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15 unusual facts about United States national rugby union team


2003 Rugby World Cup – Repechage qualification

The USA and Tonga would eventually qualify through the two positions.

2013 Americas Rugby Championship

The tournament featured the same teams as in the 2012 version, Argentina Jaguars, Canada Selects, USA Select XV, and Uruguay.

2014 IRB Pacific Nations Cup

With the addition of Samoa, the 2014 title will be contested between Canada, defending champions Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and the United States.

Adam Ashley-Cooper

Against Italy, Ireland, USA, Russia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Wales at the 2011 Rugby World Cup Ashley-Cooper played outside centre (13), on the wings (both 11 & 14), and fullback (15).

Argentina Jaguars

They've played alongside the full national teams of Namibia, Romania, Georgia, the United States, and Canada as well as other second national teams like Italy A, the Emerging Springboks, and the England Saxons.

Francisco Pastrana

Later in 2009, he refereed a Rugby World Cup qualification mach between Uruguay and the United States.

Gary Lambert

Dr Gary Lambert is a rugby footballer, poker player and chiropractor who represented the United States in the 1987 Rugby World Cup.

Gheorghe Benţia

His first game was a 21-0 loss to the United States, for the Inter-Allied Games, in Paris.

Igor Klyuchnikov

He gained his 50th cap in Russia's World Cup opener against USA on 15 September 2011.

Ivan Francescato

Perhaps his most famous moment in an Italian shirt was scoring one of the tries of the tournament in the 1991 World Cup in the game against the USA.

Nicolae Mărăscu

The highest point of Mărăscu career was at the 1924 Olympic Tournament, when Romania, even losing to France (59-3) and the United States (39-0) still won the bronze medal by finishing in 3rd place.

Obi Ezeh

He was also a member of a four-time state champion high school rugby team and was invited to tryout with the United States national rugby union team.

Pierre Rabadan

He made his international debut on 3 July 2004 against the United States.

Teodor Florian

Florian career highest point was his presence at the Romania team that reached the 3rd place at the 1924 Summer Olympics, even losing to France (59-3) and the United States (39-0).

Toby L'Estrange

Toby L'Estrange (born September 2, 1988 in Berkely, California, United States) is a rugby union player who plays flyhalf for the United States national team.


Apenisa Naevo

After playing two games in July 2003 he was included in the Fiji squad for the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia, playing three games, against France and the United States, scoring tries in both, and the games against Scotland.

Jamie Cudmore

Cudmore made his debut for Canada in 2002 against the United States and has appeared in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups.

Jamie Noon

Full international recognition came in the summer of 2001 when he started three Tests for England on their North American tour – two against Canada and one versus the United States, with the Goole-born player scoring his first Test try in the second of the two clashes against the Canadians.

Lawrence Sephaka

Sephaka made his international debut for the Springboks on 1 December in 2001 in a match against the United States at Robertson Stadium in Houston.

Paddy Wallace

Over the summer he played in the United States and Canada in the Barclays Churchill Cup with the Ireland A team playing at out-half in all three of Ireland's games, the wins over USA and England Saxons and the defeat to the New Zealand Māori.

Thretton Palamo

Aged only 18, he was called into the United States squad to participate at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Toyota Park

On June 6, 2009 the stadium hosted a 2009 mid-year rugby test series match between United States and Wales in a warmup match for the USA in its campaign to qualify for the 2011 Rugby World Cup.