All-Time American List: Ray Nelson
Ray Nelson was a points machine and a dynamic fullback for the USA.
Capped 25 by the USA at a time when the Eagles didn't play a lot every year, Nelson was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and he played his first rugby games there. He was talented and went on to play for Scotland at age-grade levels and was also skilled in 7s.
After a move to California to attend Cal State Long Beach, Nelson pitched up for the Los Angeles club and was a standout for the Southern California Griffins and Pacific Coast Grizzlies. He made his debut for the USA 15s team in 1983 and suited up at wing throughout the USA's successful tour of Australia. Nelson had quickly established himself as a potent attacking force and a strong defender, but he was also an effective goalkicker.
Iosefo, Williams Lead USA Men To Madrid
The USA Men's 7s team Head Coach Mike Friday has picked 16 players to travel for the USA Men’s Sevens National Team’s first international competition of 2021.
The event takes place in Madrid, Spain from Feb 20 to 21 and 27 to 28 with six senior national men’s and women’s sides competing across both weekends. A LIVE stream location will be announced by tournament organizers this week.
The squad will compete internationally for the first time in nearly a year following strong scrimmage performances in the Golden Eagles Showdown last December. Martin Iosefo will lead the group as Captain with Kevon Williams serving as Vice Captain. Starting lineups picked in the days before each weekend.
All-Time American List: Ellie Karvoski
A convert from field hockey, Ellie Karvoski brought an athleticism and analytic mind to wing for the USA both in 15s and 7s.
The quick, explosive outside back had a coach's mind and an athlete's finishing touch. After the USA Women's 15s team saw its fortunes dip somewhat in the early 2000s, she reminded us that to win at the highest level you needed to be a rugby player, for sure, but you also needed to be an athlete—an athlete who was not just physically gifted, but motivated, and smart.
All-Time American List: Vaea Anitoni
One of the most respected and feared rugby players in American history, Vaea Anitoni remains one of the greatest Eagles ever, and that won't change.
A friendly, engaging man born in Tonga and a naturalized American, Anitoni dedicated his life to playing for his beloved San Mateo Rugby Club, which he led to two national D1 club championships, and to the United States, which he represented with distinction.
Anitoni was usually a flyhalf for San Mateo and was the man in charge for what was one of the very best clubs in the nation. For the USA he was on the wing, where his pace and understanding of space broke open defenses all over the world. In his 46 games for the United States, Anitoni scored 26 tries. When he retired from the Eagles he was the only USA player in double figures in tries.
RMA: In The 2nd Row With Nick Civetta
USA lock Nick Civetta is back for the 2nd half of his RMA Podcast show with Bruce McLane and Alex Goff.
This time around it's a technical clinic. Civetta talks about setting up for the lineout, dealing with the scrum as a second row forward, and even the right boots to wear!
We talk mauls, penalties, and what it takes to succeed at lock.
Listen with the player below or or click here >>
How Can You Support Goff Rugby Report and RMA? Here's how >>
USA Women 7s Set For Madrid
Madrid, Spain—The USA Women’s Sevens National Team will compete for the first time since the conclusion of the 2020 World Series this month in Madrid, Spain.
Head Coach Chris Brown has named his roster for two weekends of international play happening Feb 19-21 and 26-27. Full schedule, confirmed teams and broadcast details will be confirmed by event organizers in the coming days.
A total of 16 players will travel for both weekends with Kris Thomas and Abby Gustaitis named as co-Captains. Newcomers Sui A’au, Nia Toliver and Jaz Gray will join an experienced bunch as the squad takes the world stage for the first time in a year.
All-Time American List: Scott LaValla
Scott LaValla's high school team once finished 7th at the national championships only to see LaValla be named the tournament MVP.
That happened partly because LaValla's high school team, the Budd Bay Barbarians out of the Olympia, Wash. area, had lost two games on penalty kick tiebreakers before winning the 7th-8th game. LaValla and his mates were just a bit unlucky. The lock-flanker-No. 8 went on to captain the USA U19s and U20s, and then looked to be on track to be lost to college football. That's when he took the path less traveled. With a chance to play gridiron in college, he chose instead to attend Dublin University in Ireland and play for their rugby team, Trinity.
All-Time American List: Alison Price
An unflinching pillar of marble in the fluid, weaving game of 7s, Alison Price won games took names and smashed opponents throughout the early 2000s.
Price was the central forward in the Northeast 7s All-Star team that won the National 7s All-Star Championships in 2005, 2006, and 2007. She was a massive part of the Kansas City Jazz, Atlantis, New York, and then the USA.
She played for the USA team for six years, and just missed the growth of international women's 7s game, a game where she would have thrived as an enforcer who could run.
All-Time American List: Tam Breckenridge
Tam Breckenridge played eight times for the USA and was only the 18th player ever to be selected for the USA Women's 15s National Team.
A tall lock who was hugely effective in the lineout, Breckenridge's USA career was all about the massive battles. In her eight test matches from 1988 to 1993 she played Canada three times, New Zealand, twice, England twice, and the Netherlands. Whenever the USA played someone they expected to beat, someone else patrolled second row. Whenever it was a massive test of wills against the best in the world (and remember the Netherlands game was a 7-0 mudbath), Brekenridge was called upon.
In her eight test matches only one could be called a comfortable win (28-3 over Canada in Edmonton in 1989). The games included two 7-0 nailbiters (Netherlands and New Zealand), a 13-12 win over Canada, and a World Cup Final (19-6 over England).
All-Time American List: Mike Te'o
Our series of All-Time Americans continues with a player who, it seems, needs to prove himself every time there's a new national team cycle.
Mike Te'o is something of a unique player, and as such sometimes difficult to categorize—and you know how coaches like to categorize.
What is true is that rugby teams Mike Te'o played for won games, and continue to win games. Not especially tall, and shaped in a way that makes you think he's a front row player, Te'o is in fact an enormously elusive and speedy athlete with an outstanding vertical leap, an understanding of how to attack, and a nose for tryline.
All-Time American List: Olo Fifita
Oloseti Fifita played for the USA for only four years, but it wasn't really his fault that he wasn't capped until he was 31.
Fifita had a long list of excellent loose forwards to break past to make the USA team and show the world what was common knowledge through the Bay Area in the late 1990s—you tackled Olo at your peril. He had to content himself with winning rugby games in the toughest league in the country, and knocking players on the backs every week.
A solid block of granite playing mostly blindside flank or No. 8, Fifta was as imposing a carrier of the ball as there was in the game. He had speed to go with the power and more than a few backs simply said "after you" and got out of his way. Fifita led the Hayward Griffins to a national DII title in 1997, and a championship in the original Major League Rugby amateur competition in 1999.
All-Time American List: Tim O'Brien
Yet another in a list of All-Time Americans who are well-known for something other than their play on the field, longtime Saint Mary's College Head Coach Tim O'Brien was in his day a top-shelf flyhalf.
O'Brien started playing rugby before he had turned 18, which was a rarity for American players in the 1970s. Having gained that experience he continued on at the University of California, helping the team (pictured above) to national titles in 1980 and 1981. He captained Cal and then went on to play in New Zealand and was quickly called up to the USA team.
He He played three games for the USA, against New Zealand, Canada, and Australia, and he also played for the Rugby Club of the Americas and the Pacific Coast Grizzlies, touring Argentina and South Africa with those teams.
All-Time American List: Jocelyn Tseng
Jocelyn "Jossie" Tseng was a scrumhalf with intelligence and an excellent pass and vision who helped Stanford to national prominence and followed that up with success on the international stage,
Tseng took up rugby at Stanford and that decision coincided with Stanford's most dominant period in women's college rugby. The Cardinal made the national D1 final all four years (all against Penn State) and won three, in 2005, 2006, and 2008. She was the starting flyhalf as a freshman in 2005, helping Stanford beat Penn State by 47 in the national final.
Able to play both flyhalf and scrumhalf, Tseng was really a #9 for the Eagles. But her versatility was useful to her college and club. She went on to join the Berkeley All Blues while in med school and twice the All Blues won the Women's Premier League while she was with them.
All-Time American List: Andrew Suniula
The name Suniula has become synonymous with American rugby in the last 13 years or so.
Andrew Suniula is the oldest of three brothers who played for the USA. Born in American Samoa and raised in new Zealand, Andrew was first capped in 2008 and ended up playing 39 times for the USA, including two Rugby World Cups.
He played professionally in rugby league for Auckland and Manly and in rugby union in New Zealand, Australia, England, Romania, and the USA before hanging up his boots and becoming a coach. Domestically he played for the Chicago Griffins, a team he also captained and coached, as well as the San Diego Breakers of PRO Rugby and the Austin MLR team. He was a bruising runner at inside center, with skill to distribute and the intelligence and gravitas to lead.
All-Time American List: Pam Kosanke
Pam Kosanke was a standout for the USA in 15s and 7s, playing 11 times for the Eagle 15s over the course of eight years.
Kosanke was a center in 15s, excellent in defense and able to break away with acceleration and an ability to break tackles. Her 62 points in test matches is the 9th most all-time among women 15s Eagles. She scored three tries in the 2006 Rugby World Cup as the USA finished 4-1 and 5th.
As a 7s player Kosanke appeared in 17 tournaments for the USA as well as several tours for Atlantis, a team she captained. She was part of the team that finished 3rd in the 2009 Rugby World Cup 7s and played in the Hong Kong 7s seven times
