MLR, USA Rugby Combine to Form Hawks Development Team
MLR, USA Rugby Combine to Form Hawks Development Team
Major League Rugby (MLR) and USA Rugby today announced the assembly of the Hawks, a Men’s XVs developmental squad set to compete in eight exhibition matches starting March 4, 2023, against Super Rugby Americas clubs and other international development sides.
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Hawks are a co-initiative of World Rugby, USA Rugby and MLR. Going forward into an extended Rugby World Cup cycle, the Hawks will provide a residential full-time competition environment for up-and-coming domestic talent and future USA Men’s Eagles prospects.
With goals aligned from both USA Rugby and MLR, the Hawks program is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the professional league and governing body to improve player pathways and create more high-quality playing opportunities for USA qualified players.
USA Rugby General Manager of Men’s High Performance, Scott Lawrence noted, “It is vital that opportunities are afforded to American players to earn meaningful minutes. The Hawks program will provide exactly what these young players need, development through tough international games and the cycle of retrospection and improvement that goes with it. A strong relationship with MLR is growing and with the goal of this focused effort meant to provide MLR General Managers and Coaches more American player options, we can continue to offer each other the mutual value that is at the core of any good partnership.”
"Robust domestic pathways are a critical building block for our national teams and Major League Rugby alike. This program is an important first step in an aligned effort to create more growth opportunities for emerging domestic athletes who will be the backbone of future USA Eagles and MLR squads,” said Nic Benson, MLR CEO, “Collaboration between the league and national unions is critical for the growth of our sport, this initiative will set the stage for what we hope will be a broader alignment for the decade ahead."
Once available, the official home venue and match schedule with ticketing information will be available on the USA Rugby website. Match live streams will be promoted if available, with starting rosters and score updates posted to USA Rugby social media channels.
Led by USA Rugby Men’s Pathways Director, Brendan Keane, who will serve as Head Coach for the Hawks, the squad will relocate 28 highly touted players to train and compete in a daily high performance environment. Each squad member was selected through the USA Rugby Pathways network, identified through combines, Junior National Team competitions, and Talent ID Camps. In addition, many of those selected came with high recommendations from Major League Rugby General Managers.
USA Rugby CEO, Ross Young said, “The Hawks are a partnership USA Rugby is excited to enter with MLR, as we begin to redefine the high performance pathway. A centralized program of this nature is a prime example of collaborative player development, raising the bar for both the domestic game and ultimately the USA Eagles on the international stage.”
