Usavjpn-Program.Pdf

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter from the President 2 United States Roster 6-7 Japan Roster 9-10 ‘Til the Motor Stops 13 An American Sporting Experience 22

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to StubHub Center for the USA Eagles’ opening game of the 2014 Pacific Nations Cup tournament and a special welcome to our friends from Japan, one of the form teams in this year’s event arriving in Los Angeles on the back of a strong performance in Canada last weekend, winning 34-25. Now coached by former Wallaby Coach Eddie Jones, we know that the team will be well prepared and dis- ciplined playing with great speed and intensity.

Last weekend the Eagles played Scotland in Houston in front of a 20,000 passionate home crowd, but despite their support the Eagles lost 22-6 in a scrappy game that never quite measured up to the pre-match hype. The Eagles certainly put in a gritty performance and the game could have gone either way before a late Scotland try sealed the game in Scotland’s favor.

The Eagles will be looking to bounce back tonight, learning lessons from Houston and converting them into actions this evening against Japan. In just over 12 months at the Rugby World Cup, the Eagles will meet both Japan and Scotland in our group, so this month we are all getting an opportunity to size up the opposition. The Eagles finished the 2013 season with strong wins in Europe against Georgia and Russia, in the spring they beat Uruguay to qualify for the 2015 Rugby World Cup and this month they have three home games to continue their development as a team.

Coach Mike Tolkin and his staff have already started to shape their Rugby World Cup squad, there is an increasing amount of competition within the squad for places and this will certainly prove a motivating factor for tonight’s game for the Eagles.

In the USA the game of rugby is growing at pace with vibrant youth programs starting to develop quality players who are making their way into our National All-American High School and Collegiate teams. This has all been made pos- sible by the commitment of our coaches and administrators who commit hours and hours of their time to support the development of these young players. In Southern California we have one of the strongest Youth programs in the country and I know many of them will be attending their first Eagles game today. I would like to give them a special welcome and hope they leave today’s game dreaming of playing for the Eagles in the future.

Have a great evening and may the best team win!

Go Eagles!

Nigel Melville CEO and President of Rugby Operations USA Rugby

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NAME DOB HOMETOWN POSITION

NICK 9/28/1986 Seattle, WA Prop WALLACE

U PHIL THIEL 10/28/1984 Traverse City, MI Hooker @PhillipThiel

OLIVE 9/13/1987 Davis, CA Prop @FryProp S KILIFI

SAMU 5/29/1985 Sacramento, CA Second Row @LouStanfill A MANOA

SCOTT 4/10/1985 Sydney, AUS Second Row @Hayden_Smith_ LAVALLA

DANNY 1/16/1983 Palm Springs, CA Flanker @ToddsClever R BARRETT

TODD 4/4/1988 Olympia, WA Flanker U CLEVER CAMERON 3/6/1990 Ft. Myers, FL Number Eight @Cam_Dolan DOLAN

G MIKE PETRI 8/15/1984 Brooklyn, NY Scrum-half

SHALOM 6/4/1988 Auckland, NZL Fly-half @ShalomSuniula B SUNIULA

@Luke_Hume_ TIM 1/26/1988 New York, NY Wing Y MAUPIN Rugby

6 NAME DOB HOMETOWN POSITION

SEAMUS 4/30/1982 American Samoa Center @Suni_3 KELLY

FOLAU R 5/30/1991 Queens, NY Center NIUA

BLAINE 2/29/1988 Sacramento, CA Wing @blainescully1 O SCULLY

CHRIS 9/13/1983 Stamford, CT Fullback @ChrisWyles S WYLES

THOMAS 8/26/1988 Cleveland, OH Hooker T COOLICAN ERIC 10/16/1989 Bellingham, WA Prop @NICKtheWALLace FRY

E TITI LAM- 2/10/1995 Bellingham, WA Prop @titilamo OSITELE

LOUIS 8/28/1980 San Diego, CA Lock @sole_uso R STANFILL

@bookemshaaark- KYLE 3/23/1990 Pacifica, CA Wing SUMSION ie

CHAD 1/27/1985 East Palo Alto, CA Center LONDON

THRETTON 9/27/1988 Johannesburg, RSA Center PALAMO

MILES CRAIG- 3/23/1989 Danville, CA Wing WELL 7 TICKETS: starting at $15 TICKETMASTER.COM

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GROUP TICKETS START @ $12! (916) 307-6105 OR [email protected] NAME DOB CLUB TEAM POSITION

Loosehead MASATAKA 6/4/1988 Brave Lupus MIKAMI Prop

SHOTA 1/21/1986 Wild Knights Hooker J HORIE KENSUKE Tighthead 8/2/1985 Suntory Sungoliath HATAKEYA- Prop A MA SHOJI 12/2/1980 Kobelco Steelers Lock ITO P LUKE THOMP- 4/16/1981 Kintetsu Liners Lock SON

Blindside JUSTIN IVES 5/24/1984 Canon Eagles A Flanker

Openside MICHAEL 10/7/1988 Brave Lupus N LEITCH (C) Flanker HOLANI RYU KO- 10/25/1981 Wild Knights Number 8 LINIASHI

FUMIAKI 1/3/1985 Wild Knights Scrum-Half TANAKA

HARU- MICHI 12/2/1989 Kubota Spears Fly-Half TATEKAWA

KENKI 9/7/1992 Univ. of Tsukuba Wing FUKUOKA

9 NAME DOB CLUB TEAM POSITION

YU 1/9/1989 Green Rockets Inside Center TAMURA

MALE Outside R 10/13/1987 Yamaha Jubilo SAU Center

AKIHITO 7/26/1985 Wild Knights Wing O YAMADA AYUMU GOROMA- 3/1/1986 Yamaha Jubilo Full-Back S RU HISATERU HIRASHI- 1/15/1983 Kobelco Steelers Front-row MA

TAKESHI T 7/15/1988 Kobelco Steelers Front-row KIZU

HIROSHI YAMASHI- 1/1/1986 Kobelco Steelers Front-row E TA

SHINYA 3/26/1987 Suntory Sungoliath R MAKABE HITOSHI 5/6/1978 Brave Lupus ONO

HENDRIK 12/13/1987 Suntory Sungoliath TUI

ATSUSHI 5/22/1987 Suntory Sungoliath HIWASA

TOSHIAKI 10/17/1981 Brave Lupus HIROSE

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DOLAN: “i’ll go ‘til the motor stops” n ice skates, Cameron of 2008, his senior year of high school, year, prompting Dolan to get in contact Dolan would be a couple of Dolan reconnected with O’Leary at a with O’Leary. inches taller than his already U18s camp. towering, 6-foot-6 frame. Dolan took the fall off, working and Luckily, ice hockey in Florida “I saw Sean and I said, ‘Hey, I want to go training with the club team, instead of was not as popular as it is now. to college, but I want to be able to play beginning his collegiate career. Without oDolan played hockey growing up in rugby,’” Dolan recollected. “’What’s your an undergraduate program, he was free Estero before realizing it would be take on that?’ to travel to Kenya with the U20s in the difficult to become a professional spring of 2009 for the IRB Junior World while playing in the Sunshine State. He The current Notre Dame Rugby Coach Rugby Trophy. Dolan captained the team tested his developing athletic abilities told Dolan he would recommend him to a second-place finish in its first year of on the baseball diamond and American to Life University Director of Rugby Scott the competition and returned home to football gridiron, but none of the sports Lawrence, who was overseeing exciting good news: former Eagle Dan Payne was the young Eagle played captured the growth in the Marietta, Ga., school’s club bringing an undergraduate program to passion he felt when he first went to program. The Running Eagles won the Life. rugby practice. Division I National Championship that “I saw Sean and I said, ‘Hey, I want to go to college, but I want to be able to play rugby,’” Dolan

“When I entered freshman year of high school, it was my school’s first year of existence,” Dolan said. “Then they started up a rugby team. I heard about it but didn’t really play or anything or watch any of the games. Come junior year I checked it out and went to practice. “It was kind of like all of the sports I had played put together. You’re able to be versatile, use your size, you had to be quick, you had to be athletic, you had to be agile. It all took off pretty quickly from there.”

Dolan proceeded through the USA Rugby All-American ranks with the U17s – coached by Sean O’Leary – in 2007 and the U18s a year later. During the spring

13 “He had good success at San Diego State, University – sent the Running Eagles No less than six current Eagles were in the and he wanted to use the resources that home in the semifinal. team, but Dolan captained the Selects in Life had to our advantage as players and matches against Argentina, Canada, and bring in young guys to give them a taste Colton Cariaga captained the team, Uruguay, though they were all losses. of college rugby,” Dolan said. “It’s tough but Dolan was certainly a leader after to be 18, a team of 18-year-olds playing learning from some of the best in the “It was always the ultimate goal – I men’s club rugby; it just doesn’t happen.” country. think it’s anyone’s ultimate goal in any sport to play for your national team and In 2011, Life finished second in Division “[Colton] didn’t really know much about represent your country in a sport on an 1A’s Mid-South Conference with a the forwards,” he said. “I called lineouts international stage,” Dolan said. 5-1 record and plus-243 point- When Dolan differential. It was returned to Life the first year of University for an the rebranded Eagles camp in competition and early 2013, he Life’s first foray proved he earned into the national a spot in the travel playoffs. squad for the Eagles’ summer Eventual lineup. Though champion he did not play a University of role in the match- California, day teams, Dolan Berkeley, ended provided ample what title hopes competition for the young program the 23 players who did have in the did go up against quarterfinal with a merciless, 43-10, win and played eight, so I was always at the Ireland and Tonga. Tolkin rewarded at home. The Golden Bears “spanked” back of scrums, calling scrum moves and Dolan with his first international cap the Running Eagles, as Dolan put it, but stuff like that. He was more of a lead-by- June 19, when the Eagles visited Japan the undergrads were just getting started. example kind of captain; I was more of for a match against Fiji. the vocal guy on the field, trying to lift the In 2012, Life wrangled the Mid-South boys up, bring them together.” Dolan started at number eight in place of Conference title away from Arkansas Todd Clever, but did not feel as though State with a perfect, 8-0 record. The It was not long until Dolan’s brief history he was replacing the team’s captain, Running Eagles took advantage of with rugby began a new chapter with holder of nearly 50 caps at the time. the higher seed and handily defeated the national team, with a selection for Pennsylvania State University in the the 2012 Americas Rugby Championship “He’s one of the best players to ever play quarterfinal. Another loss to an eventual calling from Eagles Head Coach Mike for the U.S.,” Dolan said. “I just try to do champion – this time Brigham Young Tolkin. my part as a team member. It’s a team “It was always the ultimate goal...to play for your national team and represent your country in a sport on an international stage,” continued on page 16

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usarugby.org/wrwc Eagles’ highest-profile rugby match in definitely beneficial.” years against the New Zealand Maori All Blacks. Dolan wore the number eight shirt The Eagles qualified for the 2015 World while scoring a try in a Man of the Match Cup earlier this year, defeating Uruguay performance for the Eagles in the loss at just miles away from Life University after a PPL Park. tough draw in the first leg in Montevideo. Before the Eagles can set their sights on The Eagles continued their Fall Tour England, however, they will host Scotland, to Europe for matches against Georgia Japan, and Canada during the Summer and Russia with Dolan starting in both Series, with the New Zealand All Blacks victories. The match against Russia was waiting for their American return at Soldier held at Saracens’ Allianz Park in England, Field in November. where the Eagles’ Chris Wyles plies his trade in the Aviva Premiership. In the win, “We have a strong team right now,” Dolan Dolan shared try-scoring duties with Samu said. “When we’re clicking on all cylinders, Manoa, who was no stranger to Allianz we can be one of the top 10 teams in the Park after signing with Northampton world. We’ve got to figure out what works Saints in 2011. for us and just stick with it.”

A month after the final match of 2013, It might be useful to keep Dolan in the game.” the Saints signed Dolan to a professional team, then, as he holds one of the higher contract. win percentages on the international level, Dolan finished the summer with substitute albeit with just seven caps. appearances in the Eagles’ match against “I felt very honored and blessed to just Japan in Tokyo and both legs of the IRB have that chance to go to one of the more With a busy schedule ahead as the Eagles Rugby World Cup 2015 Qualifier against prestigious rugby clubs in the world with prepare for their seventh World Cup and Canada, all losses. some of the best players in the world,” his professional career at Northampton Dolan said. “I always wanted to be a continues, Dolan is in line for many The capped Eagle served as captain for professional athlete. It was very surreal, national team appearances. one of the Selects’ three matches at the but it’s not the end goal.” 2013 Americas Rugby Championship “I’m gonna play as long as my body will and was among the starting XV for the Dolan’s end goal? Being the best. In being let me play,” he said. “The game changes the best, the Eagle every year, so I’ve got to adapt to it. Being of eight caps at Northampton’s definitely going to help wants to take the me be able to do that more easily and national team up more efficiently than another place. the ladder with him. “I’ll go ‘til the “I missed out on the 2011 World motor stops.” Cup,” he said. “I’m in a better place now, I’ve aged, I’m a little more mature physically and mentally as a player; that’s

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CREATING AN american sporting experience

hen Nigel Melville took on the role of Chief club competitions. The World Cup Qualifier was a stark reality Executive Officer at USA Rugby, he wrote an op- of, ‘We’re qualifying for the same tournament England were in. ed piece for The Guardian in the UK detailing How can it be connected?’ his goals for rugby in America, stating “it involves the game from top to bottom, from grassroots to “It just didn’t seem like the same thing. It didn’t seem right. international level.” Little did he know the New Fans didn’t need to buy tickets and they didn’t need to because WZealand All Blacks, the No. 1-ranked team in the there were 500 people there. By asking to bring a can, it made world and Rugby World Cup Champions, would come calling it seem like it wasn’t worth anything or it had no value. For me, for a match in the United States. it meant something.”

Before taking the job, Melville attended the USA Eagles’ IRB Rugby Rugby has come a long way in the United States since 2007. World Cup 2007 Qualifier against Uruguay in Stanford, Calif., Last year, the Eagles drew a record-breaking 20,181 fans much like his attendance at the same fixture in Atlanta in March to BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas, for a match of this year. against Ireland. The difference The Eagles’ between the “Our goal was to make international games look like they matchup matches seven do now: to make full stadiums, make it an American sporting against the New years apart Zealand Maori went beyond experience that aligns to people’s expectations for sport,” All Blacks set the entry fee; a record for a the Eagles sold-out crowd were not visible to the general and rugby-playing public of 18,500 fans at PPL Park in Philadelphia, Pa. enough to even warrant a ticket. “Our goal was to make international games look like they do “I came from England, where I was coaching a pro team and now: to make full stadiums, make it an American sporting involved with the national setup, which was 85,000 people experience that aligns to people’s expectations for sport,” filling a stadium at Twickenham,” he said. “You had, every Melville said. week, 15,000 people in the stands in these tight stadiums for

22 Fan festivals, tailgating events, and an overall sense of or a fan.” professionalism crept into Eagles international tests on domestic soil. Facilities like Infinity Park in Glendale, Colo., a In 2009, Rookie Rugby, a program aimed at teaching the youth rugby-specific venue self-titled as “RugbyTown USA,” became of the United States the basics of rugby in a safe, non-contact common destinations for top-level rugby. form of the sport, was launched. Five years later, with more and more high school state championships held across the It did not happen overnight, however. Matches were scheduled country and the creation of the Boys and Girls High School All- for other venues, like Toyota Park, a Major League Soccer Americans, the seeds of Melville’s plans have begun to flower. stadium in Chicago, Ill., only to be told the match could not be played due to fear of tearing up the playing surface. “A lot of these players coming up – every year they’ve been playing longer,” he said. “The perception is we would just make a mess of the ground, and then you’re convincing the groundsmen to tell other “The youth programs in the UK started when I was a kid in the groundsmen across the country it’s all right. It was all a bit of 1970s. There were six of us in it in my town. Now the program’s a challenge.” been going for forty years and they get 200 kids a week. It’s a thriving community they’ve developed. These were all over the Getting into stadiums became easier with more exposure for country and now we’re getting them here.” the Eagles. The 2007 World Cup helped players like Eagles captain Todd Clever become a face for the Eagles “franchise,” The pathway from youth rugby to the national team has but there were still a majority of rugby fans in the United States never been clearer. Young Eagles Scott Lavalla and Seamus unaware a national team was competing in multiple matches Kelly have each played for one of the USA Rugby All-American at home each year. teams, while experienced veterans like Clever and Louis Stanfill have also represented USA Rugby at the under-20 level. “If I were a kid playing the game, I probably wouldn’t know what the Eagles were and I wouldn’t know what the World Cup was,” The 2014 Emirates Airline USA Rugby College National Melville said. “Now I think the kids get it. We’ve developed a Championships were held in May at Steuber Rugby Stadium following for the Eagles and the events and made them events. on the campus of Stanford University as part of USA Rugby’s If you can broaden its appeal and make it look like it should National Championship Series, which also consists of Club look, then people will aspire to be involved in it, be it a player National Championships and domestic sevens competition.

23 While the events are attracting a steadily-increasing number of fans each year, the trend didn’t happen overnight.

“We realized our national championships weren’t going to become these huge events filling huge stadiums. That’s not what the NCS is about. It’s about players trying to get to the national finals at different levels. We wanted to make the experience of going to the national championships special to those who go to the national championships and for the local market to see the games and follow their teams, and have a place to have fun and have a good weekend.

“I’ve been here seven years. It’s more visible than it ever was, there’s more awareness, more television. As a result of that, we’re getting more high school players, we’re getting more college players. More and better.”

The Eagles have qualified for seven of the eight World Cups since the inaugural tournament in 1987, though they have yet to make it out of the pool round. Despite the majority of players in the last Eagles domestic camp playing professional rugby overseas and stronger, more visible opponents traveling to America, the Eagles are still ranked 18th in the IRB World Rankings.

“You want instant success,” Melville said. “Everyone does. It’s so much easier that way.

“It’s like planting seeds in the ground. You’re growing and will have to harvest it in a few years’ time. It’s like wine, I suppose. You grow your vines; they don’t really fruit for three years. Now there are kids coming through who have been playing for five years, but it also depends on good coaching, good refereeing, good competition. They all take time.”

The fruits of Melville’s labor can be seen in attendance figures for domestic and international competition, the amount of kids picking up a rugby ball on a daily basis, and in the upcoming, marquee matchup with the All Blacks at Soldier Field.

For more information on the Nov. 1 match at Soldier Field, please visit the event website at www.usavallblacks.com.