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Former All Black to helm new MLR club and build toward 2031 'moon shot'
The 2031 Rugby World Cup will be held in The United States and the Eagles have plenty of work to do if they are to achieve their lofty ambitions for the tournament.
When competing for a spot in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the USA lost to Uruguay and missed the opportunity to compete in France.
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Having the tournament hosts announced so far out in advance has handed the USA an opportunity to build towards the World Cup, and build excitement and anticipation among the growing fanbase and player pool in the country.
But following the collapse of New York’s MLR team, the Ironworkers, just a week after the Toronto Arrows met a similar fate, World Rugby stepped in to help assure the league’s standing and ensure player pathways are developed in the country.
That comes in the form of new MLR club Anthem Rugby Carolina.
In a statement, World Rugby said the new team will “greatly accelerate that high-performance objective by supporting the long-term goals of the USA men’s national team in advance of qualification for Rugby World Cup 2027 (in Australia) and hosting the 2031 edition on home soil”.
“This type of partnership has proven successful for Rugby World Cup 2023 quarter-finalists Fiji with the establishment of the Drua, and we are excited about the huge potential of Anthem RC, not just as a pathway but as a major franchise within a long-term vision for MLR success.”
The side will be coached by former All Black Alama Ieremia and announced its 38-player roster for the 2024 pre-season on Saturday.
Ieremia, an assistant with the Eagles in addition to his new role with Anthem RC, has a firm grasp on what the club needs to achieve.
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“It’s a push to really drive pathways for American players and eligible players overseas to then lead on to the Eagles,” Ieremia told 1News.
“I’ve got a lot of the academy players which I am passionate about bringing through.”
The emphasis on developing young talent isn’t exclusive to American-based athletes, either. Ieremia says he has an eye on overseas youngsters and has already approached a few players in New Zealand.
“We’re definitely casting the net to say hey were out here now if you’re keen and have any American blood,” said Ieremia.
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USA Eagles Head Coach, Scott Lawrence hammered the point home, mentioning All Black great Michael Jones’ son Niko, who currently plays for Washington D.C. team Old Glory.
“Do we look at that type of player? Yes, but they have to have a strong desire to play for the USA,” said Lawrence.
“They have to really want to do it, especially when they want to play for the USA which is an affair of the heart, not the wallet.”
The 2031 Rugby World Cup will be the first edition of the men’s tournament to be held on the American continent, but Lawrence says that trailblazing success in the the American players’ DNA.
“In 1962 JFK said we’d go to the moon and seven years later we did that, seven years from now we have a World Cup and we will be in a quarter-final.
“That’s our moon shot, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Men should show strength and be mean, but they should be able to show emotion to those close yo them in certain times, birth of your child, death of family, proud moment. This article is stupid
4 Go to commentsWhat a weak article…absolute drivel and clickbait, well done. Will stick to rugby365 thanks
4 Go to commentsHonest, discipline, humility… Priceless.
2 Go to commentsSo many excuses. No mention of the SA number 2 being taken out illegally in the 2nd minute. That act of foul play had a massive impact on the SA game. Face it, NZ play pretty dirty very regularly, and it’s only since 2016 they’ve been held to higher officiating standards via stricter officiating and TMO reviews. They deserved to have a man down. Sorry. Fix the yellow and red cards and NZ will win more RWCs. Plus, there WAS a knock on invalidating the one try, so it was NOT a try. Period. Here’s a Kleenex…
208 Go to commentsOverheard conversation between NZ and SA rugby fans everywhere: We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! We’re the greatest! No we’re the greatest! Ireland are arrogant! True but they beat you! We’re the greatest! No! we’re the greatest! Etc. etc, etc.
20 Go to commentsTypical crap Aussie weather
11 Go to comments“If they’d have beaten England, I still feel we would have been talking ‘is this the best team ever,’ ‘is this the best team that’s ever played in the Six Nations'” he said. “I still think they’re not quite that good. I actually don’t think they’re that good.” So Trimble is saying he doesn’t think this is the best 6N team of all time. He is silent on if it is the best Irish team of all time. Can’t disagree with him. Just another misrepresentative clickbait headline from the guys at RP.
20 Go to commentsWow, do we really still have to listen to all the excuses and “unfairness” of it all. Even blaming the bounce of an egg shaped ball for the loss. But the article is about context, so what about the Springboks having to play the other 5 teams in the top 6 and still beating a comparatively rested AB team on a very empty tank.
208 Go to comments“Teams would generally have three coaches below their head honcho; attack coach, defence coach, forwards coach” do they? I’m not sure what the NZ set up is tbh, but the other 4 sides top 5 sides all have very different structures to the one outlined in the article! As well as attack, defence, and forwards coaches, SA, Ireland, and France also have specialist scrum coaches. England have a specialist scrum coach too, but arguably don’t have a forwards coach, with that role taken on by Borthwick. SA also have a backs coach in addition to defence and attack, and Ireland and England have fitness coaches, with England also having two skills coaches.
2 Go to commentsWorst article I've read in a while. Trying to disguise a backhand slap as a compliment. The whole article is a bit weird and negative. I think South African men are emotional in general… think Clad le Clos’s father 2012 London Olympics.
4 Go to commentsIreland are going to win the world cup.
20 Go to commentsIt was the strangest result ever. Etzebeth should've been yellow card for his cynical retiring move and a penalty try. Birth second half tries by the Allblacks were fantastic and the TMO operating outside the law to rule out the first try was egregious. Yes, the boks got the win but it was through some bizarre officiating that allowed them to sneak home against 14 men that dominated them. The quieter Bok supporters know and acknowledge the Allblacks were the better and dominant side. Justifying the win because they beat a pre world cup Allblacks selection is silly.
208 Go to commentsA very English thing to do hey Courtney, blerrie kant
4 Go to commentsIt sounds like Andrew is trying to convince himself or has just lost all perspective. The team did look jaded for the last couple of games of the six nations but a few things were wrong there. Italy tackled their hearts out and made Ireland work hard for every try. Outsmarted by Scotland? Huh? Ireland got held up over the line about 4 times. Scotland did nothing on attack the whole game other than one breakaway near the end. A recharge and reset is needed which they hopefully will have had before the SA your.
20 Go to commentsIncluding SA and Argie teams was great for the quality of rugby, but middle of the night games and player travel/ jet lag make that unworkable. I think that SA in Europe and Argie building an American league with USA, Canada etc would be better long term. If Oz can't sustain Rebels then next cab off the rank should be a Japanese team. Keep regional comps to time zones, both club and test rugby. Then existing test windows for test tours plus RWC.
6 Go to commentsMisogynists have feelings too!
4 Go to commentsCrowd sizes of the URC v the Premiership must be a big factor.
1 Go to commentsWell you’ve made a proper tit of yourself, haven’t you! 😂
173 Go to commentsBen it's beyond their comprehension-
208 Go to commentsThanks Sam. Interesting read. Harder or easier for Parling to come into a completely new setup where performance was abysmal last time out? I’d suggest easier to be better but, as you suggest, will be a lot to do with how much latitude he’s granted. Hopefully all he needs. With hybrids like Holloway, Hannigan, Swinton and Leota as options at 6 we have the basics for a strong lineout. BPA returning means we have good options at 2 also with Faessler, Porecki and Uelese, although Jordan is a scrumming beast rather than a dart thrower. I’m typically a pessimist or realist but that’s never applied to the Wallabies
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