Injury-return Taufete'e named in USA Eagles squad for Pacific Nations Cup in Japan

Joe Taufete’e has been named in the USA Eagles squad for the 2026 Pacific Nations Cup in Japan, returning to international rugby for the first time since August 2023 after overcoming an injury sustained during the Major League Rugby season.

The hooker was shortlisted for the 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year award alongside England’s Tom Curry, Ardie Savea, Cheslin Kolbe, Alun Wyn Jones, and eventual winner Pieter-Steph du Toit. His last Eagles appearance came off the bench in a 31-17 win over Romania on 6 August 2023.

Taufete’e arrives in form after a strong MLR campaign with California Legion, who reached the competition’s final. Head coach Scott Lawrence has named a 32-player squad with a further 14 reserves, with reigning MLR champions Chicago Hounds providing eight players — the most of any club — and the Legion contributing seven.

Jason Damm, who captained a USA XV to a recent win over an Argentina XV at Inter Miami FC Stadium, will lead the Eagles in Japan.

The USA head into the tournament with momentum, having won all three of their matches during the inaugural World Rugby Nations Cup fixtures in July, defeating Portugal, Zimbabwe, and Spain.

Lawrence acknowledged the step up in class that awaits his side. “Japan is a Nations Championship team that will be a big step up for us in terms of their speed of play, physicality, and overall accuracy,” he said. “Going into this next five-week block, we’re focused on building depth and competition across our squad through intentional improvements in individual and collective performance.”

The USA open their PNC campaign against host nation Japan in Osaka on 12 September, before Finals Day at Tokyo’s Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium on 19 September, where they will face either Fiji or Canada regardless of the semi-final result.