43-cap Prem star given summer off as USA reveal Nations Cup squad

Bristol Bears playmaker AJ MacGinty has not been included in the USA’s Nations Cup squad, with the 43-cap fly-half one of 16 unavailable players listed as ‘returning to play’.

MacGinty missed virtually all of last season after suffering an Achilles injury in the Bears’ opening match against Leicester, before returning for the penultimate game of the campaign against Bath.

At 35 years of age and with only one appearance under his belt in nine months, it was probably felt that the USA’s second-highest points scorer would be best served having the summer off.

MacGinty is regarded as the best American player of his generation and it’s hoped that he’ll have an injury-free run through to the 2027 Rugby World Cup, where he could be joined in the fly-half ranks by Florida-born Jack Walsh, who was raised in Australia.

Walsh, who was a standout star for the Ospreys in the season just gone, would have also qualified for Wales on residency grounds but he’s opted to move to France this summer after signing a two-year deal with Montauban.

It’s not gone unnoticed that Walsh, who can also play full-back was named alongside MacGinty in the long list of unavailable players, raising the hopes of US Rugby fans that he’s firmly on the Eagles’ radar.

The 31 players selected by Lawrence are set to assemble in Denver this week ahead of their upcoming Nations Cup campaign, which includes fixtures against Portugal, Zimbabwe and Spain.

Even in the absence of MacGinty and other long-time servants such as Joe Taufete’e and Sean McNulty, the squad features a blend of familiar stalwarts and new talent with seven uncapped players named in the group.

Cassh Maluia, Lance Williams and Ma’ake Muti (California Legion), John Rizzo (Old Glory DC) Julian Roberts (Anthem Rugby Carolina) Mason Pedersen (Seattle Seawolves) and Perry Mayo (Nevers) will look to make their debuts.

“July is about bringing our core playing group and new coaching staff together for the first time in seven months. With limited preparation time before facing a Portugal side that has already spent significant time together this year and is coming off a successful European campaign, our focus will be on establishing the foundations of our identity and developing to perform in the key moments that decide Test matches,” said Lawrence.

“Our leadership group understands that July is the first step in a 13-match journey through 2026. This squad reflects the players we believe are best positioned for this window, while others will continue their preparation through injury management, targeted development opportunities, and competitive match exposure before joining the Eagles later in the year.”

USA squad:

Alex Maughan (Anthem Rugby Carolina)
Benjamin Bonasso (Old Glory DC)
Brandon Harvey (Chicago Hounds)
Cassh Maluia* (California Legion)
Chris Hilsenbeck (Chicago Hounds)
Conner Mooneyham (Anthem Rugby Carolina)
Cory Daniel (Old Glory DC)
Dom Besag (St.Marys College)
Ethan McVeigh (New England Free Jacks)
Ezekiel Lindenmuth (Seattle Seawolves)
Jack Iscaro (Stade Francais)
Jason Damm (California Legion)
Joe Mano (California Legion)
John Rizzo* (Old Glory DC)
Julian Roberts* (Anthem Rugby Carolina)
Kapeli Pifeleti (Provence Rugby)
Lance Williams* (California Legion)
Luke Carty (Anthem Rugby Carolina)
Ma’ake Muti* (California Legion)
Makeen Alikhan (Anthem Rugby Carolina)
Mason Pedersen* (Seattle Seawolves)
Mitch Wilson (New England Free Jacks)
Nafii Ma’afu (Union Sportive Montalbanaise)
Nathan Den Hoedt (Chicago Hounds)
Paddy Ryan (Seattle Seawolves)
Perry Mayo* (USON Nevers)
Ruben De Haas (California Legion)
Rufus McLean (Seattle Seawolves)
Shilo Klein (Zebre Parma)
Tavite Lopeti (Chicago Hounds)
Tonga Kofe (California Legion)

Returning to Play:
Payton Telea-Ilalio
Osi Pifeleti
David Aiun’u
Kaleb Geiger
Joe Taufete’e
Sean McNulty
Rhyno Herbst
Sam Golla
Christian Poidevin
Marno Redelinghuys
Jamason Fa’ana Schultz
Zion Going
AJ MacGinty
Jack Walsh
Mark O’Keeffe
Oscar Treacy*

*denotes uncapped players