UPDATE 9/28 Harry Bennett replaced Tadgh Leader. Kapeli Pifeleti was added. Changes reflected below.

UPDATE 10/4 Angus Maclellan replaces Olive Kilifi due to injury. Changes reflected below.

LAFAYETTE, CO. – Head Coach Scott Lawrence has named his 28 Men’s Selects (15s) for the Americas Pacific Challenge 2018 (APC), taking place Oct. 6-14 in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Of the 27 athletes selected, nine return from the 2017 tournament, 12 are capped Men’s National Team players and three are 2018 1st Team All-Americans (15s) named from the recent Men’s Collegiate All-American Selection Camp. Together, the Selects will face Tonga A, Uruguay XV and reigning two-time champion Argentina XV as they strive to topple their runner-up finish from the previous year.

Broadcast information for the 6-team Americas Pacific Challenge 2018 will be announced closer to date.

“The makeup of this year’s touring squad is an exciting evolution leading into a World Cup year,” said Head Coach Scott Lawrence. “Not only are there a handful of current Eagles that we’re looking to build cohesion with, there are also a number of new Major League Rugby and Varsity collegiate athletes that have the film and the metrics to back up their inclusion.”

The Men’s Selects bring an accomplished group of players to the developmental tournament; allowing emerging talent to learn both from the structure of the competition and their peers. The 2017 tournament itself saw three Selects move on to become capped Men’s National Team players.

Among them, are none other than Psalm Wooching and Brendan Daly who will both feature again this October.

Men’s Eagle Hanco Germishuys joins the two, as well, having scored an instrumental try in the United States’ June upset over then No. 6 Scotland. Germishuys also appeared at last year’s APC, having already earned his first cap.

Experience and new flair combine with the addition of three of this year’s 1st Team Men’s Collegiate All-Americans (MCAAs), including Alex Maughan, Chance Wenglewski, and Mitch Wilson. Maughan represents both the capped Eagle and All-American sides of the squad.

The Men’s Selects will begin training camp for the third annual Americas Pacific Challenge later this month, adapting to the warm climate in Fort Lauderdale as a key part of preparation.

The 6-team tournament — which also includes Canada A and Samoa A — will begin on Oct. 6 with the U.S. facing Tonga A at 12:30 PM ET. Uruguay XV and Argentina XV will follow, after which the team with the most points in the first-past-the-post competition will be named champion.

2018 USA Men’s Selects Roster

Player Name Position Club Notes Dylan Audsley Center San Diego Legion Men’s Eagle Harry Bennett Flyhalf New York Athletic Nick Boyer Scrumhalf San Diego Legion Nate Brakeley Lock New York Athletic Men’s Eagle Brendan Daly Flanker San Francisco Golden Gate Men’s Eagle; 2017 APC JP Eloff Center NOLA Gold Men’s Eagle; 2017 APC Cam Falcon Hooker NOLA Gold Devereaux Ferris Scrumhalf Life West Gladiators Kelepi Fifita Prop Glendale Raptors 2017 APC Hanco Germishuys Flanker Austin Elite Men’s Eagle; 2017 APC John Hayden Prop unattached Matt Jensen Lock Utah Warriors Men’s Eagle; 2017 APC Conor Kearns Flyhalf San Diego Legion Olive Kilifi Prop Seattle Seawolves Men’s Eagle Taylor Krumrei Lock Seattle Seawolves Mika Kruse Center Glendale Raptors Angus Maclellan Prop Utah Warriors Men’s Eagle; 2017 APC Ryan Matyas Wing San Diego Legion Men’s Eagle Alex Maughan Hooker Life University Men’s Eagle; 1st Team All-American;

2017 APC Tim Maupin Wing NOLA Gold Men’s Eagle; 2017 APC Pat O’Toole Hooker San Diego Legion Kapeli Pifeleti Hooker Saracens Academy Thomas Robles No. 8 unattached Anthony Salaber Center San Diego Legion Vili Toluta’u Flanker Seattle Seawolves Men’s Eagle Chance Wenglewski Prop Lindenwood University 1st Team Collegiate All-American;

2017 APC Mitch Wilson Fullback Life University 1st Team Collegiate All-American;

2017 APC Psalm Wooching Flanker unattached Men’s Eagle; 2017 APC Holden Yungert Scrumhalf NOLA Gold 2017 APC

USA Men’s Selects Staff

Head Coach | Scott Lawrence

Assistant Coach | David Williams

Assistant Coach | Blake Bradford

Strength & Conditioning Coach | Huw Bevan

Performance Analyst | Jimmy Harrison

Team Doctor | Marc Kowalsky

Head Athletic Trainer | Kevin Ng

Assistant Athletic Trainer | Santiago Aguirre

Team Manager & Operations | Kevin McCorry II

Americas Pacific Challenge 2018 Schedule

Montevideo, Uruguay

vs Tonga A

Sat, Oct. 6 – 12:30 PM ET

vs Uruguay XV

Wed, Oct. 10 – 12:30 PM ET

vs Argentina XV

Sun, Oct. 14 – 12:30 PM ET

*Schedule subject to change; broadcast information confirmed closer to date.