Lawrence Post Highlights Place College, Age-Grade Has in Moonshot

01.01.2025National Teams

USA Rugby's men's age-grade camp wrapped up yesterday.

We don't know exactly what's in store for the U20s and the U18s. The World Rugby U20 plan appears to be in flux, and the U18s are exploring ways to find stiffer competition and pay for it.

But USA 15s Men's Head Coach Scott Lawrence had something to say about it.

Posting on social media Lawrence touted the unit between the senior program and the age-grade programs. All of that, Lawrence said, dovetails into the Moonshot—Lawrence's vision for the USA team to achieve major goals on the international stage. Lawrence has used USA Space Program terminology to explain the steps. Just as JFK wanted Americans on the moon before the 1960s were done (the first moon landing was indeed in 1969), Lawrence has targeted 2031, the Rugby World Cup to be hosted by the USA, as when he wants the Eagles to be in the semifinals.

That's the stated goal, and while it's enormously ambitious (just as Ireland), it also isn't achievable at all unless today's U18s and U20s are put in a position to succeed.

So he has Project Mercury, which was 2023 and was about starting the process. Project Gemini is now and includes building the U20s. Project Apollo would be 2028-2031 and is stated on Moonshot.Rugby as "Deliver exceptional pathways and teams that will represent us as a playing nation to the world in 2031."

Lawrence also talks about Zero-G, which is essentially getting the players and programs into orbit so they can be part of Gemini and Apollo.

That is what he is talking about when he posted this on LinkedIn:

Having spent the last 3 days out with our 18s and 20s providing https://moonshot.rugby fuel we can be sure of 3 things.
1. There is alignment on the zero-G game model through our age grades. An understanding of what's being done with the Eagles but more importantly a focus on core technical, tactical, and habit development for the future of zero-G when these players arrive to a new zero-G in a few year's time.

2. The 18-23 Gemini big play has the right investment thesis. The skill level is increasing however the players who are in competitive and professional minded DTE's are progressing at a faster rate, much faster. Players need to evaluate if they are playing in non competitive rugby environments without MMM if they want to become a pro and eventually Eagle standing on the field at the 2031 quarterfinal.

3. I reckon we're going to see a surge at a number of growth minded programs in the College Rugby Association of America where investment is taking hold armed with fresh American coaches who know how to coach American athletes with the right infrastructure, school, and alumni support. Penn State, Mount Saint Mary's, St Thomas are examples of this. This will grow exponentially if we can take the leap of investing in crossover contact athletes at the prop, lock, 6 position in those advanced DTE's.

Major college rugby is a huge part of this statement, and even club teams with volunteer coaches can provide DTEs (Daily Training Environments). This remains part of the USA pathway and that was a clear signal from Lawrence.

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