The USA Men’s 15s program are now assembled in Chula Vista, Calif. for the first camp of the year.
Last year, Head Coach Scott Lawrence said that the reduced size of Major League Rugby might open up space for more Eagle assemblies, and this is the first evidence of that.
Lawrence has 35 players in camp with several capped players and some still pushing for their first Eagles appearance. There are even two players who aren't eligible for the USA ... yet. New England Free Jack Wayne van der Bank and Seattle Seawolf Dan Kriel are expected to reach residency eligibility in 2027 but are in camp now to just get familiar with the program.
“This pre-season development assembly is an opportunity to check in with current Eagles as well as get our hands on a group of pathway and 2027 Eagle eligible athletes," said Lawrence. "The Eagles have some glaring positional needs to build depth. We’ve been following players closely who we think might meet or have enough development upside to achieve the positional requirements of the go forward RWC2027 game model. Getting to work with these athletes hands on helps accelerate our decision making in a critical year for 2027 cohesion building.”
The domestic list includes two Scholz Award winners in Payton Telea-Ilalio and Oscar Treacy, and several finalists for that award, including Sam Golla, Max Schumacher, and Peyton Wall.
Two players who had missed significant time due to injury are back, with Conner Mooneyham and Sam Golla back on the field.
The list also includes four MLR #1 draft picks in Golla, Mooneyham, Rick Rose, and Will Sherman.
