(Huw Evans photo)

I can only speak from 2002 when Todd Clever was a standout U19. Since then current Eagle Mike Petri, U19/2003 captain and scrumhalf, and vice-captain - Inaki Basauri, currently playing professionally in France, made their debuts in the senior 2007 World Cup.

They are only 23 years old and a growing number of younger former age grade U19s are now making their mark at USA ‘A’, NA-4, and All Americans levels. Justin Boyd (’04-’05) was capped at 15’s during this years Churchill Cup.

This season Mike Graham and Michael Bunce played for USA ‘A’ while at NA-4 level we have Nate Ebner and Shawn Pittman straight out of the current U20s. There are a total of TEN in the NA-4 and FOURTEEN current All Americans have played for the U19s or U20s. The current and former USA Age Grades are also emerging on the Eagle 7s field. Justin Boyd made an impact this year while P.J. Komongnan, Justin Hundley, Errol Allard, and Thretton Palamo are names to note. At last season’s ITT 7s eight of the twelve All Americans that finished 3rd were former USA U19s.

The players are coming through, it’s a matter of time and whether they pursue rugby or go off on a different path such as Kris Luchsinger, (http://ohiobobcats.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/luchsinger_kris00.html)
Defensive End for the University of Ohio is keen to return to rugby after his scholarship days are over. Kris keeps involved in the game and was a good 8-man for the U19s in Dubai, 2006.

Former U19s have chosen to accept collegiate soccer scholarships, Eric Forner (ex-Jesuit, Sacramento) and teammate Chris Sardon were key players in the U19 win over Canada in 2004. They have just finished four years of collegiate soccer, Sardon at Hartwick (D-1) and Forner at the University of Seattle (D-2) where he won an NCAA D-2 national title.

We are now much improved in tracking age grade players, in the past post U19 involvement many slipped away into obscurity unless they were in a good rugby program. One of our best wings – Tony Carson (‘04) gave up rugby to attend Colorado State University-Pueblo, and has won four consecutive USA Racquetball National Intercollegiate Championship titles. Tony has now earned a USA National Racquetball Team spot for 2009!

The high performance programs and plans are now in place that didn’t exist even two years ago. The reality is that up until the 2007 JWC the players in the age-grade programs spent around two or so weeks per year in preparation for the JWC (camps and occasional fixtures) – hardly enough time to really provide them with the skills and experience required to propel them on to senior honors in a hurry. Most of their development at that stage was outside the age-grade setup. Hopefully now we can help players reach their potential earlier and raise the level of international play.