USA Men's Eagles Release Extended Player Squad

(USA Rugby Release)—USA Men's 15s Head Coach Scott Lawrence and staff have named 55 players to the Extended Player Squad (EPS) for 2024, identifying a dynamic pool of qualified and available players for the two confirmed tours scheduled this year. Fifteen new prospects target their USA Eagles debut. The Men’s Eagles international season will kick off in July with a two-match tour as part of the American Series before breaking for the Major League Rugby playoffs, reassembling in August for the Pacific Nations Cup. Two collegiate standouts make the cut, with Dominic Besag and Erich Storti of Saint Mary’s College looking to join the traveling roster this summer. Besag debuted in 2023 and both players will step onto the pitch in Houston this weekend for the D1A National Championship. Lucas Gramlick, Jake Turnbull and Conor McManus also make the list, representing Major League Rugby’s newest outfit, Anthem Rugby Carolina. Anthem is halfway through its inaugural year, a development program in partnership between MLR, USA Rugby and World Rugby. More young talent on the radar is Stefan Crimp, the Cardiff MET fullback who last pulled on a USA shirt with the Men’s U20s for the 2023 World Rugby Trophy qualifier. Head Coach Scott Lawrence said on the player selections, “The EPS is a point in time selection of men that we see as being capable of competing for a place in the test team now, and a number of players that we will introduce to the path of becoming an Eagle. The staff looks at many factors in selecting the EPS. Meaningful minutes, physical capability, the work ethic, professional habits and the energy they impose on a game all play a role in the selection process.” Lawrence will select a traveling squad for the first assembly of 2024 in Chicago, ahead of their fixture against Romania at SeatGeek Stadium on July 5, followed by a premier clash with Scotland in Washington DC on July 12. Tickets to each match are available now. Prior to the American Series tour, team staff and players from the leadership group will gather for an alignment camp in June, an annual meeting for the program to connect and reinforce the program's goals for the upcoming international season. Lawrence noted on the team's connectivity, “The team has remained connected through monthly zooms, coach one-on-ones, and game day visits domestically. Ultimately, starting minutes with their respective clubs gets them closest to a place where we can help them close the gap to test rugby through the Pacific Nations Cup and a November tour. Our goal has been to enable players to perform their best by being trusted resources until we can come together and plug in to the energy that can only come from an international environment.”