U20s Picked to Face Canada

Houston, Texas  – The USA U20 (aka Junior All American) team to face Canada's U20s in Austin, Texas has been named.

Head Coach JD Stephenson named his 26-player squad a series of camps, and will run out his MJAA team against Canada Feb 13 at Dell Diamond in the Lone Star State's capital. This game will decide which team out of North America plays in the World Rugby U20 Trophy. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:45pm, following the USA v Canada Americas Rugby Championship game at the same venue.

The game will be streamed live on USARugbyTv.com.

The squad features only four players that lost to Canada in a two-game qualifier series in 2015. 

Featuring four players that were part of last year's losing effort to the Canadians north of the border, the MJAAs will face their rivals in a one-off World Rugby U20 Trophy qualifier following the Americas Rugby Championship senior fixture earlier in the evening. Kickoff between the age-grade sides is scheduled for 8:45 p.m. ET with a live stream available on USA Rugby TV.

Of the 26 players, 16 played in the HS All American program in 15s or 7s, and several others were either in camp, or made major tours with the Eagle Impact Rugby Academy.  

This is almost exclusively a team of players who got their elite rugby start in High School, even though most are in college or club programs. The players come from all over, including such non-hotbeds as Arkansas and Nebraska. Unavailable for selection were Malcolm May, GRR's collegiate forward of the fall for 2015, who is injured, and Leki Fotu, the Herriman lock who is destined for DI football.

Top men's club Austin Blacks will host the team and scrimmage with them. The MJAAs are set to arrive in Austin Saturday, Feb. 6.