Nickname(s) | Eagles | |||||||||||||
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Emblem | American bald eagle | |||||||||||||
Union | USA Rugby | |||||||||||||
Head coach | John Mitchell | |||||||||||||
Captain | Todd Clever | |||||||||||||
Most caps | Todd Clever (73) | |||||||||||||
Top scorer | Mike Hercus (465) | |||||||||||||
Top try scorer | Vaea Anitoni (26) | |||||||||||||
World Rugby ranking | ||||||||||||||
Current | 17 (as of March 5, 2017) | |||||||||||||
Highest | 14 (2007) | |||||||||||||
Lowest | 20 (2008) | |||||||||||||
First international | ||||||||||||||
United States 8–12 Australia (November 16, 1912) |
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Biggest win | ||||||||||||||
United States 91–0 Barbados (July 1, 2006) |
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Biggest defeat | ||||||||||||||
England 106–8 United States (August 21, 1999) |
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World Cup | ||||||||||||||
Appearances | 7 (First in 1987) | |||||||||||||
Best result | Pool stage, 1987, 1991, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 | |||||||||||||
Medal record
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The United States men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The national team is controlled by USA Rugby, which is a member of Rugby Americas North, one of six regional governing bodies under World Rugby. Until sevens made its debut at the 2016 Rio Games, the United States was the reigning Olympic champion in rugby, having won gold at the 1920 and 1924 Summer Olympics.
As of June 27, 2016, the Eagles are ranked 17th in the world by the World Rugby Rankings. Their highest ranking, achieved ahead of the 2007 World Cup, was 14th; their lowest ranking was 20th, following a winless campaign in the 2008 Churchill Cup.
The highest profile tournament in which the Eagles play is the Rugby World Cup. The Eagles have played in all but one Rugby World Cup since the tournament began in 1987. The United States has expressed interest in hosting the 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The United States competed in the Pacific Nations Cup every Summer from 2013 to 2015. Previously, the U.S. has competed in the now-defunct Churchill Cup and the Pan American Championship. In April 2015, USA Rugby announced the creation of a new, annual International Championship to be contested among the top-6 ranked rugby nations in the Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Uruguay and the United States. The contest was named the Americas Rugby Championship and began in 2016. The United States won the 2017 Americas Rugby Championship after drawing with Argentina XV. It was the United States' first 15-a-side rugby union title in over 90 years.