United States men's national rugby union team

United States men's national rugby union team
Country	United States
Union	USA Rugby
Nickname	Eagles
Ground	Various
Coach	Scott Lawrence
Captain	Greg Peterson
Caps	Todd Clever (76)
Top scorer	Mike Hercus (465)
Most tries	Vaea Anitoni (26)
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Contents

History
Team identity
Record
Players
Coaches
See also

United States men's national rugby union team. The team, nicknamed the Eagles, is governed by USA Rugby and represents the United States in international Test matches. It competes annually in competitions like the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup and qualifies for the Rugby World Cup, having appeared in every tournament since the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup. The Eagles are currently ranked within the world's top 20 by World Rugby and are a core member of the World Rugby Sevens Series for the United States men's national rugby sevens team.

History

The first national team match was played in 1912 against Australia in Berkeley, California. The team gained early prominence by winning the Olympic gold medal in 1920 and 1924, the last time rugby was a full medal sport until 2016. Following a long period of isolation from top-tier competition, the modern era began with qualification for the 1987 Rugby World Cup. A historic victory came at the 1999 Rugby World Cup against Scotland. The team's development was significantly boosted by the establishment of Major League Rugby in 2018, providing a professional domestic pathway.

Team identity

The team's nickname, the Eagles, and its emblem are derived from the national symbol, the bald eagle. Their primary colors are navy blue, red, and white, mirroring the American flag. The team's primary home venue has historically been Infinity Park in Glendale, Colorado, but they also play matches at larger venues like Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California and Audi Field in Washington, D.C.. Their traditional and most frequent rival is Canada, with matches for the Can-Am Trophy dating back to 1977.

Record

The Eagles have competed in all ten Rugby World Cup tournaments, with their best result being a single win in the pool stage, achieved in 1987, 2003, 2011, and 2019. They have never progressed to the knockout quarter-finals. In regional competition, they regularly contest the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup against teams like Fiji, Japan, and Samoa. A notable annual fixture is the Americas Rugby Championship, which they won in 2017 and 2018. Their highest-ever World Rugby Rankings position is 12th.

Players

Historically, many players came from a collegiate or military background, such as early star Dennis Murphy. The professional era saw key figures like record cap-holder Todd Clever, record points-scorer Mike Hercus, and try-scoring leader Vaea Anitoni. Current notable players include captain and lock Greg Peterson, experienced fly-half AJ MacGinty, and powerful center Paul Lasike. Selection has been transformed by MLR, which now supplies the majority of the player pool, including talents like Kapeli Pifeleti and Christian Dyer.

Coaches

The head coach position has seen significant turnover, often filled by international appointees. Early coaches included George Betts and Dennis Murphy. The professional era began with appointments like Jack Clark and Tom Billups. High-profile foreign coaches include John Mitchell of New Zealand, Eddie O'Sullivan of Ireland, and John Plumtree of New Zealand. Mike Tolkin led the team at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. The current head coach, appointed in 2023, is American Scott Lawrence.