The USA Eagles have selected two more South Africans for a 35-man training squad.
Former Junior Boks centres Dan Kriel and Wayne van der Bank are the new faces, and join fellow South Africans Rhyno Herbst, Marno Redelinghuys and Ruben de Haas in the squad.
Kriel – the twin brother of Springbok centre Jesse Kriel – especially brings heaps of experience, having played 90 matches for the Bulls, Stormers and Lions before signing with the Seattle Seawolves in 2022.
The 35-man squad assembled this week in Chula Vista, California, for the USA’s first alignment camp of the new cycle, as coach Scott Lawrence and his staff begin establishing baselines and identifying players capable of fitting into their long-term plans.
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Lawrence said the camp is a crucial checkpoint as the Eagles sharpen their focus on 2027, particularly with the World Cup schedule now confirmed and a daunting opening pool clash against France awaiting them.
“This pre-season development assembly is an opportunity to check in with current Eagles as well as get our hands on a group of pathway and 2027 Eagle eligible athletes,” Lawrence said.
“The Eagles have some glaring positional needs to build depth. We’ve been following players closely who we think might meet or have enough development upside to achieve the positional requirements of the go-forward 2027 World Cup game model.”
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The alignment camp follows the USA’s encouraging November tour, where they defeated Romania to reclaim the Pershing Cup.
Ranked 15th in the world, the Eagles are now turning their attention to the Nations Cup later this July.
Photo: Seattle Seawolves
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