‘The next level up’: USA U20s captain’s rise to Eagles-heavy squad

USA U20s captain Spencer Huntley is no stranger to being the youngest rugby prospect in the room. It’s a challenge the scrum-half became quite accustomed to throughout the age-grade ranks, before being named in an Eagles-heavy USA XV squad last month.

Huntley first got the chance to play for the USA U20s as a 17-year-old, before suiting up for the U23s at just 18. These weren’t opportunities Huntley was daunted by, with the teenager working hard to show “there’s a reason why I’m here.”

It was the exact same when USA coach Scott Lawrence got in touch, naming the highly-rated prospect in the USA XV squad. Lawrence coached the Eagles to a 3-0 unbeaten run in the July World Rugby Nations Cup matches, and took the reins for this non-Test.

Lawrence selected a 31-man roster 14 months out from Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027, giving players a high-level hit-out against an Argentina XV. Huntley spent those 10 days rubbing shoulders with some of the best rugby players in the USA.

“It’s not something every day that you get a message from Scott Lawrene telling you that you’ve been called into camp,” Huntley told RugbyPass last month.

“I got done with the 20s and got home, and then got the message and I was like, ‘oh wow, this is basically what I’ve been working for my whole life.’

“Since I was little kid, I remember wanting to become an Eagle and eventually play in a World Cup.

“Right off the bat I was surprised but also very grateful.

“There’s loads of legends, guys that I’ve either had the opportunity to train with or play with before, or guys that are new that I hadn’t really connected with that much. But either way, being called into the squad was an amazing opportunity for me.”

Huntley is a product of So-Cal single-school league side Cathedral Catholic High School and the San Diego Mustangs, who the halfback captained to the 2025 High School Club Championship as a co-MVP.

But Huntley is now playing for Hartpury University in England, having been scouted by team coach Dan Murphy. Murphy was watching when the No. 9 starred on tour for the USA U18s, with the two exchanging words and details.

After making the trip over to the UK the following year, Huntley decided to move abroad after graduating from high school. The American has remained a key part of the USA’s age-grade teams though, playing U23s and captaining the U20s side.

Huntley captained the USA at the World Rugby Junior World Championship in Georgia earlier this year, which was the country’s third-ever appearance at the event. The USA faced Argentina, England and Ireland during the pool stage.

“The first 20s stint that I had… I was the youngest on the team. So that experience was a lot different than the U20s that I just had where I was one of the older guys,” the captain reflected.

“I then have to look at it and approach it differently. So when it was those earlier camps where I had to show myself off and make a move early to show the coaches there’s a reason why I’m here, I was having to do a lot more.

“When I played in the second Global Youth 7s and then this last 20s tournament, where I’m in more of a leadership role and guys need to start feeding off of me, that’s when I had to switch my mentality.

“I have to start focusing on other people now, this isn’t just about me and my game, this is about how I can better other people’s games and better our development as a whole and as a team.”

That journey ultimately led Huntley to the USA XV, although the teenager wasn’t named in the matchday 23 to take on the Argentina XV at Inter Miami FC Stadium. But still, the scrum-half clearly took plenty out the experience.

Ruben de Haas is the first-choice No. 9 for the USA national team, and the Eagle was a core part of the XV side last month. De Haas starred as the Chicago Hounds completed an unprecedented Major League Rugby undefeated season in 2026.

Huntley and de Haas discussed preparation; working closely together in meetings and during training sessions. “He’s definitely put me under his wing,” Huntley said, before speaking about the influence of former San Diego Legion Academy teammate Dominic Besag.

“From the very beginning I knew it was going to be tough. Just rolling in here and after the first couple days of training I was like, ‘Yeah, this is the next level up. This is what I’ve been wanting but now I have to step up and rise to the occasion.’

“But one of the first couple things that I saw, you see them from an outside standpoint, they have this parts of the game, so what do I have personally? What can make me different or how can I differ?

“There’s little things like that, you have to be like, all right this guy’s box kicking is really good so I have to have a good box kick and I have to do something else that is basically a one up.

“On of the things for me as a nine, it’s not very common in the game but I like to say I’m quite physical, especially on defence. Being a good defending scrum-half I think is part of the toolset to help me stay at this level, but I think physicality I sone of the biggest things that would be a difference from playing U18 to U20 to now men’s side rugby.”

The USA XV claimed a thrilling one-point win over the Argentinian side, which served as ideal preparation for the Eagles ahead of the Pacific Nations Cup, which gets underway in less than a fortnight.

Huntley is still only 19 and seems excited by the potential playing opportunities around the world, with Major League Rugby a possible destination. But the door could also be open to play in other countries like England, France and Japan.

“There are opportunities everywhere.

“One of the things about being so young is you have to think about, where am I going to best develop from the start? And then as you get older, you start to build basically a resume for yourself, a rugby resume, and then that’s where you can start to hop around to different teams.”