USA Men’s Falcons Sevens Convene in Chula Vista for High Performance Camp Ahead of Coral Coast 7s Selection

The USA Men’s Falcons Sevens program comes together for the first time in 2024 on Monday January 8 at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center. The team’s week of training will help determine the roster for Fiji’s Coral Coast 7s tournament, January 18-20. 

USA Women’s Sevens Assistant Coach Zack Test steps in as the head coach for the Falcons squad heading to Fiji, with JK Anderson joining as assistant coach. 

The Falcons camp roster features a few athletes in USA Sevens residency, including Will Chevalier, Lorenzo Thomas, and Noah Brown. Maka Unufe is making his sevens return after stepping away for a few months to spend time with family, Unufe last pulled on the USA jersey in Cape Town for Toulouse Sevens last May. Unufe last pulled on the USA jersey in Cape Town for the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022. Jake Broselle and Noah Brown return for a shot at their second Coral Coast 7s appearance. 

Following in his uncle’s footsteps, Peter Sio returns to USA Rugby Pathways assembly after a strong RugbyTown 7s showing in August. Sio is the nephew of USA Eagle Alum Peter Sio who appeared on the Sevens Series from 2006-10. Jerome Nale also steps back into the sevens fold for the first time since 2021 after debuting for the USA in Vancouver.

Tucker Trickey, EJ Freeman, and Ulu Niutupuivaha will join the Falcons camp off standout participation in the U23s pathway, including a 2023 RugbyTown 7s win last August. 

The USA Falcons roster for 2024 Fiji Coral Coast Sevens will be announced at the conclusion of the camp.

USA Men's Sevens Head Coach Mike Friday on player selection for the camp: "The thought process behind the selection for camp is on a number of levels, competing for the Coral Coast 7s and the Perth SVNS teams. We're trying to be competitive this week, and we're giving opportunities to residency players to participate in the Flacons tour, which is a bit of a quasi-camp linking in with the U23 players who excelled at RugbyTown 7s, as well as inviting some players who didn't make the U23s RugbyTown team. What we're looking to send the strongest team possible to Perth and a very strong team to Fiji, which will be a mix of U23 and residency players, with one eye on Paris 2024 but also continuing the developing part toward 2028."

USA Falcons Sevens Head Coach Zack Test on stepping into the role: "I am truly grateful for the opportunity. I became a part of the program back in 2008 as a young 17/18-year-old. Now, to be in a position to help empower and support a group of young men on their next step of their rugby journey is a blessing. As we are in a critical point in the Olympic build up, it’s great to see all players being pushed to become the best versions of themselves as individuals and as a collective. I look forward to helping the players and the program this week and into Fiji."