GRR: USA U23s
The USA age=grade teams are going to be active this year despite World Rugby's drawback from U20 action.
World Rugby is reportedly coming back with a new-look U20 world competition for 2026. As it is, this year, there's nothing, so USA rugby is focusing in part on a U19 team that can be developed for U20 competition a year later.
In what has been a very difficult tournament to win, the USA Men's U23s took home the trophy at the 2023 RugbyTown 7s in Glendale, Colo. Sunday.
So close in 2022, when they lost to Ramblin' Jesters in the final, the U23s brought back the bulk of that squad to try to go one better.
The USA Women's U23 team were beaten quite convincingly in their second game with Canada's U23s and that result is a bit of a wakeup call.
While GRR only a week ago touted this two-game series as a coming-out party for a talented group of young USA players, it turned out more to be a celebration for Canada. The USA, it seems, has work to do.
Canada’s U23s defeated the USA U23s 24-5 Wednesday night in Quincy, Mass. in a game that was certainly not particularly precise and leaves both teams with much to work on for this weekend’s finale.
Could the push for the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup start today?
It's not an unreasonable question. As the USA Women's 15s program goes through its long-term coaching search and comes out of the 2021 World Cup (which was held in 2022), you've got to wonder if we're at a crossroads.