Hey there, Rugger!
👊 Happy Friday.
It’s the final weekend of our Junior Eagles' summer tours.
Time to finish strong.
Packed with rugby. Let’s go 👇
🇺🇸 U20s vs Uruguay U20s
Junior World Championship
Tbilisi, Georgia
10AM | Friday July 17
Paramount+
🇺🇸 Eagles vs Spain
Nations Cup
7:30 PM ET | Saturday July 18
Paramount+
🇺🇸U18s vs Buenos Aires Academy
South American Tour 2026
Sunday July 19 | 10AM
(Stream link to come)
🇺🇸 U20 Women vs South Africa
July 24 | 9:00 AM ET
Paramount+
USA U18s defeat Brazil U19s
We have it on good authority that this was a U19 Brazil side. And if you watch the footage, it’s not surprising — some of these dudes were gigantic.
But our U18s looked comfortable and confident, establishing pressure on defense and rhythm on the attack early and often. A resurgent kicking game made a huge difference, as Brazil looked uncomfortable dealing with the aerial game.
Axel Ries was a revelation at scrumhalf—darting ruthlessly around the breakdown and not allowing any gap to go unexplored. Luke Zehmke (10) and Max Colson (15) linked up for a try and controlled territory with their boots. Thomas Parrott — what a stud. He played 12, despite being a 10 usually, and absolutely locked down the midfield on defense. On offense, he set the tone physically and created opportunities for everyone around him. Masiu Aholelei made some monster hits at 13 and contributed to a strong performance by our backline, while wingers Reese Reiter and Will Howes (off the bench) blended speed and opportunistic support lines to add three tries on the edge.
The forward pack was dominant at times, though we did concede a couple tries under our posts when Brazil brought heavy pressure inside our 22. Duck Choy and Miles Caple were standouts, and while it was a solid showing from the pack as a whole, we don’t think this group has reached their ceiling.
All told, the boys looked sharp throughout, and rightfully picked up their first W of the tour.
Rewatch the full game here:
U20s final game in Georgia
It’s been a challenging tournament, no doubt, but our U20s have an opportunity to finish strong in Tbilisi today. They play Uruguay in their final match at 10:00 AM. Interestingly, the USA U18s just played Uruguay’s U18s last Saturday,
So, if you squint a little, this U20 match could be a rough barometer for how our pathway teams collectively stack up against our South American opponents.
The roster was announced yesterday — Spencer Huntley and crew will look to rebound from a tough outing vs Japan and leave Georgia with a win.
Watch the game here👇
U18s face Buenos Aires Academy
Sunday, July 19 | 10AM ET
Is this the toughest match of the U18s’ tour? That’s been the question circulating among some of the parents and fans following their journey down south.
It’s not a national squad, but Buenos Aires Academy has a reputation for being a high-caliber program. We're expecting the fast-paced, offloading style we've come to associate with Argentine and Uruguayan rugby.
Many of the USA U18 players will be familiar with this style — Okapi (FL) definitely has that same flair, and Okapi attended nationals this spring.
Our wishlist for the U18s final game:
Put the whole package together.
The forwards were outstanding vs Uruguay, and then the backs put in a dominant shift vs Brazil. Against Buenos Aires, we’d love to see a cohesive game from both units.
We’ll post the starting roster here once it’s announced.
Upcoming can’t-miss 7s tourneys
Admittedly, there are too many 7s tournaments this time of year to track with certainty, and our social media feed is absolutely swamped with activity.
But here are a couple can’t miss events on the calendar:
NAI 7s is coming up July 31–August 1 in Salt Lake City.
Another big one on our radar is RugbyTownUSA 7s, held in Denver — August 21-23.
This event brings 21 Men’s teams from across the globe, shining a spotlight on the best 7s players in the world.
The team we’re pulling for is Casanovas Rugby, a homegrown USA squad led by Ryan Matyas and Nick Boyer — both former Eagles. Their goal is to show that homegrown American players can absolutely compete with, and defeat, the best in the world. That’s a message we can get behind!
We’ll catch up with the guys as the tourney approaches.
CanAm takes off next weekend
The 51st iteration of this famous Men’s and Women’s tournament takes place in beautiful Saranac Lake, New York, with teams from across the continent making the trip for a weekend of rugby and revelry.
Website
Side note: We’re seriously considering attempting to register a Rugby Riot over-35 team next year. This event looks like so much fun!
Player Profiles — Beta
Click to see the U18 squad 👆
When we put out our Summer Survey a few weeks ago, the majority of you asked for player profiles.
Wish = granted.
It’s still early, and we’re only testing this out with the USA U18 squad right now. But as the year goes on, we’ll be building profiles for every player who wants one. The goal is to show the full rugby journey of each player, from their first experience with rugby, right up to national team selection.
It’s a big undertaking, but we think it’s important to fill the gaps and show where American players are excelling… or disappearing.
We’re just getting started.
And please reach out if you have suggestions on how to make player profiles even better.
💥Standout U18s on tour
Axel Ries | Gonzaga
Ries was electric in the U18s’ victory over Brazil Tuesday. He directly influenced three tries in the game and kept Brazil on their toes at every breakdown. His box-kicking brings a needed element for a side still learning to jell together—gotta play in the opponent’s half.
Duck Choy | Mustangs
Getting the start against Brazil, Choy was a road-grader from the first whistle. Powerful carries. Brick wall defense. It’s unbelievable he’s only got one year of high school rugby under his belt.
Reese Reiter | Mustangs
Speed. So much speed. When Reiter hits the throttle, there aren’t many who can catch him. He scored twice against Brazil, outracing defenders on the edge. Gotta get the ball in his hands more.
Luke Zehmke | Cardinals
A physical 10 with a booming kick and high IQ decision-making. He knows when to bring the thunder and trample people in the 10/12 channel, and when to make it rain with his boot. His connection with Thomas Parrott in the backline was excellent against Brazil.
Thomas Parrott | Lamorinda
The Lamo 10 slotted in at 12 against Brazil—and the result was fantastic. He made all his tackles in the midfield and was everywhere on the pitch making things happen. Super fun seeing him at inside center.
OC Lehner | Lamorinda
The eight-man has a motor, goodness. Relentless ball carrier with sharp instincts. He’s got that dog in him.
Miles Caple | Cardinals
Starting at Prop vs Brazil, Caple pushed the gain-line with nearly every carry and helped set a solid platform for his scrumhalf to deliver from.
Max Colson | Cardinals
Not a single Brazil kick hit the floor, and Colson had a lot to do with that. His coverage was outstanding at fullback. And his ability to slip in at flyhalf throughout the game is an added luxury that many teams cannot boast.
Alex Drury | White Plains/Aspetuck
He was named captain for the Uruguay game as a winger, which tells you a lot about his character and impact on the field. He’s shifty when the moment requires, but you can tell he loves contact, oftentimes bulldozing would-be tacklers and continuing on his way. He’s another guy we’d love to see get the ball more.
Quick Hits roundup
U18s roster release for Brazil game. We made a couple predictions. Read it here.
U18s vs Brazil U19s—a thread. We kept track of each try throughout the game. Read it here.
We’ve got a bunch this week, featuring the U18s against Brazil.
📸 Dan Caple
Axel Ries in action vs Brazil. He brought a serious spark to the game and made an impact all over the pitch.
Max Colson and Reese Reiter exchange pleasantries after a Reiter try. Great to see these two on the same team.
Thomas Parrott was exceptional on both sides of the ball. Inside center suits him well.
Miles Caple rumbles through the Brazilian defense.
Cillian O’Callaghan put in a hell of a shift at hooker.
Will Howes made an impact off the bench, scoring a try on a perfect support run.
Luke Zehmke, named team captain against Brazil, showed off his dynamic abilities as a runner, kicker, and communicator.
Duck Choy explodes into contact, as is his habit. Supported here by Thomas Parrott.
Playing international rugby—it’s vital to our success as a rugby nation. Exposure to the game overseas elevates player and coach IQ and helps us raise the bar.
If you’re considering a team tour next year, Sky High Sports are the guys to help you build your trip exactly how you want it. They’re unapologetically rugby-focused, and they’ll make sure your entire group has an excellent time (including you, parents).
Give them a shout — and tell them we sent you.
USA U18s vs Brazil
Axel Ries breaks away down the sideline and finds Will Howes perfectly in support for the try.
“The Eagles beat Portugal and Zimbabwe. The women split their series with South Africa. The U18s have been competitive in South America. The U20s struggled against Argentina, England, Ireland, and Japan. Those results don't prove success or failure.
They do force us to ask a bigger question: What system are we actually trying to build?”
If you haven’t been following Dan Lyle’s ongoing commentary about the state of American rugby, he’s worth a follow.
He’s asking the right questions as we face a 5-year stretch that could define the sport here for decades.
It’s a topic that can quickly spiral into finger-pointing and vitriol — we appreciate Dan’s open posture and invitation to more dialogue.
If we had to point to one big thing holding rugby back in this country, it’s the little kingdoms that litter our national landscape. We need more people like Dan Lyle breaking down silos and inviting constructive conversation.
When was the last time the USA U18s defeated a national squad?
Oddball musings, thanks to the cold tub.
🏉 Rugby might have a unique advantage over American football when it comes to social media—you can actually see the players' faces. Every wince, smile, and reaction. I wonder if that's part of the reason NFL players lag behind athletes in other sports when it comes to individual followings.
🏉 Soccer has Maradona's "Hand of God." What's rugby's equivalent? The most infamous moment everyone still argues about twenty years later?
🏉 I coach my son's U12 soccer team... but I have a secret plan: I'm slowly turning them into a rugby team. We started tracking "Battle Stats" for physical play and immediately picked up a couple yellow cards. Oops. Think the parents will get suspicious when I start handing out mouth guards?
That’s a wrap, gang!
Next week we’ll have more dope rugby stuff to share with you; scores, highlights, stories… all the goods.
If you like this, share it with your friends!
Be well, ruck with gusto, and may your compression shorts always stay in place.
-The Rugby Riot Team