The USA Men’s Eagles announced today the 23 players set to kick off against Canada in the first match in the 2024 Asahi Dry Pacific Nations Cup. Captained by Lock Greg Peterson, the squad has been prepping at the Elite Athlete Training Center in Chula Vista as they look toward another home soil game.
This is the first of two Pool B matches as part of the revived World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup. With six uncapped players, two collegiate stars and rising talent, Head Coach Scott Lawrence and staff look to expand the test match talent pool on this tour, and ultimately into next year’s PNC that will act as Rugby World Cup qualification. USA v Canada kicks off Saturday, August 31, at 6pm PT at DignityHealth Sports Park, live on Peacock.
Captain Greg Peterson will earn his 45th cap against Canada, while Sean McNulty and Pono Davis earn the opportunity for their first USA Eagles cap off the bench. Prop Alex Maughan will pull on the USA jersey, all in front of a home crowd for the RFCLA favorite, alongside Lock Jason Damm who makes his first appearance since 2022.
Canada heads to Los Angeles following a 28-55 loss to Japan last week. The USA and Canada last matched up in September 2021 for the Rugby World Cup 2023 qualifiers. The USA lost 21-34 in the first round, but beat the northern rivals 38-16 to win the aggregate score by 9 points. With three years and a lot of new energy on the USA squad, the Eagles are ready to reignite the North American Classic in LA for the home fans in support.
Head Coach Scott Lawerence said, “The men have been fortunate enough to prepare in the USA 7s home base in Chula Vista. We’re grateful for the use of the wonderful facilities which have allowed the team to prepare without distraction.”
| Name | Club | Caps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jack Iscaro | Old Glory DC | 7 |
| 2. Kapeli Pifeleti | Saracens (ENG) | 11 |
| 3. Alex Maughan | RFCLA | 3 |
| 4. Jason Damm | RFCLA | 2 |
| 5. Greg Peterson (C) | San Diego Legion | 44 |
| 6. Paddy Ryan | Coventry (UK) | 7 |
| 7. Cory Daniel | Old Glory DC | 3 |
| 8. Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz | Old Glory DC | 11 |
| 9. JP Smith | Seattle Seawolves | 2 |
| 10. Luke Carty | Chicago Hounds | 19 |
| 11. Nate Augspurger | Chicago Hounds | 43 |
| 12. Tommaso Boni | Old Glory DC | 6 |
| 13. Tavite Lopeti | Seattle Seawolves | 13 |
| 14. Conner Mooneyham | Seattle Seawolves | 1 |
| 15. Mitch Wilson | New England Free Jacks | 8 |
| 16. Sean McNulty | Miami Sharks | Debut |
| 17. Jake Turnbull | Anthem RC | 7 |
| 18. Pono Davis | Houston SaberCats | Debut |
| 19. Viliami Helu | San Diego Legion | 7 |
| 20. Thomas Tu’avao | Utah Warriors | 6 |
| 21. Ethan McVeigh | Old Glory DC | 1 |
| 22. Dominic Besag | Saint Mary’s College | 2 |
| 23. Chris Mattina | San Diego Legion | 5 |
Scott Lawrence | Head Coach
Alama Ieremia | Backs and Attack Coach
Nick Easter | Forwards and Defense Coach
Blake Bradford | Scrum Coach
Alex Ross | Head of Athlete Performance
Jimmy Harrison | Analyst
Declan Oorloff | Analyst
Rodolfo Broggi | Athlete Performance
Michael Sheridan | Head Athletic Trainer
Jennifer Roney | Assistant Athletic Trainer
Ron Klingensmith | Assistant Athletic Trainer
Willie Berlanga | Sports Massage Therapist
Corey Wells | Team Doctor
Marc Kowalsky | Team Doctor
Oscar Alvarez | Team Manager
Calder Cahill | Media Manager
USA vs Canada | August 31, 2024
Dignity Health Sports Park, Los Angeles, CA
Watch Live on Peacock
USA vs Japan | Sep 7, 2024
Kumagaya Rugby Stadium, Kumagaya City, JPN
Watch Live on Peacock
Playoff Rounds start Sat, September 14
Watch Live on Peacock
