The USA Men's 15s team kicks off their 2026 season celebrating the 250th Birthday of the USA, taking on Portugal at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in the Denver area, and it means a lot in a number of ways.
"It's unreal," said Head Coach Scott Lawrence about the chance for his players to represent their country on the 250th Independence Day. "I've been celebrating it all year."
The team will have some special recognition of the event and will wear a commemorative jersey. But the event will also be important simply because the crucial buildup to the 2027 Rugby World Cup kicks off here, too.
The Eagles will play Portugal, Zimbabwe, and Spain in the first three matches of the Nations Cup, with the final three being played in the fall.
All three teams are very challenging. The #16 ranked USA will be playing teams ranked $14, #24, and #17.
"Portugal and Spain have followed what is a proven recipe in this division," said Lawrence. "Domestically-focused competition with strong domestic teams. Portugal has tons of talent, they are very quick, and their transition game is very good."
The Lobos have won seven test matches in a row, which, Lawrence pointed out, "is very hard to do. If you look at the international teams in the top 20, they're one of two teams that's been able to accomplish that in the last couple of years. They are European champions; they are a very, very good team. So getting them out of the game will certainly stress us."
