United States Rugby

The United States earned its first-ever medal in women's rugby sevens thanks to a 14-12 win over Australia in Tuesday's bronze medal match at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Alex Sedrick scored on a walk-off run and conversion as time expired to lift Team USA to victory.

A FINISH YOU HAVE TO SEE TO BELIEVE! 😱

ALEX SEDRICK LEADS TEAM USA TO THE FIRST-EVER OLYMPIC RUGBY SEVENS MEDAL FOR THE UNITED STATES ON THE FINAL PLAY OF THE GAME! 🥉 #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/1FMu9SWxDo

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 30, 2024

Following the win, philanthropist Michele Kang announced a $4 million gift to the USA women's rugby team ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

"2024 has been a banner year for women's sports with record-breaking attendance and viewership, and women's rugby is no exception," Kang said in a statement. "This Eagles team, led by players like Ilona Maher and co-captains Lauren Doyle and Naya Tapper, has captivated millions of new fans, bringing unprecedented attention to the sport. I am so happy to support these outstanding athletes to realize their dream in capturing the gold in Los Angeles in 2028. That work starts now. As corporate sponsors and broadcast networks increasingly see the value and enthusiasm for women's sports, now is the moment to unlock the full potential of these incredible female athletes and inspire generations to come."

Thanks in part to 5'10" star Ilona Maher, the women's rugby team built a strong following ahead of the Summer Games. Their exploits in Paris were followed by plenty of fans back home, and the excitement was hitting a fever pitch once a medal became a distinct possibility.

Delicious. pic.twitter.com/flpxWfrr1M

— Ilona Maher (@ilona_maher) July 30, 2024

Tuesday's win was the kind of moment that ignited the passions of die-hard rugby followers and relative novices alike.

Hot damn, Team USA women's rugby sevens just upset Australia 14-12 to take the bronze — the first medal ever for the United States in Olympics rugby. Did it on a breakaway score at the end of the match. Pretty sweet.

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) July 30, 2024

I have not been to many but that was easily the most awesome finish of a rugby match I've ever seen! @USARugby's Alex Sedrick with the full sprint as time expires to tie and then makes the conversion to claim the 🥉

Awesome. #Paris2024

— Greg Mescall (@GregMescall) July 30, 2024

Alex Sedrick after clinching the first US rugby medal in 100 years
pic.twitter.com/5mXDMmlpne

— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) July 30, 2024

The day didn't get off to a great start as New Zealand comprehensively beat the United States 24-12 in the semifinals. Team USA trailed by just two points before the Black Ferns Sevens pulled away in the second half.

Emilie Bydwell's squad rebounded well when it returned to the pitch for the bronze medal contest.

Plenty of American viewers are probably already looking ahead to what the women's rugby team can achieve four years down the road in Los Angeles.

The United States is moving on to the semifinals in rugby.

Team USA downed Great Britain 17-7 on Monday in an exciting quarterfinal matchup behind five points each from Kristi Kirshe, Naya Tapper and Sammy Sullivan as was as two points from Kayla Cannett.

Great Britain got its scoring from Ellie Boatman and Lisa Thomson, who had five and two points, respectively.

After the United States win over Great Britain, here's a look at the updated bracket and upcoming schedule.

Updated Olympic Bracket

Quarterfinal

New Zealand def. China 55-5

United States def. Great Britain 17-7

Canada def. France, 19-14

Australia def. Ireland, 40-7

Semifinal

United States vs. New Zealand, July 30, 9:30 a.m. ET

Canada vs. Australia, July 30, 10 a.m. ET

---

The United State's women's rugby team has yet to win a medal since rugby was reinstated as an Olympic sport before the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. It finished fifth in the 2020 Olympics, but has the chance to make history this year.

Up next, the United States will take on one of the toughest competitors in this year's Olympics. New Zealand is coming off a gold medal finish at the Tokyo Olympics and is looking to follow it up with another win.

New Zealand coasted past China in the quarterfinal and will come into Tuesday's matchup fired up.

Even if the United States can't top New Zealand on Tuesday, it will still have the chance to medal in the bronze matchup against the loser of Canada vs. Australia.

For United States rugby star Ilona Maher, this year's games are more than just about winning a medal. They're about growing the game to the rest of the country.

"It is really important to have a profile, and a profile for our sport," Maher said, per The Guardian's Bryan Graham. "It's about building the brand. We are female rugby players – we're not getting million dollar contracts, we're not getting paid the money that we should be. Me and my friends are keen on getting the sport out there and getting us noticed. It's important in the US where so much attention is on other sports. And I think it's just about showing the personality that the women have. The game is very strong, not just for men, but for women too."

After a big win over Great Britain, it's fair to say Maher and the United States are making progress towards making a name for themselves.

Not even a year removed from his NFL retirement, Jason Kelce is competing against world-class athletes again, but not in football.

The former Philadelphia Eagles star matched up with United States rugby team member Nicole Heavirland in an arm wrestling contest at the 2024 Paris Olympics this weekend.

We all see that left hand @JasonKelce 😂👀 pic.twitter.com/2BEeU9gF21

— New Heights (@newheightshow) July 28, 2024

While Kelce got the win, it didn't come without a solid fight from Heavirland. Even as a star rugby player, almost taking down a former NFL center in a feat of strength like arm wrestling is impressive.

All due respect to Kelce, but Heavirland has a bigger win on her mind this week.

She and Team USA will look to put together a gold-medal-worthy performance in Paris after finishing fifth at the 2020 Olympics in Japan. They are off to a strong start, taking down Japan 36-7 on Sunday.

The United States has a tough matchup ahead of it though, as it will take on France on Monday in its final match of pool play. France defeated Brazil 26-0 and Japan 49-0 to begin Olympic play.

Heavirland has had a prominent rugby career so far, competing for the United States Military Academy in college after transitioning from the women's basketball team. She made her Olympic debut in Japan and is now hoping to lead her team to a medal in Paris.

After putting up a strong fight against Kelce, it seems she has a prominent fan in her corner as the Olympics continue.

Seven years ago, former England scrum-half and captain Nigel Melville was appointed as CEO and President of Rugby Operations at USA Rugby. Having previously served as Director of Rugby for London Wasps and Gloucester in the English Premiership, as well as Head of UK Promotions for Nike, Melville seemed like the ideal candidate to help wake the sleeping giant of the rugby world. 

Now, in 2014, the face of rugby in the USA and across the world has changed dramatically. In this exclusive two-part Bleacher Report interview, we sit down with Melville to assess the state of the sport in America and what the future might hold.

I had the opportunity to share some of the sound from this interview, and to debate its impact, on The Province's Try and Tackle Rugby Podcast, this week. 

In the first part our discussion, we asked USA Rugby's CEO about the growth of the game domestically and what needs to be done to unlock the game's potential in a nation that passionately loves its contact sports.

JH: Thanks for taking the time to speak to us Nigel.

Well, it's been seven years on the job here in America; how far has the game of rugby advanced in that time?

NM: When I came to America seven years ago, I think my surprise was the lack of youth rugby. When people talked about youth rugby, they were referring to 17-year-olds and 18-year-olds. My first reaction was, wow, we have to sort this out. If you want sustainable and growing rugby in America, you had to have a vibrant youth game. 

Our challenge was that whatever we did at the top end of the game, we still wouldn't have anything coming up from the bottom. So our youth-rugby efforts were a little like planting seeds, and now we are starting to reap the benefits of it.

JH: The normal role of a national union is to run a country's national teams and develop elite players. I suspect it couldn't have been an easy decision to throw large amounts of money at youth rugby as one of your first acts in charge.

NM: It wasn't. It wasn't a choice that was taken lightly. The easy thing would have been focus on the top end of the game, but we knew we needed to grow the game in the future. It's so encouraging now to meet kids at the age of 16 or 17 who started playing at the age of 10. They are much better players for having started earlier, and our national teams are better for it.

JH: Does rugby still have a job to do to win the confidence of American families and shed a bit of its old image?

NM: In America, many of our youth programs are not associated rugby clubs. As boy and girls get older, we really do have to win the confidence of mom's and dad's, because it's mom and dad that sign their child up to play.

I think for some parents that may have grown up with a particular impression of the game, we have some extra work to do. But when these parents see the excellent work being done and the great opportunity the sport gives their children, I think we are changing those impressions.

JH: We are less than two years away from the 2015 Rugby World Cup in London. Ten years ago, I would have thought that almost all the work of an organization like USA Rugby would have been driven by that event, but now there are literally dozens of events throughout the year, and the rugby calendar has expanded to include the Olympics. How has that changed things?

NM: It's huge, and that's good for the game. We have the women's World Cup this year. We have the Under-20 Championships this year, we have our men's World Cup qualifying, as well as our men's and women's Sevens teams playing throughout the year.  

What we have seen is that men and women now play almost year-round, and the Sevens game has really added to its calendar. That increases the exposure for our game and raises the profile of rugby in America.

JH: The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio are drawing ever closer. What effect will the Olympics have on the growth of rugby in this country?


NM: I think the Olympics will certainly help raise the sport's profile, but what we are seeing is continuous growth in all of our national team properties. We recently had a sold-out stadium watch as the USA Eagles pushed Ireland to the limit in Texas.  

We have a full-time residency program for our Sevens athletes. The sport is on television more, and we are drawing ever greater attention from corporate sponsors. Things are really moving.

JH: I probably shouldn't let the Sevens part of this conversation go without mentioning Carlin Isles. He's unquestionably an internet sensation. What does he mean to American rugby at the moment?

NM: While in some ways he is a perfect cross-over athlete who came from a non-team sport. At his base he's just an exceptionally gifted runner. Everyone who's watched him over the last year has to admit that he's really grown and is now playing some of his best rugby. 

He understands his role in a very competitive media marketplace. He plays and performs under constant pressure from the media, and he keeps improving and delivering. He has handled the pressure incredibly well. 

As a cross-over role model, he's an inspiration, and when the Detroit Lions came calling, he chose to continue to play rugby, and he's happy to tell you why. He loves the game.

JH: Last year, I sat down with Greg Peters, the CEO of Super Rugby. At that point, he was very high on the idea of getting the Super Rugby brand into the United States, and that expansion of Super Rugby franchises was a definite future possibility. What's going on with the possibility of professional rugby in America?


NM: Well professional rugby takes many forms. Much of this is out of our hands. In regards to Super Rugby, I presented to SANZAR when that competition was still called the Super 14. They went on to add a franchise in Melbourne.  

I don't know how that helps break into new markets, I don't know how that improves your television exposure or your commerciality; however, it did allow each of the three SANZAR countries to have five teams each, so they were quite happy with that.

That's their choice.

I did believe that a Pacific Rim conference might be a way forward for them. A conference like that could include America, Canada, Japan and Argentina. I thought that was an option, but it seems to have been written off for now. 

Every time I see smoke coming out of the SANZAR or Super Rugby meetings, I hear that expansion to the Americas is on their radar, but it's not something that seems to be on the table at the moment.

JH: Are groups like Super Rugby wasting their money by not taking advantage of the American market?


NM: I feel there's an opportunity for them, but they have to want to take that opportunity. They know we are here and that we are certainly interested and keen to listen. But time passes, and we move on to other things. If we can't get anywhere with Super Rugby, we'll be looking somewhere else.


JH: One of the things that seems to be an increasing standard in the rugby world is that if you want to have a professional competition, you need to have a domestic semi-pro developmental league to help develop elite players.

The Australians are just putting together one of their own that will run just beneath Super Rugby. Might we see something like that in the United States soon enough?

NM:  We need a competition that is at the highest possible level within the confines of what is possible at the semi-professional level. Right now we have the Americas Rugby Championship (ARC) which we like very much and which has served us well. The ARC has helped get some of our players overseas, but there's just not enough games. 

I'd like to think we could improve our existing club competition. Our challenge is geography and money. We've been looking hard at how to create a domestic semi-pro league. Can we create it? I think we can, it's been getting closer every year, and I think you'll see such a competition in America, within the next five years.

JH: You mentioned geography and money. One of America's founding fathers Henry Adams once said: "There are grave doubts about the hugeness of the land, and whether one government can comprehend the whole."

When you think about how difficult it is to get agreement in American society on almost any issue, how hard has it been to create consensus with all the different groups within the U.S. rugby scene? There seem to be so many competing visions. 

NM: That can be an issue. I think we are starting to get to the stage in the game's development here where various groups are starting to ask how they can make a profit off the game.

In the case of the USA Sevens in Las Vegas, we created a business arrangement with an events company who are interested in developing that property to make money. At the time it was offered to us, we didn't have the resources necessary to sustain the losses it took to develop that event to its current level. 

That agreement turned out to be very good for the game. The exposure generated by the USA Sevens helps put the game in front of millions of people, and, so, we benefit from that and reduce our own risks. We can't be off doing absolutely everything. 

Our responsibility at USA Rugby is to fund our national teams and their development. That is done, primarily, through the staging of large international fixtures for our senior men and certain other strategic events, like the recent IRB Women's Sevens tournament in Atlanta. 

The growth of the game in America will not be the responsibility of only one party. 

Here in the United States, we have many people being entrepreneurs, trying to do things with the game to try and develop it and monetize it. Those groups are often inspirational, can sometimes be frustrating, but are always passionately interested in growing and innovating the game, and you would expect that from America, wouldn't you?

JH: In regard to the USA Eagles, there was a moment recently where tens of thousands of USA Rugby fans were chanting down the haka in a match versus the New Zealand Maori. It was a stirring moment. Are more big international events on the way?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdMVHyZtptQ

NM:  First of all, our senior men's team is very exciting now. We have a group of players, probably for the first time in eight years, that is playing some great rugby, and most of them are playing regularly overseas.

I thought our games in November were indicative of what they are capable of. Our international fixture against Scotland this summer will be very exciting, as will the build-up to the World Cup, but first we have to beat Uruguay!

If you talk to the international players that visit here, the Maori, Ireland and so on, they love it. They think it's different. The stadiums are first-class, the weather is nice; they would play here more often if they could. 

What we need now is to see if there is a big international global event that we can host, and the obvious one is the Rugby World Cup of Sevens in 2018. 

The fifteens World Cup is a six-week enterprise, but the Sevens World Cup takes place over a single weekend and is definitely within our ability to host. So we are looking forward to discussing that further.

JH: Thanks so much for this, Nigel!

Look for the second part of this Bleacher Report exclusive interview with USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville coming soon. 

Jeff Hull is a contributor to Bleacher Report.

Follow @HullatHome

USA Rugby battles Canada on Saturday in a 2015 Rugby World Cup Qualifier, live from Charleston, and we here at Bleacher Report are going to be with you every step of the way.

Rugby fans around the world may have been engrossed in the Southern Hemisphere's contests this morning, but this afternoon we are ready for an absolute slobber-knocker in South Carolina.

As our complete match preview explained, Canada are bringing less than a full-strength squad to the first-half of this two-match World Cup Qualifying series, and the United States should enjoy a comfortable home-field advantage.

Whether that combination will be enough to see the 18th-ranked Eagles knock off the 15th-ranked Canadians, and take a crucial advantage with them to Toronto next week, is an open question

So sit back, relax and grab a cold beverage.

Its the USA Eagles versus Canada, in North America's biggest rugby rumble of the year.

Match Date: August 17, 2013

Match Location: Blackbaud Stadium, Charleston, S.C.

Kickoff Time: 6:30 p.m. EST

Canada Starting Lineup

1. Tiedemann, 2. Hamilton, 3. Marshall, 4. Sinclair, 5. Cudmore, 6. Ardron, 7. Moonlight, 8. Carpenter, 9. Mack, 10. Jones, 11. Van Der Merwe, 12. Blevins, 13. Hearn, 14. Evans, 15. Pritchard

Reserves: 16. Barkwill, 17. Dolezel, 18. Wooldridge, 19. Hotson, 20. Dala, 21. White, 22. Hirayama, 23. Mackenzie

USA Eagles Starting Lineup

1. Pittman, 2. Biller, 3. Fry, 4. Stanfill, 5. Manoa, 6. Lavalla, 7. Dahl, 8. Clever, 9. Petri, 10. L'Estrange, 11. Scully, 12. A. Suniula, 13. Kelly, 14. Ngwenya, 15. Wyles

Reserves: 16. Fenoglio, 17. Lamositele, 18. Thiel, 19. Doyle, 20. Dolan, 21. Sahw, 22. Niua, 23. R. Suniula

Match Information

Event: Match 1—2015 Rugby World Cup Qualifiers

Game Day: Saturday, August 17

Location: Blackbaud Stadium, Charleston, South Carolina

Kickoff Time: 6:30pm EST

Jeff Hull is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

To follow the author on Twitter, click on the link below.

Follow @RugbyScribe

USA Rugby's national senior men's team, the Eagles, take to the field at BBVS Compass Stadium in Houston on Saturday night against Ireland in their biggest test of the summer.

As our complete Bleacher Report preview explained, the USA squad arrived in Texas boosted by the return of several key overseas professionals. Meanwhile, Ireland have been forced to take to the pitch stripped of their top talent by the British and Irish Lions.

We'll provide you with scoring updates and analysis throughout the evening, as the USA look to cause the biggest upset of the summer on home soil.

Ireland come into this match as the ninth ranked team in world rugby, according the the International Rugby Board's Rankings; while the USA sit in 16th spot.

Before the players took the field to warm-up for this match both coaches talked to Bleacher Report about their preparations.

Earlier in the day and elsewhere in North America, Canada defeated Tonga in a bloody affair in Kingston, Ontario.

And we're ready for the anthems, here in the Texas heat. Ireland the USA both look fired up.

First-Half Updates:

1:00 - Predictably, the match has opened with a kicking battle for field position. Around the three minute mark, the USA Eagles put together an impressive series of runs; making about 20 meters on the Irish defence, but there was never any real danger.

5:00 - The game has its first scrum, dominated by Ireland, who win the penalty. This is trouble early of the USA. 

9:00 - Another scrum collapse deeper in the USA end, and Ireland win the penalty and shot at goal. The penalty conversion is made by Ireland's Ian Madigan, and its 3 - 0 Ireland early on.

15:00 - A period of furious USA dense, led by Northampton's Samu Manoa, smashes Ireland back towards mid-field. Ireland is guilty of trying to play too much rugby early on.

Finally a high ball traps a USA player, and Ireland win a another penalty at the USA 22 meter line.
Ireland's Madigan converts again. Now 6 - 0 for Ireland. 

21:00 - The USA looks dangerous with ball in hand, but every time they knock the ball on, they have to scrum with Ireland; an area where the Irish are completely dominant.

25:00 - A chip and chase sees the USA's Luke Hume fly down field after the ball and the USA are - all of a sudden - within inches of the Ireland line. The crowd goes mad. Ireland impede the ball and the USA wins a penalty through Toby L'Estrange.

Now 6 - 3 for Ireland.

30:00 - The USA's Scott LaValla is penalized for interfering from an offside position and once again Ian Madigan makes them pay. The USA are playing attacking rugby, but the penalties are killing them at the moment.

33:00 - A big run from Samu Manoa takes the USA to the Ireland 10 meter line, where the Irish give away a penalty. Saracens fullback, Chris Wyles - who is apparently the Eagles long distance goal-kicker - steps and bangs it through the posts.

Now 9 - 6 for Ireland.

39:00 - Seconds before the first-half ends, Ireland completely destroy another USA scrum and win another penalty from 40 meters out. Irish fly-half Ian Madigan doesn't miss.

Now 12 - 6 for Ireland.

HALF-TIME

Half-Time Analysis:

Our Bleacher Report preview called for an intense and combative USA start. The crowd at BBVA Compass Stadium has certainly helped them produce that. The Eagles are physically the equals of the young Irish team in front of them; however, they are being completely demolished at scrum-time.

It's hard to imagine how the USA can overcome this weakness, especially as their first-choice props begin to tire in the second-half.

Irish fly-half Ian Madigan doesn't seem like he is going to miss with his kicks today, and the USA are almost guaranteed to give away penalties from the scrum. 

Samu Manoa, Scott LaValla and Todd Clever are trying valiantly to lead a USA comeback; however, the Americans have not been able to break through the Irish defence more then once. They were unlucky not to come away with a try from that Luke Hume break.

Will the Irish widen the gap or tire under the Texas heat, and allow the USA to make a charge?

We shall see. 

First-Half Scoring: 

USA Penalty Kicks: L'Estrange, Wyles

Ireland Penalty Kicks: Madigan (4)

First Half Score: Ireland 12 - USA 6

Second-Half Updates:

41:00 - The USA start the second-half like house of fire and smash Ireland back towards their own goal-line. Ireland under all kinds of pressure, before they mysteriously steal the ball and kick to clear. 

The play results in a scrum at mid-field. The USA doesn't want to have to scrum with Ireland. 

47:00 - Could it be that Ireland are starting to tire from the heat?  The USA look much stronger and have been driving Ireland backwards for the first 10 minutes of the second-half. 

If the USA can keep this up, points will surely come for them.

51:00 - Heroic USA defence has kept the Irish at bay, after a big break by Fergus McFadden. The ball is cleared to mid-field and both teams begin to make substitutions.

Still 12 - 6 for Ireland.

52:00 - In a seemingly needless stoppage, the French referee has stopped the match to consult the television match official, about a bit of wrestling that took place off the ball. He issues a yellow-card to USA Captain Todd Clever. 

The USA will play a man down and Ian Madigan also punishes them with another penalty.

Now 15 - 6 for Ireland.

Shocking.

57:00 - With the loss of their Captain, the USA begin to look a little tired and disorganized. However, multiple Irish penalties are saving them at the moment. 

Chris Wyles makes a nearly impossible kick from mid-field and the USA are edging closer once again. 

Now 15 - 9 for the Irish.

62:00 - The crowd explodes as Samu Manoa kicks a loose ball down field and Takudzwa Ngwenya screams down field to chase. Ngwenya levels the Irish player and ball bounds into the Irish goal area.

Not only that, but the USA wins the subsequent scrum!?! That's right, you heard me.

The Americans are storming the Irish goal line. 

Ireland give away a penalty, which Wyles bangs through.

Now 15 - 12 for a quickly tiring Ireland and Captain Todd Clever is back on the field.

70:00 - A big moment for the USA, as Ireland has a line-out deep in the American end. However, the USA draw a penalty and bang the ball to half-way, where they will have their own line-out.

10 minutes left. What can the Eagles muster here?

76:00 - After a period of frantic pay, the USA have won a scrum at mid-field. The field is covered with bodies lying on the ground gasping for air. The USA will have one final chance to attack.

They need at least three points to tie, and they need another 20 meters before they are in range of a kick.

79:00 - Ireland win a questionable penalty. Ian Madigan then misses his first kick of the night, but it makes no difference. The match is over.

Final Score: Ireland 15 - USA 12

FULL TIME

Match Analysis:

The USA made this match much closer than our predictions expected them to. Neither team scored a try; however, the USA came close to on multiple occasions.

The true reason the USA lost this match were the penalties they gave away at the scrum; which continues to be one of the big differences between first and second-tier nations. 

Eagles Coach Mike Tolkin had these words for Bleacher Report after the match:

"I thought that on a few of those scrums we were judged rather harshly, but we'll have to go back and look at that. Obviously, when you immediately give up 3 points or 30 meters downfield, its not where you want to be, so we'll have to go back and look at that aspect.

However, even when we had the ball, Ireland are a very well coached team, and they didn't allow us as many line-breaks as we needed to win the match." 

That having been said, Captain Todd Clever and his American team were 3 points away from what surely would have been one of the biggest upsets in USA Rugby history.

The Eagles now move on to play the rest of their schedule in the Pacific Nations Cup tournament.

The Irish, meanwhile, will play next week in Toronto, against a Canadian team that is undefeated so far this summer.  Based on the results of this match, Canada will be fancying their chances.

Reported Attendance: 21,000 at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston

Match Scoring: 

USA Penalty Conversions: L'Estrange, Wyles (4)

Irish Penalty Conversions: Madigan (5)

Final Score: Ireland 15 - USA 12

Match-Day Rosters

USA

Chris Wyles (Saracens); Luke Hume (Old Blue), Seamus Kelly (University of California), Andrew Suniula (Chicago Griffins), Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz Olympique); Toby L'Estrange (New York Athletic Club), Mike Petri (New York Athletic Club); Shawn Pittman (Dublin University), Chris Biller (San Francisco Golden Gate), Eric Fry (London Scottish), Brian Doyle (New York Athletic Club), Louis Stanfill (Vincenza Gers), Samu Manoa (Northampton Saints), Scott LaValla (Stade Francais), Todd Clever (NTT Shining Arcs) (capt).

Replacements

Zach Fenoglio (Old Mission Beach Athletic Club), Nick Wallace (St. Mary's), Phil Thiel (Life), Peter Dahl (Belmont Shore), John Quill (Dolphin), Robbie Shaw (Richmond), James Paterson (Glendale Raptors), Adam Siddall (Old Blue).

Ireland

Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht); Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Stuart Olding (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster); Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster), Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster); David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster), Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster), Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster), Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht), Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster), Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster), Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster), Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) (capt).

Replacements

Mike Sherry (Garryowen/Munster), Tom Court (Malone/Ulster), Jamie Hagan (Old Belvedere/Leinster), Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster), Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster), Paul Marshall (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster), Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster), Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster).

Referee: Francisco Pastrana (Argentina)
Assistant Referees: Bryan Arciero, Chris Assmus (both Canada)

Jeff Hull is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

Unless otherwise stated, all quoted material was obtained firsthand.

Rugby Law, the partnership which had forged a carriage agreement with the NFL Network, and has dreams of bringing a professional rugby competition to North American shores, has announced the postponement of their planned exhibition series later this summer.

The American half of the exhibition event was to have seen a group of recruited American athletes and contracted overseas players square off against the Aviva Premiership's London Irish. That barbarians-style event, if it takes place, will now occur no earlier than the summer of 2014.

Rugby Law's press release stated that:

Rugby Law will not proceed with the Independence Cup game on August 10, 2013, at Gillette Stadium, given that the time from the conclusion of the required contracts to the game date is not sufficient to meet the strategic goals of Rugby Law.

That goal has always been to provide an elite Rugby Union XV league for the United States. 

Bleacher Report was involved in the breaking of this story on May 11, when our report confirmed the involvement of Premier Rugby.  

Recently, George Robertson and Michael Clements—the men at the centre of the American pro rugby project—had announced the involvement of former English international Henry Paul, who was to have headed up an American combine to select talented U.S. athletes.

The time frame Paul was being given to locate, select and integrate such a squad of players would have been a feat of truly heroic proportions. 

Had the project gone forward, Paul would have been responsible for training a squad of unproven—and in some cases completely inexperienced—rugby players to a Premiership standard in only a few months time.

However, the delay has apparently not dampened Paul's enthusiasm for the enterprise.

That enthusiasm, which was evident in Mr. Robertson and Mr. Clements, when they met with Bleacher Report at the Global Rugby Forum in Philadelphia last week, is now something which will be replaced by a more sober analysis of their goals and challenges.

Both men responded to Bleacher Report's request for an interview, and had this to say about their new time-line.

"We may have allowed ourselves to have been driven a little too much by passion", said Robertson. "As we began to generate greater interest from investors and potential partners, we realized that there were several things that would need to be done from the standpoint of good business practices.

The game at Gillette Stadium was always one that had been designed to prove what Americans could do on the rugby pitch and to generate interest from potential investors. We feel the additional time will allow us to be more effective on all fronts; including on the field."

Mike Clements went on to defend the postponement as an effort to move forward in a responsible businesslike way.

"We were confident that we could have pulled off the game this summer. But if you are going to try and launch a rocket," Clements said, "you have to listen to your engineers and even delay the launch if they tell you conditions aren't optimal. We know that we can do a far better job of filling Gillette Stadium for a rugby match, and achieving the business results we are aiming at, if we take the time to check off all the right boxes in our business model."

Certainly, it is hard to argue that the fate of this American professional rugby dream can only benefit from more due diligence and a much longer time-line. The logistics involved in pulling off such an event on short notice would have been daunting. 

But what do the American group's existing partners think of the delay? 

We had previously reported that England's Premier Rugby, the owners of the Aviva Premiership, were to supply the opponents for the August test series. However, RugbyLaw now tells Bleacher Report that both Premier Rugby and the NFL Network—with whom the group has a carriage agreement—will have the option not to continue should they wish to withdraw from the endeavor.

"When we look for partners," said George Robertson "we look for those who want to work with us and see the potential in American professional rugby".

Whether or not Premier Rugby and the NFL continue to maintain their involvement, those behind the project are moving forward with a purpose, even if they are now doing so at a more deliberate pace and with some lessons learned.

RugbyLaw's George Robertson had these comments, as his talk with Bleacher Report drew to a close.

"We welcome the naysayers and critics. We believe that the American sports fan will fall in love with the speed and combativeness of professional rugby and we believe there is a huge market waiting. Over the next year, we will be moving forward to bring a professional XV's league to the United States; which we believe is something that will, one day, see America win the Rugby World Cup."

Jeff Hull is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

Unless otherwise stated, all quoted material was obtained first-hand.

To follow the author on Twitter, click on the link below.

 Follow @RugbyScribe

USA Rugby head coach Mike Tolkin knows he and his squad will be in a tough spot on June 8, when they face the might of Ireland at Houston's BBVA Compass Stadium. Coach Tolkin's Irish counterpart, Les Kiss was equally cautious, as the two teams begin their final preparations for Saturday's clash.

Today was the pre-match press conference, and Bleacher Report had the chance to talk to both coaches about their preparations and their areas of focus.

For Ireland, playing in Houston brings more than just the challenge of their American opponents. Coach Kiss spoke to us about some of Ireland's innovative and cost-effective preparations for playing in the 90-degree temperatures that the team is likely to encounter this weekend.

"As anyone who has been to Ireland knows, you don't generally get the extreme weather conditions that you do here. So, our strength and conditioning coach came up with the idea of putting the guys under a bit of pressure. We wanted to show them what it is to deal with so much sweating and how much in the way of fluids they would have to take in.

So, our way of doing this was to put a garbage bag under the jersey in training, and the boys did sweat profusely. These are just some of the little things we do to make sure the players are prepared as much as possible."

While the heat is sure to be the most unique factor the Irish will have to deal with, team cohesion is surely the most important. As our exclusive Bleacher Report preview explained, Ireland have arrived in Houston with more than a dozen of their first-choice players either injured or away on leave with the British and Irish Lions tour.

Coach Kiss was clear that this was a challenge they knew they would have to address coming in.

"You are right that we have brought a lot of players that aren't used to playing with each other, and we have some young players in this team. We have started with a large focus on the basics of the game. To be truthful, we have tried to prepare our game around a good solid forward platform.

"We know that if we can get our forward pack in the right place, that we have a very talented young back line that can actually do some damage; but it won't happen if we don't create the time and space that we need to."

Meanwhile, Mike Tolkin is also battling to gel a team that has recently seen the return of stars such as Northapton's Samu Manoa and Biarritz flyer Takudzwa Ngwenya.

"As this is their first time playing together as a squad, we have really been working on continuity and continuity of play. We want to be on the same page in attack and defence and really be as continuous as we can in our game plan. 

"We have had some time with players in Colorado, prior to this match, but this will be the first time this group of players has been together, as we have had many players meet us here in Houston."

When asked what some of the other challenges were that he was discussing with his players, Tolkin joined his Irish colleague in factoring in the weather.

"It's definitely a battle against the conditions too. I think it will be harder on the Irish, but it's still a challenge. When you are playing a very physical game and the weather becomes a factor, we have to be mentally hard. We are playing a good enough opponent, and then you add in the weather on top of that. We will really have to ready ourselves mentally."

The weather conditions this weekend may indeed be intense, but the battles on the field are likely to be more so. 

The tension is building ahead of what is surely going to be one of the biggest American rugby events in 2013. 

The USA Rugby Eagles will kickoff against Ireland at Houston's BBVA Compass Stadium at 7:30pm, this Saturday.

We'll bring you a complete match report, including comments from the post-match press conference, right here, on Bleacher Report.

Jeff Hull is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

Unless otherwise stated, the quotes in this article were obtained first-hand.

To follow the author on Twitter, click on the link below.

Follow @RugbyScribe

The USA Rugby Eagles will take on a dangerously understrength Ireland squad in their second International Rugby Board (IRB) test match of the summer at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston on June 8. 

On paper, their encounter will represent one of the larger challenges USA Rugby's senior men's team has undertaken in recent times outside of a World Cup. For the 16th-ranked Eagles, the match is also a rare opportunity to put on a world-class rugby event on home soil.

USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville expressed his excitement about the upcoming contest when he spoke to Bleacher Report at the Global Rugby Forum, in Philadelphia.

"We are extremely excited to be welcoming Ireland to Houston for this world-class caliber test match. It will be a great opportunity for us to once again tap the fantastic enthusiasm for rugby that exists in Houston, as well as being a stern test for the Eagles."

It hasn't been the smoothest start to the summer for Melville's Eagles. Like Ireland, whose stars are now traveling the Pacific Rim with the British and Irish Lions Tour, USA Rugby's overseas players were largely absent from their first test of the summer against Canada on May 25. 

That contest ended in a 16-9 defeat at the hands of an equally underpowered Canadian team. Those two traditional rivals will meet twice more in August for a home-and-away series, as part of the World Cup Qualifying process. By the time those matches take place at summer's end, both North American squads will look significantly stronger.

But first, both must worry about the ninth-ranked Irish. Or, is it the other way around?

When the time comes, the Eagles should be bolstered by the return of several of their top-flight overseas players, including Shawn Pittman and the lighting-fast Biarritz winger Takudzwa Ngwenya. These additions—and Ireland's own depth chart issues—should theoretically give USA Rugby supporters hopes of a historic upset. However, no one should overlook the threat the Irish represent. 

Despite naming six uncapped players to their tour roster, Ireland are stocked top-to-bottom with first-class professional talent, the likes of which North American nations can still only dream of. Indeed, this will be one for the most challenging summer schedules ever for North American rugby nations.

Internationally known names, such as Leinster's Isaac Boss and Ulster's Andrew Trimble, continue to highlight an Irish team shorn of its superstars. Yet, this is clearly not the Ireland of the 2013 RBS Six Nations or even the 2011 World Cup. 

The 2013 British and Irish Lions have stripped Ireland of no less than 10 of its first-choice players. In addition, according to the Irish Times, a number of other experienced names were not considered for this tour because of injury, including Craig Gilroy (groin), Luke Marshall (concussion), Donnacha Ryan (shoulder), Stephen Ferris, Eoin Reddan, Luke Fitzgerald, Gordon D’Arcy, David McSharry, Keith Earls and Stephen Archer.

As if all this weren't enough, the Irish were informed days ago that their newly-named Captain and starting hooker Rory Best has now been called up to the Lions Tour in place of the disgraced Dylan Hartley.

Even the Irish coaching group is in flux, with acting head coach Les Kiss leading Ireland's summer tour in advance of the arrival of new man Joe Scmidt.

The combination of these factors leaves one to wonder how the IRB feels comfortable sanctioning Ireland's North American tour with official test matches. 

This news will hearten an American side that could desperately use a win, but they would be foolish to underestimate the challenge they face

Even the least experienced player arriving in Ireland's touring squad still regularly plays at a standard significantly higher than most of Coach Tolkin's group. 

Preparing that group for the massive challenge that lies ahead is now the focus for Tolkin and his team captain, Todd Clever. The USA Eagles boss spoke about his team's preparations recently in a USA Rugby press release.

We’re bringing a lot more experience. We have some of those guys who were resting or still had commitments to their teams. They bring in a lot of experience, a lot of games played and a lot of top-league competition experience to the match.

This week has been beneficial for us. We’ve been doing a lot of individual skills work and fitness work. It’s good having the guys together. Todd Clever’s been a good captain, keeping a fairly young, inexperienced squad together and on track. That’s been a real positive.

Despite the preparations, all will come down to the performance of these two teams on June 8. Nigel Melville continues to feel that his team is up for the challenge.

"Regardless of who they bring with them, Ireland are one of the world's leading rugby nations. We must be prepared to match their intensity and play for a full 80 minutes. I know the Eagles and their coaching staff will welcome the massive challenge that Ireland pose, and will respond accordingly. The fans who will attend this event will be in far a fantastic show."

Bleacher Report Prediction

Our Bleacher Report preview has difficulty agreeing with Melville's optimism. With all of the money that has been funneled into high-performance training since rugby's induction into the 2016 Summer Olympic program, North American rugby unions like to believe that their players are the equal of their European counterparts in terms of fitness. However, there is an important difference between athletic fitness and match fitness. 

America's players will be competing against an Irish squad that enjoys weekly competition in the RaboDirect Pro 12, a league whose schedule is crammed with high-performance games. It has long been the fate of hopeful Tier 2 nations to put a scare into their Tier 1 counterparts, only to see their efforts fall short in a game's final minutes. 

Despite all of the huge advantages now swinging in favour of a hopeful USA team, it is hard to see the result in this match being an exception to that trend.

Look for an inspired USA effort in the first-half, followed by a slow but professionally managed Irish comeback. In the end, Ireland still has the weapons to put the Eagles under pressure and, as America is fielding a team still partially made up of amateur players, that pressure is likely to lead to predictable results.

Predicted scoreline: Ireland: 33. USA: 20

USA Rugby Eagles | Houston Assembly Squad 

Chris Biller 
Todd Clever 
Peter Dahl 
Cameron Dolan 
Brian Doyle 
Zach Fenoglio 
Eric Fry 
Graham Harriman 
Will Holder 
Luke Hume 
Seamus Kelly 
Scott Lavalla 
Toby L’Estrange 
Samu Manoa 
Liam Murphy 
Takudzwa Ngwenya 
James Paterson 
Mike Petri 
Shawn Pittman 
John Quill 
Blaine Scully 
Robbie Shaw 
Adam Siddall 
Louis Stanfill 
Andrew Suniula 
Phil Thiel 
Nick Wallace 
Chris Wyles

Ireland Roster

Isaac Boss (Terenure College/Leinster)
Darren Cave (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
Sean Cronin (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
Declan Fitzpatrick (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Jamie Hagan (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Iain Henderson (Ballynahinch/Ulster)
Chris Henry (Malone/Ulster)
Robbie Henshaw (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Paddy Jackson (Dungannon/Ulster)
Felix Jones (Shannon/Munster)
David Kilcoyne (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Ian Madigan (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Kieran Marmion (Galwegians/Connacht)
Paul Marshall (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers/Connacht)
Fergus McFadden (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary's College/Leinster)
Tommy O'Donnell (UL Bohemians/Munster)
Stuart Olding (Belfast Harlequins/Ulster)
Peter O'Mahony (Cork Constitution/Munster) (capt)
Mike Ross (Clontarf/Leinster)
Mike Sherry (Garryowen/Munster)
Richardt Strauss (Old Wesley/Leinster)
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
Dan Tuohy (Ballymena/Ulster)
Simon Zebo (Cork Constitution/Munster)

Jeff Hull is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.

Unless otherwise stated, the quoted material for this article was obtained first-hand.

To follow the author on Twitter, click on the link below.

Follow @RugbyScribe