Eagles Face Crucial Nations Cup Test on Road to 2031

By The Rugby Fan Central TeamPublished June 23, 2026Updated September 15, 2026

USA Rugby Eagles World Cup Journey

The USA Men’s Eagles have named a 31-player squad for the opening stage of the 2026 World Rugby Nations Cup, officially launching their Test season and beginning the next chapter in the build toward Rugby World Cup 2027.

Head coach Scott Lawrence has selected a group that combines experienced internationals with seven uncapped players, while also welcoming back a number of familiar names who have been unavailable during recent Eagles campaigns.

The Eagles will open their Nations Cup campaign against Portugal in Denver on July 4 before travelling to North Carolina to face Zimbabwe and Spain later in the month.

While the three-match series represents the first step in a demanding 2026 international calendar, it also provides an important opportunity to establish combinations and evaluate talent as preparations for Rugby World Cup 2027 accelerate.

New Faces Earn Their Opportunity

Among the most notable selections are seven uncapped players who could make their Eagles debuts during the Nations Cup campaign.

California Legion trio Cassh Maluia, Lance Williams and Ma’ake Muti have all been included alongside Old Glory DC prop John Rizzo, Anthem Rugby Carolina back Julian Roberts, Seattle Seawolves forward Mason Pedersen and USON Nevers back-rower Perry Mayo.

Their inclusion reflects Lawrence’s continued commitment to expanding the Eagles player pool while building greater depth ahead of the next World Cup cycle.

While the squad contains several established internationals, the Nations Cup presents an opportunity for a new generation of players to begin making their mark at test level.

Familiar Faces Return

The squad also sees the return of several experienced Eagles who have either been recovering from injury or unavailable during previous international windows.

Among those returning to play are AJ MacGinty, David Aiun’u, Joe Taufete’e, Oti Pifeleti, Rhyno Herbst, Christian Poidevin, Jamason Fa’ana-Schultz, Mark O’Keeffe and Kaleb Geiger.

Their return adds valuable leadership and international experience to a program looking to build continuity across a busy international schedule.

The experience of those players could prove particularly important in a tournament that will immediately test the Eagles against quality opposition.

Portugal Provides an Early Benchmark

July provides a direct test against nations around the Eagles in the rankings.

The opening match against Portugal may be the most revealing fixture of the series.

Portugal currently sits 14th in the World Rugby rankings, while the United States occupies 16th position and Spain sits 17th. With all three teams located in the same section of the rankings table, the Nations Cup offers a valuable opportunity to measure the Eagles’ progress against comparable opposition.

The United States enters the tournament following encouraging performances against Georgia and Romania during the 2025 international season.

Although the Eagles fell 43-30 to 13th-ranked Georgia, they scored three tries and remained competitive for long stretches. One week later, they secured a disciplined 26-18 victory over Romania in Bucharest.

Those performances suggested a team capable of challenging the nations immediately around them in the rankings.

Lawrence Focused on Long-Term Growth

Lawrence emphasized that July represents the first step in a much larger journey for the Eagles.

“July is about bringing our core playing group and new coaching staff together for the first time in seven months,”Lawrence said.

With Portugal already benefiting from significant time together this year and entering the series following a successful European campaign, Lawrence acknowledged the challenge awaiting his squad.

“Our leadership group understands that July is the first step in a 13-match journey through 2026,” Lawrence said. “This squad reflects the players we believe are best positioned for this window.”

Those comments reinforce the broader objective behind the Nations Cup. While results remain important, the tournament is equally valuable as an opportunity to establish systems, develop depth and continue building toward Rugby World Cup 2027.