Youth & High School

The road from a Georgia high school pitch to a USA jersey just got shorter, and its first stop is Marietta. USA Rugby announced this month that for the 2027 cycle its men's U18 program will run as the USA U19s, "to extend selection to all high school athletes and align with support from USA Youth & High School Rugby." Every player in a USA Youth and High School Rugby program for the 2026-27 season is eligible for selection. Players who are still U19 but already in college form the base of the U20 program.

The first chance to be seen is the annual winter camp, and this year it splits three ways: an East camp in Marietta, Georgia from December 19 to 22, a West camp in Fresno from December 21 to 24, and a Central talent ID day in Chicago on December 29. Coaches use the camps "to assess players' current physical, technical and tactical levels and set IDP goals," per USA Rugby.

"For us, this is about connecting High School rugby with what we're doing nationally," said JD Stephenson, USA Rugby's new head of player systems and development. "We want to build an American model for the American game, with the pathway reflecting our geography, our school system, our competitions and the way players develop here."

What is not posted yet: the Marietta venue, the cost, and a deadline. Players who are not already in the junior national team player pool apply through USA Rugby's pathways form, linked from the announcement; it asks for a Google sign-in before it opens. The Radar has asked for the venue and will add it here the moment it lands. Georgia's youth clubs have their own dates before then, and all of them are on the calendar.

USA Rugby announcement →