Eagles Abroad Weekend Review

Chris Wyles, Hayden Smith and the Saracens defeated Leicester 18 t0 22 for the Aviva Premiership action. Wyles started at outside center, while Smith watched from the stands. You can see the video highlights here.

Seta Tuilevuka sat out Montpellier's 26-25 win over Racing Metro. Next up for Montpellier is Toulouse in the Top 14 final. It is unclear if Seta will be able to return to action in time, or if he is able to break into the game day squad.

James Paterson is still out injured. His team, the Highlanders, lost to the Lions 26-22 in their Super Rugby clash. Highlanders play Western Force on friday.

The U.S.A. 7's team had a disappointing weekend in Edinburgh as they went winless at the tournament. Some bright spots for the squad include the return of Nese Malifa, the continued improvement of Zack Test and Miles Craigwell, and the steady contribution of captain Matt Hawkins.

Churchill Cup Commericial

If you weren't already excited for the Churchill Cup, this might win you over.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

Eagles:

Todd Clever has updated us on the preparation of the Eagles in England.

The buildup to the Churchill Cup continues. England Saxons have named their squad, it is their youngest Churchill Cup team to date.

Italy A have also named their team. They have a mix of young and old players with the oldest, Mauro Bergamasco, who has 84 caps for Italy.

Kieran Crowley, the coach of Canada is looking forward to some good competition.

The officials have been announced for the opening matches.

7's:

Alex Goff of Rugbymag.com says that logic and fairness have prevailed in club 7's.

The NY Times is getting in on 7's fever as they have an article profiling the upcoming Collegiate Rugby Championships.

Video: Todd Clever answers questions

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

7's:

U.S.A. Rugby talks about the 7's team going winless in Edinburgh.

Eagles:

England lost their Churchill Cup tune up match to the Barbarians 32 to 38 at Twickenham.

U20's:

Rugbymag.com says the "U20's Rue Giveaways."

We Are Rugby has more on the U.S.A.'s loss to Russia in the World Junior Trophy. They also break down the other matches.

College/HS:

The most successful High School rugby coach of all-time, Larry Gelwix, is leaving his job at Highland High School for a mission with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Deseret News of Salt Lake has a feature on the coach.

Tidbits:

Apparently members of the U.S. Navy love to stop in New Zealand. The reason? Rugby.

7's Update: Russia 17-12 U.S.A.

Just like their U20 counterparts failed to do over the weekend, the U.S.A. 7's couldn't beat Russia. The Eagles crashed out of Edinburgh with a 17-12 defeat. Nese Malifa and Paul Emerick scored a try a piece for the Americans.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

7's:

The U.S.A. Sevens team had a dismal day at Edinburgh 7's. They went 0-3 on the day including a blowout loss to hosts Scotland. They'll look to rebound on day 2.

We Are Rugby has their take on the day's results.

U.S.A. Rugby tries to put a more positive spin on the day.

Eagles:

Chris Wyles and Hayden Smith are champions of England! The Saracens beat Leicester 22-18 in the Aviva Premiership final. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Chris Wyles started at outside center.

Italian player Sergio Parisse says that Italy's hopes for a successful World Cup depend on their match against Ireland. I wonder what the Eagles have to say about that?

England takes on the Barbarians today in preparation for the Churchill Cup.

U20's:

The U.S. U20 team lost their second match of the World Junior Trophy to Russia 42-36. Next up is hemisphere rivals Uruguay in their last pool play match.

U.S.A. Rugby has their press release about the match.

7's Update: Kenya 17-15 U.S.A.

Zack Test scored two tries and Shalom Suniula added another one but failed conversions cost the U.S. as they lost to Kenya, 17 to 15. This puts the Eagles out of the Bowl competition and the possibility of any points. Up next is Russia in the semi-finals of the Shield.

7's Update: Scotland 45-7 U.S.A.

The Eagles finished winless on the day after suffering a blowout loss to Scotland. Nese Malifa scored the only points for the Americans. Next they take on Kenya in the Bowl quarterfinals at 3:44 a.m. pst/7:44 a.m. est (10:44 a.m. gmt).

7's Update: Fiji 21-14 U.S.A.

Justin Boyd and Colin Hawley scored for the Americans but it wasn't enough to overcome Fiji. Next up is Scotland. The U.S. can still advance to the Cup bracket if they defeat Scotland by a large margin and hope that Samoa thrashes Fiji.

U20's Update: Russia 42-36 U.S.A.

Defense continues to be a problem for the U.S. as they gave up 42 points to Russia in their World Junior Trophy loss today. The Americans did score 4 tries however, with Michael Oliver, Bubba Jones, Madison Hughes, and Will Magie touching down. The U.S. will look to close out pool play next with a match against Uruguay.

7's Update: Samoa 21-12 U.S.A.

Matt Hawkins and Roland Suniula scored for the Americans but they were not able to over come Samoa's atttack in their first match at Edinburgh 7's. Up next is an equally tough Fiji.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

7's:

The U.S.A. Sevens team begins their search for points in the last IRB Seven Circuit tournament of the season today in Edinburgh.

Changes are underway for domestic 7's teams. They can now form their own clubs and have players registered separately from 15's.

Eagles:

Andrew Suniula has found a new home. He is set to play with the Cornish Pirates of the RFU Championship this next season. His signing brings the number of Americans in the competition to 6-8 (depending on how relegation plays out as well as loans.)

ESPNscrum spotlights another England player that could feature in the Churchill Cup.

U20's:

The U20's take on Russia today in their second match of the Junior World Trophy.

Tidbits:

The IRB is looking to continue the growth of the game. The are holding a conference in London to find ways to improve.

Prepping for Edinburgh Sevens

The U.S.A. 7's team enters the last event of the 2010-11 IRB Sevens Circuit. They share their pool with Samoa, Fiji, and the hosts Scotland. The group is a tough assignment but hopefully the Eagles will be able to pull it off.

Day 1 Schedule:

Samoa vs. U.S.A.- 4:42 a.m. pst/7:42 a.m. est (12:42 p.m. gmt)

Fiji vs. U.S.A.- 8:10 a.m. pst/11:10 a.m. est (4:10 p.m. gmt)

Scotland vs. U.S.A.- 1:11 p.m. pst/4:11 p.m. est (7:11 p.m. gmt)

News:

The U.S.A. 7's team will try to shake off their disappointing London performance as they turn their attention to Edinburgh.

The biggest worry for the team heading into the weekend? Maintaining a place as a core team by finishing in the top 12.

Matt Hawkins, represented the U.S. at a meeting of team captains in preparation for Edinburgh, the last leg of this year's IRB Sevens Circuit.

The squads have been released and with European action coming to a close, some big names have been called up to several squads. Included in the article is a special welcome to Edinburgh.

Buzz McClain of NBC Universal has a preview of this weekend's action.

First up for the Eagles is Scotland who are giving the U.S. some respect.

Andrew Suniula Signs with Cornish Pirates

Andrew Suniula, the oldest of the three rugby-playing Suniula brothers, has just signed on with the Cornish Pirates of the RFU Championship in England. Andrew has been capped 6 times by the Eagles, including last year's Churchill Cup and Autumn European tour, played for the Eagles Select XV 3 times, and has played in two tournaments for the USA 7's team.

Previously, Andrew played with the Manly-Warrington Sea Eagles of Australia's National Rugby League. Most recently he played for the Chicago Griffins of the U.S. Rugby Super League.

Eagle's Abroad: Special Saracens Edition

Americans will have plenty to cheer for as Saracens take on Leicester this Saturday in the Aviva Premiership Final. For the second-year in a row Saracens will play Leicester at Twickenham for the title. After losing last year, they are looking to finally break through. For Americans, it represents a chance to see some great rugby, and an opportunity for some fellow countrymen, Chris Wyles and Hayden Smith, to win some silverware.

It's easy to label Saracens "America's Rugby Team." After all, in recent years U.S.A. Rugby and Saracens have seem to be drawing closer together. Last Autumn during the Eagles European tour, Saracens reached out the Eagles squad offering them use of their facilities, as well as hosting a dinner. However, the highlight of the Saracens hospitality was memorable match played at the Honourable Artillery Company grounds in the heart of the The City in London. This provided Eddie O'Sullivan the opportunity to put his squad up against some excellent competition. That experience will prove invaluable as the Eagles prepare for the Churchill Cup and the World Cup.

Still, at the heart of the relationship are the two Americans on the Saracens roster (one American is a rarity, let alone two). Chris Wyles has been a standard on the team for the last few years now and Hayden Smith is starting to break into regular playing time. The experience these two players have gained during their time with the club have translated into better performances for the Eagles. The rosters for the match are up, Chris Wyles is slotted to start at Center. Hayden Smith did not make the 22.

Here is some more info on the two Eagles:

In 2008, Chris Wyles joined Saracens on a secondment from the National Team. In his years with the club he has managed to appear 68 times scoring 45 points. In 2010-11 he has appeared 26 times scoring 25 points. Despite being signed on a secondment, Wyles has managed to make himself an integral part of the team, starting most of his games at Center.

Hayden Smith came to Saracens as a academy prospect in 2008. After impressing with the academy, Hayden was signed to a senior contract in 2009. After playing mostly Aviva Premiership "A" games in 2009-10, Smith managed to work his way into regular playing time this season. Has has made 34 total appearances for Saracens, including 19 times in 2010-11, scoring a total of 5 points.

Good luck Chris Wyles, Hayden Smith, and the Sarries!

TV:

Aviva Premiership Final- Saracens vs. Leicester (11 a.m. pst/2 p.m. est on Fox Soccer Plus)

News:

The Aviva Premiership has a preview preview.

ESPNscrum also breaks down the match.

A preview from from Leicester's point of view, courtesy of the BBC.

Who will start as scrum-haf for the Saracens? They are going to decide that with a coin toss.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

7's:

Look for a special post about the U.S.'s preparation for Edinburgh 7's.

Eagles:

U.S.A. 7's and 15's player Leonard Peters is thinking about playing Rugby League in Hawaii. This doesn't mean that he is switching codes, but does mean he is able to stay with his family in Hawaii.

Canada has added a few names to their Churchill Cup squad.

World Cup opponents Australia look to have their captain back in time for the World Cup.

England are using a game against the Barbarians to prepare for the Churchill Cup. They have released their lineup for the match.

ESPNscrum.com has a preview of the match.

U20's:

The U.S. looks to rebound from their opening loss to Samoa by preparing for the next match against Russia.

Last up in pools play for the America is Uruguay. One of their top players is the subject of an IRB article.

College:

It looks like some teams will be dropping out of the College Premier Division. Personally, I am not that worried, the regular season showed the gap between the good schools and the bad and it doesn't benefit anyone to have blowouts.

Tidbits:

Ray Viers of We Are Rugby checks in from Europe.

Video: Eddie O'Sullivan

Coach Eddie O'Sullivan talks about the latest domestic camp, and looks forward to September's World Cup.

Eagle's Abroad Weekend Preview, TV Listings

James Paterson is out with a ruptured chest muscle suffered several weeks ago in a loss to the Chiefs. He will not only be out for this week's Highlanders clash with the Lions, but he will also be out three months putting his chances of making the World Cup squad in jeopardy.

Previously I stated that all other Americans had finished in Europe, I completely forgot about Seta Tuilevuka and Montpellier. Seta is injured though and might not play with Montpellier in the Top 14 Semifinal against Racing.

A special preview for the Aviva Premiership (Chris Wyles and Hayden Smith) is coming on Friday.

TV Listings:

Friday:

• Top 14 (France) Semifinal- Toulouse vs. Clermont (12 p.m. pst/3 p.m. est on ESPN3.com)

Saturday:

• Magners League Final- Munster vs. Leinster (9 a.m. pst/12 p.m. est on Fox Soccer Plus)

• Top 14 (France) Semifinal- Racing vs. Montpellier (12 p.m. pst/3 p.m. est on ESPN3.com)

• Aviva Premiership Final- Saracens vs. Leicester (11 a.m. pst/2 p.m. est on Fox Soccer Plus)

Sunday:

• Edinburgh 7's (2 a.m. pst/5 a.m. est on NBC Universal)

• Edinburgh 7's (2:30 p.m. pst/5:30 p.m. est on NBC Universal)

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

Eagles:

Scott LaValla, the captain of Dublin University's rugby team, and member of the Churchill Cup squad, got to meet Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Ireland.

Apparently Chris Wyles and Hayden Smith's Saracens aren't know for their attractive play, but that hasn't stopped them from winning support.

The IRB has expanded their efforts to keep the game clean by increasing their anti-doping efforts.

U20's:

The U20's have been held up in their hotel at the Junior World Trophy. Political protests in Georgia have forced the U.S. to cancel their outdoor training sessions.

College/HS:

The teams for the College Rugby Championship (7's) are coming together. Thretton Palamo, last year's star for the Univ. of Utah will not be participating this year.

Big changes are underway for High School and U19 rugby. Kurt Weaver of U.S.A. Rugby sat down with Alex Goff of Rugbymag.com and explained the changes.

Tidbits:

Alex Goff and Buzz McClain have their latest edition of RuggaMatrix. They discuss the College Premier Division final, High School finals, and the Super League final.

Video: USA U20 - Samoa U20

Here are the highlights of the U.S. U20 match against Samoa. Even though the result was lopsided, the Junior Eagles showed some skill on their try. Watch the nice chip and chase from Will Magie and Madison Hughes that resulted in the try.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

Eagles:

Coach Eddie O'Sullivan has announced his squad for the upcoming Churchill Cup. There are no major surprises among the squad. Chris Wyles, Zee Ngwenya, and Samu Manoa are being rested. Hayden Smith was unavailable. Other than that, the squad seems to be close to full strength. Stay tuned tomorrow for a statistical breakdown of the squad.

Rugbymag.com has their write-up of the announcement.

We Are Rugby has theirs as well.

Chris Wyles has been given the time off after being a regular for Saracens this year. He has been rewarded with a new contract. Wyles said, "I have never been happier in my career."

Hayden Smith has also signed a new deal.

Matt Stevens, a teammate of Smith and Wyles at Saracens has been called into the England Saxons squad.

The Eagles matches against England and Tonga will be streamed on Universal Sports. More information can be found here.

U20's:

The U.S. U20's lost to Samoa 48-11 in their opener of the World Junior Trophy.

The IRB has a breakdown of the all the first day's action, including the U.S. Up next for the Junior Eagles is Russia on the 28th.

College:

Rugbymag.com has announced their selections for All-Collegiate Teams.

USA Sevens gives a preview of pool play for the upcoming Collegiate Rugby Championship (7's).

Notes on Churchill Cup squad

Here are some quick notes and thoughts on the squad chosen by Eddie O'Sullivan.

*Missing names: Volney Rouse, Seta Tuilevuka, and James Paterson.
-Tuilevuka is most likely in the same situation as Chris Wyles and Zee Ngwenya in that he is getting a rest after his season with Montpellier.

-Paterson is injured and playing Super Rugby. He won't be available for three months.

-Rouse seems to have lost his chance at making the World Cup squad. He didn't have a particularly strong domestic camp.

*No College Players: This does not mean that players like Don Pati and Ryan Roundy have lost their chance at making the squad. It means that they are either too young, not good enough compared to available talent, or busy with school.

*Can anyone break into the team in time for the World Cup? With players like Hayden Smith, Chris Wyles, Zee Ngwenya, Seta Tuilevuka, and Samu Manoa all staying home, there seems to be a chance for some younger players like Zack Test and Colin Hawley to break through. They are going to get games so the onus is on them to perform.

*Hypothetically speaking, how would this group of players do in the RFU Championship, or Italian Super 10? I think they would do quite well. The team has the the necessary experience (MacDonald, Clever, etc.), as well as the strength. It would be interesting to see a team like this play in one of these competitions.

Churchill Cup Squad Announced

Forwards:

Inaki Basauri (L'Aquila), Chris Biller (San Francisco Golden Gate), Todd Clever (Suntory Sungoliath), Pat Danahy (Life University), Eric Fry (Las Vegas Blackjacks), J.J. Gagiano (Univ. of Cape Town), Nic Johnson (Unattached), Will Johnson (London Irish), Danny LaPrevotte (San Francisco Golden Gate), Scott LaValla (Unattached), Mike MacDonald (Leeds), Shawn Pittman (London Welsh), Louis Stanfill (Mogliano) Phil Thiel (Life University), John van der Giessen (Utah Warriors)

Backs:

Paul Emerick (Life University), Tai Enosa (Belmont Shore), Troy Hall (New York Athletic Club), Colin Hawley (Olympic Club), Nese Malifa (Glendale), Mike Palefau (Utah Warriors), Mike Petri (New York Athletic Club), Mile Pulu (San Francisco Golden Gate), Junior Sifa (Nottingham RFC), Andrew Suniula (Chicago Griffins), Roland Suniula (Boston Rugby), Kevin Swiryn (Agen), Zack Test (Unattached), Tim Usasz (Nottingham RFC)

Available But Rested: Samu Manoa (Northampton), Taku Ngwenya (Biarritz), Chris Wyles (Saracens)

Available But Not Released: Hayden Smith (Saracens)

Unavailable Through Injury: Taylor Mokate (Univ. of Oklahoma), Jon Vitale (Chicago Lions)

Considered But Unavailable: Cameron Dolan (Life University)

U20's Update: Samoa 48-11 U.S.A.

The Junior Eagles lost to Samoa 48 to 11 in their first match of the Junior World Trophy. Captain Will Magie and Madison Hughes scored the tries for the Americans, with Magie adding a penalty. While result don't matter as much in these tournaments, it is still a disappointing result. You can see archived video of the match here.

Michael Oliver prepares for the scrum.

Hopefully a try.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

Eagles:

The U.S. is still ranked 16th in the latest IRB rankings. World Cup opponents Ireland (4th), Italy (12th), and Australia (2nd) are all ranked ahead of the Americans. The only opponent ranked lower is Russia (19th).

Churchill Cup opponents Tonga are ranked right below the Eagles at 17.

7's:

The legendary voice of Rugby Nigel Starmer-Smith explains how 7's delivers again.

Buzz McClain of Universal Sports questions what went wrong for the Eagles.

U20's:

The World Junior Trophy begins this week. First up in group play for the U.S. is Samoa.

The IRB has a statistical breakdown of the match.

Here are the captains for the upcoming World Junior Trophy. Will Magie (Leeds University) is the U.S.A. captain. Here is an old interview with Will.

College:

Alex Goff looks back at the large number of people that came out for the College Premier Division final and calls it a "Milestone."

Video: Miles Craigwell

This video is a couple of months old but I thought it was worth posting.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

7's:

The U.S.A. Sevens team had a miserable Sunday in London. First they dropped their Bowl Quarterfinal match to Spain, and then they dropped their Shield Semifinal to Portugal.

A recap of the two days of action is provided by Ted Hardy of Rugby America.

The team prepares for Edinburgh 7's this next weekend.

Eagles:

Up first in the Churchill Cup for the Eagles is England. They have named their squad to take on the Barbarians next Sunday. England Saxons coach Stuart Lancaster is using the match to scout players for his squad.

College:

In what might be the most successful off the field, and most competitive on the field College final to date, one playter described the action as "Every Inch for 80 Minutes."

The replay of the match can be seen on ESPN3.com.

Tidbits:

One man is on a mission to increase exposure to rugby in Northern Virginia.

One editorial suggests that the traditional rugby powers might not want the U.S.A. to succeed.

Video: College and HS/U-19 Championships

More video including interviews can be found here.

7's Update: Day 2 Roundup

The U.S. had an extremely disappointing day at the knockout round of London 7's as they could not defeat teams from the Iberian Peninsula. The day started with a 14-0 loss to Spain and ended with Portugal in a 21-15 loss. The Eagles should have been able to defeat both of these teams. The squad will look to rebound next week in Edinburgh.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

7's:

Rugbymag.com breaks down the U.S.A.-England match.

ESPNscrum files their report of the home team's win.

The Eagles pulled off an amazing comeback against Argentina, but they fell short against France.

The day was summed up for the Americans has "hugely disappointed."

Ted Hardy of Rugby America also provides a recap of Day 1.

Eagles/Super League:

San Francisco Golden Gate are the champions of the Super League, as they defeated Life 20 to 15. Eagles Mile Pilu, Chris Biller, Samu Manoa, and Volney Rouse played a large part in the win.

College/High School:

More than 10,000 people showed up to Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah to watch Cal defeat BYU 21-14 for the College Premier Division championship.

We Are Rugby gives their report. Rugbymag.com does the same.

Legendary coach Larry Gelwix coached is his last match for Highland as they become national champions again.

Great pictures of the day can be found at RSL Soapbox.

7's Update: France 24-17 U.S.A.

The Eagles dropped their last pool match against France 24 to 17. The team will either face Kenya or Spain in the Bowl quarterfinals.

(Video highlights coming soon)

7's Update: Argentina 21-22 U.S.A.

A late try by Justin Boyd secured the win for the Eagles. Boyd came on a minute before he scored the try. The win makes the Eagles 1-1 on the day. Last up is France.

(Video highlights coming soon.)

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

Eagles/Super League:

Italy has announced their squad for the Churchill Cup. The team is a mixture of veterans and newer players.

The rosters for the Super League Final are up. Those involved include current Eagles Phil Thiel and Chris Biller, as well as fringe players like Volney Rouse and Mile Pulu.

One Eagle, Samu Manoa, is playing his last game for San Francisco Golden Gate before he heads off to Northampton of the Aviva Premiership.

Rugby America has a preview of the action.

Alex Goff breaks down each positional battle.

U20's:

The IRB says excitement is growing for the World Junior Trophy.

College:

The Deseret News (Salt Lake) has a break down of the College Premier Division championship.

Tidbits:

Ray Viers of We Are Rugby has an excellent write up of his adventures in Europe. It is well worth the read.

7's Update: England 31-21 U.S.A.

The Eagles stayed close and even had a second half lead thanks to Shalom Suniula, but they couldn't stop Ben Gollings and Dan Norton. Still, the Eagles have to be encouraged by the result. Argentina is up next.

(Video highlights soon)

Al Caravelli

U.S.A. 7's coach discusses the last two legs of the 7's circuit.

Total Rugby: May 18

Total Rugby is a show produced by the IRB that profiles rugby around the world.

Video: Todd Clever

This video is a little old but I thought the thoughts of the Eagle's captain were worth sharing.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

Eagles/Eagles 7's:

Nese Malifa is finally back healthy and with the 7's team, but how will he fit in with a team that has played together all year? Alex Goff of Rugbymag.com explains.

Brian Hightower of NBC Universal breaks down the action in London.

USA Rugby is on the lookout for future 7's players. If you are a High School student you can sign up to participate in the first ever rugby combine. It's being held in conjunction with the Collegiate Rugby Championship (7's) this summer.

This Barbarians have added a new coach, Scott Johnson, former coach of the Eagles.

Stay tuned over the weekend as This Is American Rugby will bring you highlights of the USA 7's team as they become available.

College:

Sandy, Utah is the host of a plethora or rugby action this weekend, USA Rugby breaks down all the action, including a list of all the matches.

The picks are in for the High School and U19 championships. Rugbymag.com predicts who will prevail this weekend.

Super League:

Interesting changes are underway in Kansas City as the Blues have officially affiliated themselves with Sporting Kansas City of MLS. Here is the take from the soccer side of it. Personally, I would like to see more of these kinds of relationships take place.

Tidbits:

Did The Guvenator ever play rugby? Find out here.

Speaking of politics, the U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand is using rugby to reach out to to the Kiwis. He has also teamed up with students to start a blog in anticipation of the World Cup.

Business and Rugby: Marketing 7's

This is a great video from the IRB about why 7's is so exciting and how it is catching on around the world.

Eagles Abroad Weekend Preview; TV Listings

No Eagles are in action this week. Chris Wyles, Hayden Smith, and Saracens have a bye week in preparation for the Aviva Premiership Final on May 28th. James Paterson and the Hurricanes have the week off as well.

TV Listings:

Friday:

• Amlin Challenge Cup Final- Harlequins vs. Stade Francais (11:30 a.m. pst/2:30 p.m. est on Fox Soccer Plus)

Saturday:

• Heineken Cup Final- Leinster vs. Northampton Saints (9 a.m. pst/12 p.m. est on Fox Soccer Plus)

• College Premier Division Championship, BYU v. Cal (6 p.m. pst/9 p.m. est on espn3.com)

• Rugby Super League Final, San Francisco Golden Gate vs. Life (11 a.m./2 p.m. est) In order to watch the match you go to www.liferunningeagles.com and sign up. It's free of charge.

• High School and U19 Boy's and Girls Championships will be available on USA Rugby's Ustream channel.

Sunday:

• London 7's (4 a.m.pst/7 a.m. est on NBC Universal Online)

• London 7's (2:30 p.m.pst/5:30 p.m. est on NBC Universal Online)

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all Eagles and USA rugby related news in one location.

U20's:

The U20's fought hard but came up short against the Irish Exiles 18-15 in their Junior World Trophy warm-up match in Ireland. Initially the team got the better of the Exiles but as gaining experience outweighed a result, the depth of the Exiles became a problem for the U.S.

Alex Goff of Rugbymag.com gives his take on the match, including photos of the match, as well as several quotes from U20 coach Scott Lawrence.

Eagle 7's:

Taking in the action was Al Caravelli and the USA 7's team who changed around their usual travel plans.

7's Captain Matt Hawkins spoke to the IRB (the right hand side of the page) about the excitement surrounding this weekend's action at Twickenham.

Eagles:

It looks like the Eagles caught a break against World Cup opponent Italy as Santiago Dellape has announced is retirement from the Azzurri.

If you are planning to travel to New Zealand for the World Cup, be prepared to spend money. One travel magazine says that high prices will prevent the country from hosting an effective World Cup.

Speaking of New Zealand, one newspaper examines what other countries have to do to help the U.S. grow more competitive in international rugby. Kevin Roberts, chairman of U.S. Rugby and a Kiwi, suggests that the U.S. must have access to competitions, such as Super Rugby or Magner's League, to become more competitive.

College:

Coming up this weekend is a preview of future Eagles as the College Premier Division, U-19, and High School Championships will be contested this weekend at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.

We Are Rugby previews the College Premier Division title between BYU and Cal. Both teams have been factories for National Team players from the All-Americans, to 7's, to full Eagles.

And for those of you who don't know, Utah, the place where the championships are to be held is a bit of a rugby hot-bed. The Deseret News (Salt Lake City) breaks down the importance of Rugby in Utah.

Eagles Abroad Weekend Review

Only three players remain active overseas as the majority of the European competitions have come to a close.

Chris Wyles and Saracens defeated Glocester 12-10 this last weekend in the Aviva Premiership semi-finals. You can see the highlights here. Wyles went the distance for the Sarries. Hayden Smith didn't dress for the match. Up next is Leicester in the final.

Zee Ngwenya is done for the season as Biarritz lost to Clermont Auvergne 27-17 in the Top 14 quarterfinals. Zee once again went the distance for Biarritz. You can see the highlights here.

James Paterson and the Highlanders took on the Hurricanes this last weekend and came out on the losing side 13-6. Paterson didn't play as he is nursing an injury. The Highlanders are seventh in the table and remain just outside a Super 15 playoff spot.

Opening Kick

Opening Kick is a segment devoted to bringing you all of yesterday's Eagles related news in one location.

U20s:

The U20s are currently in the U.K. preparing for their upcoming trip to the IRB Junior World Trophy in Georgia. As part of their preparation the team will take on the Irish Exiles in a warmup match, kickoff is set for today at 10:30 a.m. pst/1:30 p.m. est (6:30 p.m. gmt).

Will Magie of Leeds University has been named captain of the squad.

The tournament begins with the U.S. taking on Samoa on May 24th. For a full schedule of the tournament, click here.

The IRB previews the tournament including a link to live streaming of all the U.S. matches.

The Eagles:

Up next for the Eagles is the Churchill Cup. Preparations are underway as Canada has named its side for the tournament, including the inclusion of an overseas professional that hasn't seen action for the Canucks for quite some time.

A new entry into the tournament, Italy will convene a camp later this month in preparation for the tournament.

Another first time team, Tonga, has already chosen its team.

And if you were curious, here are the referees that will work the matches.

Eagle 7'S:

In case anyone missed it, here is the U.S.A. roster for this weekend's London stop of the IRB Sevens circuit.

Eagle Rugby's collection of articles and videos previewing the action can be found by scrolling down or clicking here.

Prepping for London Sevens

The U.S.A. 7's team in back in action this weekend. It should be exciting as Al Caravelli brings to the U.K. an Eagles side loaded with experience. To help you gear up for the weekend, here is the Eagle's schedule and some news.

First day schedule:

England vs. U.S.A. 4:42 a.m. pst/7:42 est (12:42 p.m. gmt)

Argentina vs. U.S.A. 8:10 a.m. pst/11:10 est (4:10 p.m. gmt)

U.S.A. vs. France 10:00 a.m. pst/1:00 p.m. est (6:00 p.m. gmt)

*All matches can be seen on NBC Universal

Eagle's News:

(NBC Universal)- The human highlight reel is back
(RUGBYmag.com)- USA 7's Team Confirms Squad for UK

(RUGBYmag.com)- Hawkins Urging Self-Belief

The opposition:

(ESPNscrum.com)- Steffon Armitage drafted in by England Sevens

(ESPNscrum.com)- Rob Vickermann opts for Sevens contract

(IRBsevens.com)- Ryan: "Home tournament is all about the win"

Squad:

Matt Hawkins (Belmont Shore); Mike Palefau (Utah Warriors); Paul Emerick (Life); Shalom Suniula (Brisbane/USA Men's Sevens); Miles Craigwell (NYAC); Nese Malifa (Glendale); Cameron Dolan (Life); Justin Boyd (Frisco Griffins); Tai Enosa (Belmont Shore); Colin Hawley (Olympic Club); Roland Suniula (Boston); Zack Test (Unattached)

Welcome to This Is American Rugby

Welcome to This Is American Rugby! This site is dedicated to covering the U.S.A. Eagles at home and abroad. Our goal at This Is American Rugby is to bring to you updates from Eagles playing overseas, the 7's team, and all national team matches. We are striving to be unique in the American rugby news market by providing video highlights involving Eagles, player profiles and interviews, news links, and opinion related to the Eagles.

We hope you tune in regularly and make it a part of your support for the Eagles. Go U.S.A.!