South African journeyman Redelinghuys to captain USA against Australia XV on debut as skipper

Marno Redelinghuys will lead the USA Men against an Australia XV at New Jersey’s Sports Illustrated Stadium on Friday, completing a journey that began when the South African-born flanker crossed the Atlantic in 2019 with no expectation of ever pulling on an Eagles jersey, let alone wearing the armband.

The 33-year-old made his Test debut as recently as July 2025 against Belgium, but has since established himself as a cornerstone of head coach Scott Lawrence’s forward pack. His appointment as captain comes with an immediate challenge: helping the Eagles respond to a bruising 61-12 defeat in last weekend’s first fixture against the same opposition.

“It was a really proud and special moment for me,” Redelinghuys told RugbyPass. “To be given the opportunity to captain is something I don’t take lightly. It’s a huge honour. It means a lot to know the coaches and the group have that trust in me.”

Redelinghuys first joined Rugby ATL ahead of the 2020 Major League Rugby season under the guidance of Scott Lawrence — the same coach who has now handed him the captaincy at international level. After two seasons in Atlanta he moved to the Houston SaberCats, spending four years in Texas under Heyneke Meyer before joining the Seattle Seawolves for the 2026 campaign.

“When I first came over to the States seven years ago, I was just looking for an opportunity to play rugby, challenge myself and see where the game could take me,” he said. “I don’t think I could have imagined back then that I’d one day be in a position to captain a USA side.”

Redelinghuys starts at blindside flanker, with Paddy Ryan and Jamason Fa’anana-Schultz completing the back row. Lawrence has overhauled the starting XV following the heavy defeat, fielding an entirely new front row of Ezekiel Lindenmuth, Kaleb Geiger and Mason Pedersen, while Sam Golla partners Nathan Den Hoedt in the second row.

At half-back, Ruben de Haas starts at scrum-half alongside Luke Carty. Cassh Maluia and Wayne van der Bank form the centre partnership, with Joe Mano, Conner Mooneyham and Davy Coetzer named in the back three.

“I see it as a responsibility to lead the boys, represent the jersey and make sure we can put in a performance that everyone can be proud of,” Redelinghuys added. “Looking back now, it’s pretty special to see how far the journey has taken me.”