Travel squad named for third, fourth stops of Sevens Series

CHULA VISTA, Calif. - Men's Eagles Sevens Head Coach Mike Friday has chosen 13 athletes as part of the travel squad for HSBC Wellington Sevens and HSBC Sydney 7s, the third and fourth legs, respectively, of the 2015-16 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

Ben Pinkelman could earn his first cap on the Series while Danny Barrett returns to the team having recovered from an injury suffered playing 15s last year. Thretton Palamo also gets the call after joining the residency program at the Olympic Training Center shortly after providing cover for Friday's squad in the opening two legs of the season.

The U.S. defeated New Zealand three times over the course of Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens and HSBC Cape Town Sevens in December 2015, proving the first victory was not a fluke in Dubai's pool play. With a third-place finish in the United Arab Emirates and a Plate Final appearance in South Africa, the Eagles hold their highest ever ranking in the Series standings in third.

A student-athlete at Colorado State University, which competes in the premier D1A Rugby competition, and multi-age-grade selection with the AIG Men's Junior All-Americans and AIG Men's Collegiate All-Americans, a selection to a Series travel squad is just the latest in Pinkelman's international honors. A threat in the forwards and backs, Pinkelman was a member of the USA Rugby Selects squad at the 2014 Americas Rugby Championship, an A-side competition featuring Argentina, Canada, and Uruguay, and finished fourth at the Halloween Rugby 7s invitational tournament under Eagles Assistant Coach Chris Brown with the USA Falcons.

Along with his appearances in international competition, Pinkelman has also played in Serevi RugbyTown Sevens and USA Rugby Club 7s National Championship Finals with Denver Sevens and Denver Barbarians, respectively, over the past two years. Having been on the 15s and sevens radars for some time, the CSU Ram has worked his way up Friday's depth chart at the beginning of the Olympic year.

Barrett was a standout on the Series for the Eagles throughout the 2014-15 season, leaving a lasting impression on the sevens world in the final leg, Marriott London Sevens, where the U.S. won its first Cup. After scoring four tries at the 2015 NACRA Sevens Championships, where Friday's squad qualified the U.S. for the Rio 2016 Olympic Summer Games, Barrett joined the 15s squad in preparation for Rugby World Cup 2015 in England, where he played in all four of the Eagles' pool matches.

The Eagles have been drawn into Pool C at HSBC Wellington Sevens alongside fifth- and sixth-ranked England and France, respectively, as well as Samoa. The U.S. trails Fiji and South Africa by just six points, and is deadlocked in third with Argentina. The defeats of New Zealand and South Africa proved the Eagles' mettle in the first two legs, but losses to Australia, England, Fiji, France, and Kenya showed that each team on the Series can win any given matchup.

"I would have taken third place going into Christmas if offered to me at the start of the season,' Friday said, "as we knew we would be undercooked going into the first two legs. But with where we were and how things were unfolding, to say I am disappointed that we are not on at least 38 points at this stage is an understatement.

"We are in the 'Group of Death' in Wellington so we need to prepare ourselves to the best of our ability and not expect things to happen, but take control and make them happen.'

The 12-man squad for HSBC Wellington Sevens will be selected during the preparation week prior to the tournament's kickoff Saturday, Jan. 30. Matches will be played Friday, Jan. 29, and Saturday, Jan. 30, U.S. time, with live updates provided by USA Rugby's Twitter account.

Men's Eagles Sevens | Travel Squad