The Fijian Drua’s successful approach in the Super Rugby Pacific competition is now being adopted by World Rugby as part of its initiative to enhance the quality of rugby in the United States. Leading this effort is Alama Ieremia, a former All Blacks and Manu Samoa center, who serves as the back and attack coach for the USA national rugby team. This team is set to face the Flying Fijians in the Pacific Nations Cup semi-final in Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday at 10:05 PM.
Ieremia has also recently taken on the role of head coach for the Anthem Rugby Carolina franchise in the American Major League Rugby (MLR) competition. This team was announced earlier this year, backed by World Rugby, which is providing partial funding to establish the franchise in Charlotte.
Ieremia emphasized the importance of creating pathways for American players, stating, “It’s a push to really drive pathways for American players and eligible players to then lead on to the Eagles.” He expressed enthusiasm for working with academy players and highlighted that the team’s focus will be on developing young American talent following the Fijian Drua model in Super Rugby.
According to World Rugby, the new franchise will significantly contribute to the high-performance objectives aligned with the long-term goals of the USA men’s national team, especially with an eye towards qualification for the Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia and the hosting of the 2031 World Cup on home soil. The organization noted that this type of partnership has already shown success, as seen with Fiji’s Drua, and is optimistic about the future of Anthem RC as a key franchise for MLR.
To further enhance their preparations, USA Rugby is conducting a global recruitment drive targeting eligible American players. Ieremia has reached out to several players based in New Zealand who hold the necessary eligibility to represent the Eagles in the future. He remarked, “We’re definitely casting the net to say, hey we’re out here now if you’re keen and have any American blood.”
However, USA Eagles head coach Scott Lawrence pointed out that while they are exploring these recruitment options, it remains a developmental initiative. “Do we look at that type of player? Yes, but they have to have a strong desire to play for the USA,” Lawrence affirmed. “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.”
Following their failure to qualify for the World Cup in France last year, the focus is now on the upcoming 2027 and 2031 tournaments, where the USA will host the World Cup for the first time on American soil. Lawrence drew an ambitious analogy, recalling President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 moonshot announcement, asserting that, “In 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.”