The USA Men's 7s team will kick off tomorrow, Wednesday (Thursday in Fiji) at the Coral Coast Fiji's 7s tournament.
With the team in the SVNS D2 this year, which guarantees them only three tournaments (and three more if they do well), the Eagle men will greatly benefit from exposure in this event.
Head Coach Zack Test and staff have selected the 14-man squad to travel to Sigatoka for the three-day festival.
There is also a Seattle Barbarians team competing at the event.
Veteran Eagle Stephen Tomasin will be the captain. New residency addition and former West Point star Lucas Pattinson will get his first USA 7s runout.
“We are looking for players to rise and consistently impact the game positively, respond to adversity, hold our standards, and trust what we have built on the off season and continue to build upon it," said Test. “We are looking for consistent, repeatable, positive impact on the game overall - not flashes. We want to see players making good decisions, impacting moments, and influencing play whether they’re directly involved or supporting. New opposition will challenge us in different ways, and will test how quickly we respond: our body language, our communication, and our ability to reset and stay connected to the next action. We want to see that our standards travel. Regardless of venue, opponent, or circumstance, the expectations around effort, detail, and behavior don’t change.”
This Tour will test the team across the systems they've built at home and will be the ideal opener to challenge the work of their preparation, forging stronger trust and connection. Test continued;
“Competing on foreign soil against different styles and challenges shows the group what they’re capable of when they stay true to who they are. That confidence is earned, not manufactured. So, while we train skills at home, we can’t replicate the pressure, the unity, or the growth that comes from being tested together overseas and that’s why these trips are such a powerful part of our preparation.”
With the Flying the Fijians being one of the top skilled international sides, this tournament was selected intentionally to test physicality and reaction under pressure.
The Eagles will play the Chenai Bulls Selects out of India, the Axellerate Dominion Brothers out of Fiji, and, another very interesting matchup with the Mike Friday McDonald's Selects. Friday, of course, used to coach the USA 7s team and was Test's coach. Former USA standouts Perry Baker and Matai Leuta will be playing for the McDonald's team.
Teams from Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Britain (the British Army), and Canada are all there, too.
Overall, though, most of the teams are Fijian, and they are all good ... as Test points out.
“They bring speed, physicality, instinct, and creativity often all in the same moment. That means there’s nowhere to hide.” Test explained. “Tackle technique, spacing, communication, and decision-making under pressure all get exposed quickly. What makes it especially valuable early is that they punish hesitation. When systems aren’t clear, connection breaks down, or standards slip even briefly, you’ll feel it straight away.
“As a first hit-out, it’s perfect: high tempo, high challenge, honest feedback. It tells us very quickly where we’re at and what we need to sharpen as we continue to build. We will see immediate feedback on what’s real and what still needs work. We will be forced to stay disciplined while being adaptable, giving us the exact balance we want to test at this stage.”
Drawn into Pool C, the USA will hope to see the Fijians in the finals stages as they face off first against the Chennai Bulls, a Select team from India. The USA will also kick off against the McDonald’s Mike Friday Selects, coached by former USA Head Coach Mike Friday and will feature some familiar faces in Perry Baker and Matai Leuta.
Matches will be broadcast live on FBC with a livestream of Ground 1 matches available for audiences around the world on Viti+ https://www.viti.plus/title/93/coral-coast-sevens-2026
