The Northeast Rugby Academy has announced the acceptance of 26 new male athletes.

While about half of the incoming players are established athletes on the domestic rugby 7s circuit and have been under the watchful eye of the Academy for some time, another 12 are joining the squad on trial basis as a direct result of the USA Rugby National Tracking Camp (NTC) held at Columbia University earlier this spring. 

Academy coaches, Sean Horan, Steve Lewis, John McGeachy, Josh Smith, Rob Chudzik and Dominic Wareing evaluated over 50 athletes at the successful May 17th event. More cuts are inevitable, but it is a testament to USA Rugby’s Academy and NTC systems that some new player potential was identified at the camp. 

Overall, this is a young recruiting class. Six of the invitees still qualified for USA U20 selection when training opened at the end of June. Their youth, however belies the group’s experience. No fewer than eight of the selectees have already earned caps on All-American or National Select sides. 

“In line with the Northeast Academy mission to identify and develop American rugby players, we look forward to welcoming these athletes, giving them training and playing opportunities, and helping them achieve their potential,” said Northeast Academy Director of Coaching, Steve Lewis,

For these new players, the Northeast Academy exhibits their pathway to the next level in Men's Competition. Each week their performance will be assessed at Academy training sessions and in tournament play with their local clubs, as they compete for the opportunity to earn a positionrepresenting the Academy in both domestic and international competition.

“The Academy played a role in getting my opportunity with the USA sevens team. It gives players, regardless of (being) premiership or division club players, a chance to be seen on different stages and tournaments," said current USA Sevens Eagle and Northeast Academy alumnus, Nate Augspurger. "Visibility and experience are benefits you'll get from those opportunities. Training with the academy outside of those tournaments provides a standard handed down from USA Rugby about what is to be expected of you based on skill and performance.

"At the Northeast Academy we have had exceptional coaching to guide those techniques and skills needed at the world class level, from Coach Steve Lewis, among others in the region. The Las Vegas Invitational was one tournament of many that I represented the Academy and it was shortly afterthat when I received an invite to the USA High Performance Camp. I have continued to have success with the current USA Sevens team since then.”

 

The Northeast Academy Recruits Are:

John Abraham -Dartmouth & Canada A

Harry Higgins -Arkansas State & College AA

Christian Adams -AIC & College AA

Paris Hollis -Life U & College AA

Michael Al-Jiboori -Oklahoma

Wes Lillig -Boston Irish Wolfhounds

Ryan Blythe -West Virginia & College AA

Ian Luciano -New England College

Dylan Bonsignor -Bergen Bruisers

Bryan Michel -Stony Brook University

Hunter Boesch -Fairfield University

Kevin Morgan -SUNY Oswego

Dylan Carrion -Arkansas State & College AA

Philip Salter -Stony Brook University

Michael Cirbee -Virginia Tech

Saif Sondaty -Plymouth State

Nicholas Coppola -Binghamton University

Sam Sutera -UMass

Okuade Durham -Village Lions, RFC

Connor Wallace-Sims -USA U20

Conor Fay -Virginia Tech

Shane Wend -Stony Brook University

Tom Haussrer -Arkansas State & College AA

Cale Williams -New York, RFC

Raphael Henriquez -University at Albany

Ky Young -New England College

 

 

The Northeast Academy, with training squads in New York City and Boston, is a National Development Academy that has been sanctioned by USA Rugby as the official Academy (Men & Women) in the Northeast of America and as a designated pathway to the USA Eagles National Team selection. The purpose of the Academy is to identify, develop and prepare Sevens rugby players with the intention of placing ambitious athletes onto the USA National teams and future USA Olympic teams. The Academy will provide athletes with top level coaching, physical preparation, and playing competition to accelerate their personal development as Sevens players in line with current USA Eagles High Performance criteria.