The Fijian Drua’s successful model in the Super Rugby Pacific competition is being adopted by World Rugby to enhance rugby standards in the United States. Alama Ieremia, a former star center for the All Blacks and Manu Samoa, is at the forefront of this initiative. He serves as the back and attack coach for the USA national rugby team, which will face the Flying Fijians in the semi-finals of the Pacific Nations Cup in Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday, kicking off at 10:05 PM.
Ieremia has recently taken the helm as the head coach of the Anthem Rugby Carolina franchise in the American Major League Rugby (MLR) competition. This team was announced earlier this year, formed in partnership with World Rugby, which is aiding in its establishment in Charlotte.
“This effort aims to significantly expand pathways for American and eligible players to eventually represent the Eagles,” said Ieremia, who has previously coached the Hurricanes and Manu Samoa. He expressed a strong commitment to mentoring academy players.
The team’s primary goal will be to develop young American talent based on the Fijian Drua model from Super Rugby. According to World Rugby, this new team will help accelerate high-performance objectives, aligning with the long-term goals of the USA men’s national team as they prepare for the Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2027 and the opportunity to host the 2031 World Cup on home soil.
World Rugby also noted that this partnership model has already proven successful, citing Fiji’s achievements with the Drua, and expressed optimism about the potential of Anthem Rugby Carolina in contributing to the MLR’s success.
As part of their preparations for hosting the World Cup, USA Rugby is actively recruiting eligible American players. Ieremia has reached out to some New Zealand-based players who would qualify to represent the Eagles in the future.
“We’re definitely broadening our search and calling out to anyone with American heritage,” Ieremia commented. However, the process of integrating these eligible players remains in the development phase, according to USA Eagles head coach Scott Lawrence.
“Yes, we consider these types of players, but they must have a genuine desire to play for the USA,” Lawrence emphasized. “Playing for the USA is a matter of passion, not financial reward.”
Following the failure to qualify for last year’s World Cup in France, the focus has shifted to the upcoming tournaments in 2027 and 2031, when the USA will host the Rugby World Cup for the first time on American soil.
“In 1962, JFK proclaimed we would go to the moon, and seven years later that was achieved. In seven years, we will have our own World Cup, and we will reach the quarter-finals. That’s our ambitious goal,” Lawrence stated.