Damm, Dyer and Sosene-Feagai Named in Extended USA Eagles Squad

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MLR Rugby FC Los Angeles

Damm, Dyer and Sosene-Feagai Named in Extended USA Eagles Squad

April 9, 2025 - Major League Rugby (MLR)
Rugby FC Los Angeles News Release


Since the final whistle in a victory over Spain last November, Head Coach Scott Lawrence and the USA Men's Eagles staff have had consistent connectivity with the greater playing group during the club season in 2025.

Through regular touch points and tools like Eagles DNA, the program has named the Extended Player Squad (EPS) for 2025; comprised of positional players available for selection to touring squads this year. The late-summer Pacific Nations Cup headlines this year's schedule as the competition will serve as the Eagle's qualifier route to Rugby World Cup 2027. The 72-man extended roster is poised for a big year with experienced names and new talent competing for the opportunity to secure qualification and represent the United States on the biggest stage.

Head Coach and General Manager, Scott Lawrence said on the player selection criteria, "There have had a number of entrance markers put in place to select an initial EPS for which this group, outside of injury, has largely met. The Men's National Team will continue to expect players who want to be selected for this critical year, to play meaningful minutes and execute above their professional peers in order to be considered for international honors."

Among the selected names, 12 earn their first EPS nomination with 19 in search of their USA Eagles international debut. Among them is Corbin Smith, a standout star during the USA U20s Trophy campaign and 2021 Rugby Scholz Award Winner, Emmanuel Albert. Major League Rugby veterans Ryan James, Riekert Hattingh and Matt Jensen make their way back to the Eagles radar for the first time since 2021 and 2018 for Jensen. 2024 Olympian Malacchi Esdale also puts his hand up for the international fifteens pitch since joining Major League Rugby this season. Joe Taufete'e, Tesimoni Tonga'uiha and Tommaso Boni are also on the radar as potential selections currently on injury recovery and working towards a return to play.

The first opportunity for selection comes this July during a three-match series hosted in Charlotte and Washington DC, where the Eagles face off against Belgium, Spain and England on home soil. Touring squads for the July tests are expected to be named in June as the group prepares for one of the most anticipated home test series in recent memory. All in lead up to Rugby World Cup qualification this September and the next major step in the program's Moonshot 2031 trajectory.

Tickets for the USA Men's Eagles July match series are now available at usa.rugby/tickets.

2025 USA Men's Eagles Extended Player Squad

NAME POSITION CLUB

Jack Iscaro Prop Old Glory DC

Payton Telea Prop San Diego Legion

Jake Turnbull Prop Anthem Rugby Carolina

Ezekiel Lindenmuth** Prop Houston SaberCats

Nate Sylvia Prop San Diego Legion

Alex Maughan Prop Anthem Rugby Carolina

David Ainu'u Prop Toulouse (FRA)

Paul Mullen Prop NOLA Gold

Pono Davis Prop Houston SaberCats

Tonga Kofe** Prop Utah Warriors

Shilo Klein Hooker San Diego Legion

Kapeli Pifeleti Hooker Provence (FRA)

Mikey Sosene-Feagai Hooker RFCLA

Sean McNulty Hooker Miami Sharks

Kaleb Geiger Hooker New England Free Jacks

Dylan Fawsitt Hooker Chicago Hounds

Sam Golla Lock Anthem Rugby Carolina

Nafi Ma'afu* Lock Biarritz (FRA)

Brandon Harvey** Lock San Diego Legion

Renger Van Eerten Lock Brive (FRA)

Cam Dolan Lock NOLA Gold

Siaosi Mahoni Lock Seattle Seawolves

Jason Damm Lock RFCLA

Mike Grandy Lock Anthem Rugby Carolina

Matt Jensen Lock Utah Warriors

Marno Redelinghuys** Flanker Houston SaberCats

Viliami Helu Flanker San Diego Legion

Keni Nasoqeqe Flanker Houston SaberCats

Emmanuel Albert* Flanker Houston SaberCats

Paddy Ryan Flanker San Diego Legion

Cory Daniel Flanker Old Glory DC

Joe Johnston** Flanker New England Free Jacks

Makeen Alikhan* Flanker Anthem Rugby Carolina

Christian Poidevin** Flanker San Diego Legion

Jamason Fa'anana-Schultz No. 8 Old Glory DC

Benjamin Bonasso No. 8 Miami Sharks

Riekert Hattingh No. 8 Seattle Seawolves

Tomas Casares No. 8 Miami Sharks

Ruben De Haas Scrumhalf NOLA Gold

JP Smith Scrumhalf Seattle Seawolves

Connor Buckley Scrumhalf Old Glory DC

Oscar Lennon* Scrumhalf New England Free Jacks

Ethan McVeigh Scrumhalf Old Glory DC

AJ MacGinty Flyhalf Bristol Bears (ENG)

Luke Carty Flyhalf NOLA Gold

Rand Santos Flyhalf Univ. of California - Berkeley

Tom Pittman** Flyhalf C'Chartres (FRA)

Chris Hilsenbeck* Flyhalf Chicago Hounds

Dominic Akina** Center Houston SaberCats

Bryce Campbell Center Chicago Hounds

Junior Gafa** Center Anthem Rugby Carolina

Dominic Besag Center Saint Mary's College

Tavite Lopeti Center San Diego Legion

Mark O'Keeffe Center Chicago Hounds

Erich Storti Center Anthem Rugby Carolina

Mika Kruse Center Seattle Seawolves

Nate Augspurger Wing Chicago Hounds

Ryan James Wing San Diego Legion

Malacchi Esdale** Wing Seattle Seawolves

Conner Mooneyham Wing Anthem Rugby Carolina

Noah Brown Wing Chicago Hounds

Rufus Mclean** Wing Houston SaberCats

Lauina Futi Wing Seattle Seawolves

Christian Dyer Wing RFCLA

Mitch Wilson Fullback Anthem Rugby Carolina

Toby Fricker Fullback Anthem Rugby Carolina

Max Schumacher** Fullback Houston SaberCats

Steffan Crimp* Fullback Cardiff Met. University

Corbin Smith* Fullback Hartpury College

EPS availability pending Return To Play

Joe Taufete'e Hooker NOLA Gold

Tesimoni Tonga'uiha Flanker NOLA Gold

Tommaso Boni Center Old Glory DC

**First EPS selection

*Potential USA test debut

USA Men's Eagles Match Schedule

USA vs Belgium - July 5, 2025 - Charlotte, NC

USA vs Spain - July 12, 2025 - Charlotte, NC

USA vs England - July 19, 2025 - Washington DC

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