USA Men’s Falcons announce roster for Las Vegas Invitational

USA Men’s Falcons name roster for Las Vegas Invitational Feb 28 - Mar 2
Five senior Eagles Sevens, three D1A athletes and two Youth Olympians included in roster
Falcons use tournament as development opportunity for Project SOAR coaches
Score updates available on twitter.com/usarugby and usarugby.org/mens-falcons

LAS VEGAS, NV. - The USA Men’s Falcons have named their 13-player roster for the Las Vegas Invitational taking place this week Feb 28 - Mar 2 alongside the senior HSBC USA Sevens tournament.

Captained by senior Eagles Sevens player Cody Melphy, the developmental USA side will feature three D1A athletes in Life University’s Maciu Koroi, Austin White and Harley Wheeler. Two 2018 Youth Olympians are included as well in Inoke Waqavesi and Lauina Falatea who both represent the USA Men’s Sevens Academy Program.

Falcons’ regulars Travion Clark, D’Montae Noble and Thomas Robles were also selected, along with four more senior Eagles Sevens players in Pat Blair, Naima Fualaau, Anthony Welmers and Joe Schroeder.

USA Sevens Academy Player Ulu Niutupuivaha will also compete in the LVI tournament with the Denver Sevens Selects.

Drawn in Pool C of the Men’s Elite Sevens Division, the Falcons face the Misfits, Lomaiviti and STARS on Day One (Feb 28). Knockout rounds will begin on Day Two with the Cup Final held on Day Three. The division’s winning team will receive a $20,000 cash prize.

The Las Vegas Invitational will serve as a valuable development opportunity for both athletes and staff with the Falcons bringing two additional coaches and a Strength & Conditioning intern to shadow and support the group through competition. Both coaches were selected from Project SOAR, USA Rugby’s high performance coach development program.

“We have a well rounded and balanced side that is ready to compete in a very competitive competition. Although some of the boys did not get selected for Vegas, they are hungry to put the best foot forward and push for selection for the next stop in Vancouver,” said Head Coach JD Stephenson.

“This is a valuable and hands-on experience for our Project SOAR coaches to be a part of, and something we’d like to include in all of our assemblies. We must continue to develop our next level of coaches and provide opportunities for them to develop and grow.”

All Falcons games will take place at Silver Bowl Park including those contested by the USA Women’s Falcons as part of the Women’s Elite Sevens division.

While a broadcast partner has not been confirmed, scores updates will be available on twitter.com/usarugby and usarugby.org/mens-falcons. Attendance is free for all games.

Men's Falcons Roster

Player	Position	Club / Program
Patrick Blair	Hooker	USA Men's Sevens Residency Program
Travion Clark	Wing	Glendale Merlins
Lauina Falatea	Prop	USA Men's Sevens Academy Program
Naima Fualaau	Scrumhalf	USA Men's Sevens Residency Program
Maciu Koroi	Prop	Life University
Cody Melphy (C)	Center	USA Men's Sevens Residency Program
D'Montae Noble	Flyhalf	Kutztown Rugby
Thomas Robles	Prop	unattached
Joe Schroeder	Prop	USA Men's Sevens Residency Program
Inoke Waqavesi	Scrumhalf	USA Men's Sevens Academy Program
Anthony Welmers	Prop	USA Men's Sevens Residency Program
Harley Wheeler	Hooker	Life University
Austin White	Center	Life University

USA Men’s Falcons Staff

USA Men’s Falcons Schedule

Thursday, Feb 28 | All times Pacific
Field 15, Silver Bowl Park, Las Vegas, NV

vs Misfits | 12:20 PM
vs Lomaiviti | 2:20 PM
vs STARS | 5 PM

Click here for score updates

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About the USA Falcons

USA Falcons are the developmental teams for the senior men's and women's sevens programs who compete in domestic and international tournaments outside the main HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. The teams serve as a support to the senior Women's and Men's Eagles Sevens by building depth in the player pools for both programs and exposing new waves of athletes to international competition. Falcons competitions also provide more playing time for current national team players; streamlining the transition of new players to the senior programs with interaction between various experience levels. The USA Falcons are equivalent in competition level to the USA Selects in 15s.

About the Las Vegas Invitational

The Las Vegas Invitational (LVI) is the largest rugby tournament in North America that takes place annually alongside the HSBC USA Sevens international rugby tournament held in Las Vegas. The LVI is considered the premier amateur rugby event in the United States, featuring athletes and match-ups across a wide-range of rugby divisions and age groups. The tournament features club teams, select sides and National teams from around the world with more than 275 competing teams in 2018. The 2019 LVI will see an expansion of teams in multiple competitive divisions for men, women and youth.

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