USA Rugby Seven starts off with a bang.

Last year the USA placed dead last in Dubai. This year they reached the final game. The year before in 2016 they didnt make the Cup knockout rounds of the top 8 nations. This effected their final standing which is when the Champion for the year is declared. The USA were only 5 points behind England and 6 points behind Australia in last years 2017-2018 Rugby World Seven Series. 

This year they wanted start strong and they did. In the knockout round they beat last years runner up and olympic Champion Fiji. They then gutted out a hard fought win against Australia 22-17.

They faced down New Zealand and lost 21-5. However they do take home 19 points and sit in second place. I know it is early however this is the best USA has even done in Dubai. This is one series out of 10 which concludes in Paris

Next location is South Africa next weekend

USA Rugby year in Review

USA Rugby year in Review 2018

USA Eagles had an awesome year in 2018. They won the Americas Rugby Championship for the
second year in a row. They also had more convincing wins that the previous year. This was the first
year they went undefeated in this tournament. This was a very good step forward, seperating themselves from
the rest of the Americas. Hopefully we will see Argentinas top team if the USA keep winning.

Major League Rugby: This League may be more important than the American Rugby

Championship. The first year was 2018 and it was a success. Attendance is only about 2,000 per

game however it provides a chance for players to play professionally in the USA. It also provided a competition for
half the year to keep the top players or even developing players a place to play in USA,

USA World Seven Series : They also had a very good year. They placed 6th in the World Rugby

Seven Series. They were never in the top 6 in the first 15 years of this tournament. They have placed

6th in 3 of the last 4 years and placed 5th place in 2017. They are competing and beating the top teams

in this sport. New Zealand and Fiji still remain the nations to beat here.

USA Sevens World Cup 2018. This tournament was hosted in the USA San Francisco and was a

huge success. Both in attendance, interest and the results. They achieved their  highest ever Rugby

Sevens World Cup result and placed 6th. They lost in the quarterfinals to England in Extra Added time.

The good thing is most people, including myself though we had a legitimate shot at winning this

tournament. This is a huge adjustment attitude in this sport and it is nice we can compete with the top

teams in the world.

USA Eagles Test Matches:

The USA Eagles have won 8 test matches in a row. They also beat a Tier 1 nation, Scotland for
the first time. They have also move up the ranking in the last 10 years. From the 20th spot in 2008 to
the 13th spot in 2018. The 13th ranking is the highest ranking the USA has ever achieved. 2018 has
been the best year for USA Rugby ever with Gary Gold as their head coach.

Going forward:

• The USA first has the Americas Rugby Championship to defend
• Then there is the Rugby Seven World Series that Starts in December this year and run the first half of 2019.
• We also want to keep an eye on Major League Rugby. There will be to 2 more teams and a new Rugby Stadium
• in Houston. 2020 3 more Rugby teams in Boston, Atlanta and Washington D.C. Just as Major League Soccer
• benefited soccer in this nation, Rugby should do the same.
• The USA Eagles have the 2019 World Cup Japan coming up.

USA trying to gain Tier 1 status win latest victory

First off. Who are the Tier 1 nations.  

Well - the Six Nations Championship teams are all
tier 1. So England, France, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Italy. Then the 4 nations from the
Rugby Championship (New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina). That’s about it,

Tier II:

Fiji, Japan, Tonga and Georgia all currently out rank Tier 1 Italy. Georgia has been lobbying
to replace Italy in the Six nations Championship, however Italy beat Japan 25-22 in June
2018 and Georgia 28-17 in Florence Nov 2018. Italy has never lost to Georgia. So how can Georgia
claim to take Italys place in the Six Nations or even this "Tier I" status.
So i guess we will see Italy take their place back in the top 10 soon.

Every nation are trying to catch there so called Tier 1 nations.

Fiji is the top nation in the Pacific Nations Cup. Winning the battle of the Pacific nations time
and again. They have a dominant Rugby 7 team but are vying, just like the other Tier 2
nations to be considered for Tier 1. To do this these teams have to beat Tier 1 sides in
meaningful Test match games or at next years Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Fiji, Japan, Georgia Tonga, Samoa and the USA are all trying to catch the elusive status of
Tier 1 nation.

.

Where does the USA stands:

The USA are probing the top 10. They have won their last 9 games including a victory against Tier 1
Scotland. I would put them exactly where they are. A solid Tier 2. They ony beat Samoa with
a last second kick, They just played and beat #16th ranked Samoa on neutral site (France).
Next up
for the USA Eagles will be an away game against #17 ranked Romania. Away games are
much harder. After that they play #2 ranked Ireland in Ireland. To be considered for Teir 1 you
have to beat them. USA Eagles are making tremendous strides howver beating Teir 1
consistently---is required.

For now lets enjoy the 9 game win streak and the upcoming Test match against another Tier 2 nations
Romania trying to prove themselves.

USA 22-59 Mãori All Blacks

  The USA win streak is over. The USA Eagles (Rugby name) got swamped by the Maori All Blacks.
Gary Gold knew the storm was coming. The All Blacks were to clinical for this emerging country.

I sometimes think, the USA have the larger population, more resources and better facilities so they should eventually win. Rugby nations like the south Pacific nations of  New Zealand, Fiji, Somoa and even Tonga are fundamentally sounder that the USA Eagles....why ...well they have been playing their whole life and play all the time.

The USA is still emerging. Major League Rugby is a good step. This league should increase the interest of the college "farm system" so players, if they are any good could have something to play for to earn a pay check.

Yes we are emerging.
Next up for the USA Eagles is Romania. Romania is only ranked 2 spots behind the USA. The game will be played in Capital of Romania, Budapest. Romania, just lie the USA are trying to climb in the rankings.This game will be an official test match so the USA can get their full complement of players.

USA flops are the Americas Pacific Challenge

The first year the USA Selects placed 5th, the next year the improved to 2nd place. This year they didn't even win a game. They lost to the Pacific nation of Tonga A, then they lost 18-33 to the host. They then went on and got blow out by Argentina XV 15:55. I  was hoping to see hte USA dept improve here.

We had the first year of Major League Rugby. We had the USA full national team repeat as champions in the Americas Championship- winning all their games.

Then earlier this year the USA selects- which is like the junior team, lost the qualification home/away series against their rivals Canada. Yes that right, Canada juniors beat out the USA Selects to participate in the U-20 World Rugby Trophy tournament - That is the Tier 2 tournament of 8 nations trying to improve in Rugby.

The USA Selects have a lot of work to do for next year to start the process all over again.

Next up will be the November Test matches, and they all look challenging.

USA Selects 30-39 Tonga A Rugby

The USA Selcts lost 30-39 to Tonga A. I see this as an improvement. The first year USa lost 12-62 to Fiji. The next year 2017 they played Somoa and lost 26-48. (22 point  difference). This year the USA selects lead late in the game and lost 30-39 to Tonga. (9 point difference)

   Tonga and Somoa are about equal sides. So this ---so far looks like USA is slowely  but consistently closing the gab. We will see just how far they have come with Argintina and Canada still remaining. 

Why the USA selects might to do well in the American Pacific Challenge

The USA is bringing a young and experienced mix of players to the American Pacific Challenge in Uruguay. There are 27 players who will make the trak to South America. There will be 12 players already capped from the full national team, 10 have experience from the successful 2017 Pacific Americas challenge, and 3 your stars trying to crack the starting 15 that are 1st team All American.


The USA players play on many different teams and Major League Rugby will be well represented. Finally USA has a league to lean of to derive their players from.