Fijian rugby union hooker Cyrille Cama, 23, is on the verge of making his international debut with the USA Eagles in this year’s restructured Pacific Nations Cup. He is among six uncapped players in the USA squad aiming for a top finish in the competition, which kicks off on Friday at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, featuring a match between the Flying Fijians and Manu Samoa.
The USA Eagles will face Japan on Saturday, August 31, at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles. Cama, originally from Natokalau, Kubulau, in Bua, and with maternal ties to Bureta in Ovalau, played rugby at St Agnes Primary School in Nabua, where he served as captain for two years before his family moved to Los Angeles in 2013.
Cama signed a two-year contract with the LA Giltinis, major league champions, and was selected for the USA Eagles Under-20s. He advanced to the High-Performance Programme and was chosen for the Rhinos Tens professional team during the World Tens Series in Bermuda in 2020, playing alongside African sevens stars Collins Injera, Andrew Amonde, and Cecil Africa. He is the first player from the Rhinos Academy and HPU to earn a spot on the USA Eagles.
World Rugby has announced that the 2025 Pacific Nations Cup will act as the qualification series for the Rugby World Cup 2027, making this year’s tournament a significant opportunity for the USA’s player pool ahead of next year’s qualifiers. Fiji and Japan have already secured spots in RWC 2027.
USA Eagles head coach Scott Lawrence commented on the five-week Pacific Nations Cup campaign, stating that it allows the squad to adapt to the rigorous preparation and intensity of test match rugby. He expressed confidence that the new team members would bring energy and a competitive spirit to the camp.
Cama’s mother, Marjorie Cama, reflected on her son’s journey as one filled with blessings, emphasizing the importance of the support he has received in pursuing his dream. She remarked, “It’s a blessing because it was always his dream to play rugby. As they always say, America is the land of great things, where the sky is the limit.”
This year’s Pacific Nations Cup features a new round-robin two-pool format, culminating in a Grand Final to determine the champions. Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga are in Pool A, while Canada, Japan, and the USA comprise Pool B. Each team will have one home and one away match in the pool stage. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the semi-finals, with the winners competing in the final, and the losers facing off for third place. The two bottom teams will play for fifth place on the same day as the first semi-final on September 14, followed by the second semi-final the day after. The finals will take place in Tokyo and Osaka, with Japan and the USA alternating hosting responsibilities each year.