World Rugby’s Pacific Nations Cup returns this Friday as the USA Men’s Eagles land in Calgary for a first-round battle with Canada from McMahon Stadium, Friday August 22.
Friday will be the opening match of a four-week tour that next heads back to home soil in the US for the pool play finale and final rounds. This year’s Pacific Nations Cup brings high stakes as the full tournament will serve as the qualification pathway for Rugby World Cup 2027, an early opportunity for the Men’s Eagles to secure their spot on rugby’s biggest stage.
USA vs Canada kicks off Fri, August 22 at 9pm ET with live coverage in the US on Paramount+ and globally on RugbyPassTV.
Head Coach Scott Lawrence said on the start of the Pacific Nations Cup, “Going into this assembly our priorities were to create the right environment for the players to express themselves. We’ve concentrated on being clear about the simple things and then let the players fill in the gaps, let them trust their skill sets.”
Captain Benjamin Bonasso added with a focus on Friday’s match, “We’re ready to compete, we’re focused on dominant carries and tackles in the set piece and breakdown. We have a lot of confidence in the forward pack and throughout the team, we’re just really excited to get into the fight.”
USA Men’s Eagles Roster | USA vs Canada
Name | Club |
---|---|
1. Jack Iscaro | Old Glory DC |
2. Kapeli Pifeleti | Montauban (FRA) |
3. Tonga Kofe | Leicester Tigers |
4. Marno Redelinghuys | Houston SaberCats |
5. Jason Damm | CA Legion |
6. Benjamin Bonasso | Unattached |
7. Cory Daniel | Old Glory DC |
8. Makeen Alikhan | Anthem Rugby Carolina |
9. JP Smith | Seattle Seawolves |
10. AJ MacGinty | Bristol Bears (ENG) |
11. Lauina Futi | Seattle Seawolves |
12. Tavite Lopeti | CA Legion |
13. Dominic Besag | Saint Mary’s College |
14. Rufus McLean | Houston SaberCats |
15. Erich Storti | Anthem Rugby Carolina |
16. Kaleb Geiger | New England Free Jacks |
17. Ezekiel Lindenmuth | Houston SaberCats |
18. Pono Davis | Houston SaberCats |
19. Tevita Naqali | Old Glory DC |
20. Viliami Helu | CA Legion |
21. Christian Poidevin | CA Legion |
22. Ethan McVeigh | Old Glory DC |
23. Tom Pittman | Anthem Rugby Carolina |
USA Men’s Eagles Coaches & Staff | Pacific Nations Cup
Scott Lawrence | Head Coach
Alama leremia | Backs & Attack Coach
Steve Brett | Skills Coach
Nick Easter | Forwards & Defense
Blake Bradford | Scrum Coach
Rodolfo Broggi | Lead Performance Coach
Jimmy Harrison | Head of Analysis
Declan Oorloff | Analyst
Matoko Noudehou | Performance Coach
Michael Sheridan | Lead Athletic Trainer
Jennifer Roney | Athletic Trainer
Willie Berlanga | Sports Massage Therapist
Sam Akhavan | Team Doctor
Nick Colling | Team Manager
Calder Cahill | Media Manager
USA Men’s Eagles Schedule | Pacific Nations Cup
Canada vs USA
Aug 22, 7pm ET | Calgary, AB, Canada
Watch Live on Paramount+
USA vs Japan
Sep 6, 7pm ET | Sacramento, CA
Watch Live on Paramount+
GET TICKETS »
Pacific Nations Cup Semifinals
Sep 14 | Denver, CO
Watch Live on Paramount+
GET TICKETS »
Pacific Nations Cup Finals
Sep 20 | Salt Lake City, UT
Watch Live on Paramount+
GET TICKETS »