The Americas Pacific Challenge is the latest venture backed by World Rugby to give Tier 2 nations a step between pro/provincial/domestic competition and full internationals - this time, it might be the right fit.

The first efforts - the NA4, and then the different iterations of the Americans Rugby Championship through 2014 - often ran into issues because the existing USA coach needed game time for his current national team players. And while Mike Tolkin, USA Coach from 2012-2015, worked hard to try to blood players in the ARC, he was also hampered with the problem that many domestic Eagles were lacking game time.

So the USA Selects in the old ARC were teams that had lots of experienced national teams players on their rosters. This time, things will be different.

Sources say that the squad to play in the new Americas Pacific Challenge will be made up mostly of college players, recent USA U20s, some younger capped Eagles, and some 7s players looking to get some high-level 7s time. With PRO Rugby providing the regular high-level games many players needed (and say what you might about PRO Rugby, the league has given young players some solid development opportunities), now is the time to use the Americas-Pacific to take the next step.

And in fact, the plan isn't to populate the USA Selects with next year's Eagles - it's just as much to look toward 2020. Several of the players expected to suit up are barely out of their teens. 

On the coaching side, we’ll see a different approach, too. John Mitchell will not coach the USA Selects, and instead USA Rugby has assembled a separate coaching staff (well, mostly separate; one or two of the staff will be regular national-team guys, but the Head Coach and main assistants will not be). The plan was always to have an international competition in which various coaches could get experience, as well. It never really caught on … until now.