rugby grants support the team for competition windows, gifts from generous donors are a crucial part of the plan, and ultimate growth for the USA Eagles on the world stage. The Men’s U20s are projected to be the very core of players expected to compete on home soil during Rugby World Cup 2031, so USA Rugby is hopeful to cultivate these individuals and players and members of the rugby community, with the support of donors like you.
