Aki Pulu headlines USA u20 squad for Canada series

Head Coach Kyle Sumsion has named a 33-man USA u20 squad to prepare for the upcoming series against Canada. The winner on aggregate across two games will qualify for the World Rugby u20 Trophy tournament hosted by Kenya in July. County University Stadium in Spartanburg, South Carolina, will be the venue for the June 6 and 10 matches against the Canadians, which will be streamed live on FloRugby.

Headlining the group is American Raptors center Aki Pulu, who was also included in the senior Eagles longlist by Scott Lawrence. Pulu is joined by three players attacked to Major League Rugby academy sides, though only Utah’s Siaosi Nauer has made an appearance in the professional competition.

Six players are selected from teams abroad. Most notable is Toulouse academy eightman Baemar Murray, a graduate of the renowned Sedberg School program in England and formerly of the Newcastle Falcons academy. Former Western Province age-grade flanker Aidan Christians is also named having most recently suited up with the USA Hawks in South America and Charlotte.

Assisting Sumsion, the a former professional player and Eagles flanker, will be Live University head coach Colton Cariaga, former Samoa international Elvis Seveali’i, and ex-Rugby ATL hooker Neethling Gericke. Dallas Jackals conditioning coach Matoko Noudéhou, who also played in MLR last season, is the Performance Coach. An extended training camp for the June series began on Monday.

LH PROP
Declan Dolan (Penn State)
Gabriel Hayden (Canterbury, UK)
Trevion Reed (Queens Charlotte)

HOOKER
Cade Crist (Cal Berkeley)
Holden Hahn (Charlotte Cardinals)
Hayden McKay (Old Glory DC)

TH PROP
Leon Best (Life)
Connor Devos (Lindenwood)
Luke Schaefer (Lindenwood)

LOCK
Henry Duke (UVA)
Dylan Fortune (Lindenwood)
Cole Frank (Clemson)
Will Sherman (UCLA)

BACK ROW
Aminae Amiatu-Tanoi (San Diego Legion)
Logan Ballinger (Life)
Aidan Christians (Western Province, SA)
Cameron McAlpine (Brown)
Braemar Murray (Toulouse, FR)

SCRUMHALF
Strider Fountaine (BYU)
Cormac Saint (Cal Berkeley)
Solomon Williams (Cal Berkeley)

FLYHALF/FULLBACK
Ollie Cline (Central Washington)
Steffan Crimp (Cardiff Met, UK)
Tommy Hannon (Indiana)
Hugh O’Kennedy (Trinity College, IR)

MIDFIELD
Dom Besag (Saint Mary’s)
Aki Pulu (American Raptors)
Gabe Riordan (Dartmouth)
Parker Wall (Indiana)

OUTSIDE BACKS
Siaosi Nauer (Utah Warriors)
Sosaia Pongi (Saint Mary’s)
Rand Santos (Cal Berkeley)
Corbin Smith (Hartpury, UK)