The USA Men’s Sevens squad heads to the 2024 Perth SVNS with a full roster as four veteran players make their return following a fall break.

Kevon Williams returns as captain for the third stop on the 2024 HSBC SVNS tour as the Eagles eye improvement in the ranks. Competition kicks off Friday, January 26. All action will be available on RugbyPass TV, with semifinals and finals also live on Peacock. 

Joe Schroeder, Stephen Tomasin, and Perry Baker join Williams in their first SVNS stop of the season. Maka Unufe, who last played for the sevens in Toulouse last May, is back on the pitch after a break from rugby spent with family. 

The squad of 13 head to Perth following tough results in Dubai and Cape Town. Reconnected and reflected on the past weeks, the team’s focused mindset will be in full force in Australia. 

“It is a huge boost to have the entire squad to select from following the player load decisions we had to contend with at the back end of 2023," said USA Head Coach Mike Friday. "The senior boys are well rested and excited for the challenge ahead in Perth. We are under no illusions how important this tournament is and the competitive brutality of the SVNS Series, when on any given Sunday any team from 12 can win. We have worked hard on being true to our attacking strengths and acknowledging that we cannot make the number of unforced possession errors that we made in the last two tournaments.”

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The USA sits 10th in the SVNS standings after Coming 11th out of 12 in Cape Town. Playing with a mixture of experienced and less experienced players, the Eagles were inconsistent to say the least, showing well in plucky losses against strong teams and then losing the plot against teams they were favored to beat. 

The Eagles begin their Perth SVNS tour against hosts Australia, who won their last meeting, in Dubai 26-12. The Aussies will be putting on a show in front of their home crowd, so the USA will look to make a statement in their first match of the weekend. 

The USA meets Ireland next, and the Irish have been solid, taking 5th and 4th in the first two tournaments of the season. After that it's Great Britain, a team the Eagles have played three times so far this season, losing two close ones and smoking them 36-12 in the Dubai. 

This is most definitely a more seasoned USA lineup. While newcomer Orrin Bizer returns for his third USA outing, Perry Baker, Williams, Stephen Tomasin, Madison Hughes, and Maka Unufe all have more than 40 tournaments to their record. Still, much will be epected of the likes of Bizer and Aaron Cumming, as well as the still relatively new Lance WIlliams. 

USA Pool Play Schedule in Perth:
Friday, January 26
v Australia | 3:14 am ET v Ireland | 7:50 am ET

Saturday, January 27
v Great Britain | 12:48 am ET
Knockouts begin at 4:05 am ET