Italy will visit the United States to tackle the Eagles in a Test fixture to be played at Houston on June 23.
The Eagles will host the Italians in the first international event on the new home pitch of Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo, a 22,000-seater stadium still under construction but set to open in May.
The Americans will be guided by new coach Mike Tolkin, who replaced Eddie O'Sullivan after the former Ireland mentor resigned last November.
In their most recent meeting, Italy beat the USA 27-10 at last year's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
"In New Zealand we struggled to match the power of the Italian forwards," Tolkin said.
"They played a forwards-oriented game, slowed our ball down, and made us struggle in the set piece on both sides of the ball.
"The intensity will be there on our part, but we'll need to match that power in Houston. These are the types of games that the Eagles need to play to improve, and eventually, we need to start winning them as well."
The Eagles will also visit Canada on June 9 at Kingston and play host to Georgia on June 16.
Comments
5Lock4ward says...
@Jontheref, Thanks for the heads-up on that site. They look to have some good info on the game in the States. @melkdave, I don't think all the synchronized swimmers, high divers & gymnasts in the USA could possibly come close to counter-balancing the number of DI and DIII American football players in the NCAA. I'd like to hear USA rugby's plan to achieve NCAA sanctioning for both men and women. B/c w/out scholarship and professional opportunities rugby will continue to hemorrhage great athletes to other sports.
Posted 16:34 14th March 2012
jontheref says...
http://gainline.typepad.com/
Read this for some good insight into how Rugby can be developed in the US.
The article about Women's rugby is good.
They need to get this in front of the OC then they might see the sense of supporting Men's and Women's rugby.
Posted 17:45 12th March 2012
melkdave says...
@Jontheref
Got to agree with you there hopefully now that the established tier 1 countries will start touring N.America ESPN maybe will pick it up after all they all ready broadcast rugby in europe so have a ready market of potential viewers.That hopefully will inject some well nedded cash into the game in N.America.Alsp surly the NCAA can balance American football with a sport such as syncrinoised swimming or some other sport dominated by the female gender??I mean how do they justify American football if their is no female equivalent by their rules
Posted 18:27 10th March 2012
jontheref says...
The fact Rugby 7's is now an Olympic sport, is the foot in the door for the 15 a side game.
I lived there so have seen the heartache at close quarters, good HS players, very good College players, and dire cross country administration.
Administration in some ways is worse than the Carlings 57 old fart$.
Each area believing they are the best, and time served being the way of getting to the top rather than who is best suited.
There is change happening, but considering the raw material, it is rather slow.
The top competition, The Super League is privately funded, with very few paid players, if any admit it to the tax man!
Can you imagine a UK based player, doing a 3 day trip to say Athens, to play a game, and come home to go back to work on the Monday?
That is the kind of travel involved.
Also, their season is to short.
Mainly a 3 month season, dictated by the East coast teams, because of the weather.
probably why the 7's team has based itself in San Diego.
Good luck to the USA, but needs a TV company or a wealthy individual to take control.
Posted 16:14 09th March 2012
5Lock4ward says...
@melkdave, the problem is that the NCAA requires an even number of male and female athletes and there is no female sport which balances out football. Women's rugby is on the cusp of NCAA sanctioning but something spectacular will have to happen in order to see the same happen for the men's game. USA rugby is on the right path in terms of attempting to introduce the game to high-school aged kids and younger but I think they've got to start lobbying the NCAA at the same time.
Posted 02:43 09th March 2012
NJCal says...
Houston on June 23rd! That's going to be HOTTTT! Probably in the 90's.
Posted 14:37 08th March 2012
melkdave says...
@5Lock4ward
I hear what you are saying brother and belive me i know how hard it will be to establish rugby into american mainstream sport.The obstacles which have to be overcome are formidable .Not least the setting up of some kind of proffesional or semi proffesional league structure or regional strutures guven the vastness of both the USA and Canada. Of course even before that can be taken on the non santioning of rugby by the NCAA is the major stumbling block If only rugby was santioned and allowed to be played in american colleges (offically)it would go along way to opening american minds to just how good rugby is and what oppotunities it offers .After all there is a vast pool of american footballers who never will make it to the top.and know it while at college.It also seems very strange to non american eyes that a sport such as LACROSS can and does get TV coverage in the USA and players can make a very descent living .While rugby is vitually ignored but then Lacross is NCAA santioned .That must be the first hurdle to be overcome imo GET RUGBY NCAA SANTIONED AND THE REST WILL FOLLOW very quickly
Posted 13:58 08th March 2012
5Lock4ward says...
If the IRB want the influx of American sports-mad fan money they'll continue on the path they're on in terms of bringing the game to the USA in hopes of raising the Eagles' ability to compete w/ the current world powers. The main obstacles right now are the NFL (boring as it is), the lack of NCAA sanctioning for men's college rugby and the lack of a professional rugby competition in the USA/Canada.
Posted 21:08 07th March 2012
Lucasrg says...
This is all good news. very positive. This is a great sport and need to get popular.
The Americans are a little obsessed about body steriotips, ("the bigger the better" type of mentality) and need to understand that Rugby can be played by any body type, as long as it's fit.
Tier 2 nation should meet more regularly and play with 6N and sometimes 4 nation teams, even though they could loose heavy by 50 points. Ideally during the summer or november test matches.
Posted 19:57 07th March 2012
kybone says...
Well the Churchill cup was thrown out because the irb wanted tier 2 nations to start playing more full internationals. I hear what you're saying about the european tier 2 teams playing more tier 1 teams but i also think they need to start playing more games in general i.e.games they can win, as its no good getting beaten every week. Having said that, both Geogia and Romania proved themselves more than a match for the 6n sides at the World Cup. Furthermore i would say that Georgia are currently better than Italy were when they joined the 6N, quite a lot better actually!
Posted 18:12 07th March 2012
melkdave says...
Well as i predicted the established tier one nations will start touring N.America on a regular basis wonder just how long it will be before we see the big 3 SH teams playing in N.America and yeah the european teir2 teams also need better opposition wonder if the Saxons / Wolfhounds ect will have a new competion ala Churchill cup for the likes of Georgia and Romainia-Russia ect or start playing in the IRB Nations cup every year ??
Posted 13:18 07th March 2012
stumpy says...
Great to see these teams getting experience against tier 1 nations, such as this, and Scotland visiting Fiji and Samoa. It's a shame Tier 2 European sides don't get to face the 4nations teams.
Posted 11:23 07th March 2012