The Japan national rugby union team, often known as the Cherry Blossoms, Sakura, and more recently The Brave Blossoms is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia and has enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years. Rugby union in Japan is administered by the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU), which was founded in 1926. They compete annually in the Pacific Nations Cup and previously in the Asia Rugby Championship. They have also participated in every Rugby World Cup since the tournament began in 1987.
The United States men's national rugby union team represents the United States in men's international rugby union. Nicknamed the Eagles, it is controlled by USA Rugby, the national governing body for the sport of rugby union in the United States. USA Rugby is a member of Rugby Americas North, one of six regional governing bodies under World Rugby. Until rugby returned to Olympic competition, with sevens at the 2016 Rio Games, the United States was the reigning Olympic rugby champion, having defeated the one other competitor in 1920 and the two other competitors at the 1924 Summer Olympics.
Mike Hercus is a former professional rugby union player who played at fly-half for the United States national team and several top level professional clubs around the globe.
Rugby union is a moderately popular sport in Canada; it is quite strong as a participation sport, particularly in several hotspots like British Columbia, Atlantic Canada, the West Island of Montreal, Quebec City and Ontario but does not attract the same level of spectator support yet, likely because the CFL's popular brand of Canadian Football is still similar to rugby in many ways, whilst also being the dominant football code in the country. Rugby Canada is the administrative body for rugby union in Canada. Every province also has its own union.
Mosese Nasau Rauluni is a retired Fijian rugby union footballer. He usually plays at scrum half, and played for Saracens in the Guinness Premiership in England. He has played for Fiji, including captaining them. He is the younger brother of Jacob Rauluni and first cousin of Waisale Serevi.
Duncan James Jones is a former Welsh rugby union player who played at loose head prop for the Ospreys in the Pro12 and has played for Wales.
Viliami Vaki is a Tongan rugby union footballer. He represented Tonga at the 2003 Rugby World Cup and the 2007 Rugby World Cup. From 2003 to 2005 he played for Gran Rugby in Italy, then moved to USA Perpignan in the Top 14. He currently plays for Reggio in the Top12.
Rhys Webb is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Ospreys. Born in Bridgend, he is a product of the Ospreys academy and played club rugby for Bridgend RFC and Aberavon RFC before breaking into the regional side in 2008. He played for the Ospreys for 10 years before moving to French club Toulon in 2018, but terminated his contract with them in 2020 and agreed a return to the Ospreys; however, he was unable to join the Ospreys immediately and signed for Bath for the remainder of the 2019–20 season before returning to the Ospreys.
Thretton Palamo is an American rugby union player who plays centre for Old Glory DC of Major League Rugby (MLR).
Christiaan Petrus 'Tiaan' Strauss, is a former rugby union and rugby league footballer who represented both South Africa and Australia at international level in rugby union and also played top-level domestic rugby league in Australia. He won the 1999 Rugby World Cup with Australia and the Currie Cup with Western Province.
Scott LaValla is a retired American rugby union player. LaValla played lock for Stade Français in the Top 14 from 2011 until his retirement in 2015.
John van der Giessen is an American former rugby union player. He played lock for the USA Eagle XV side. John earned a captaincy role for the USA and represented the side in the 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cup. Van der Giessen played professional rugby in the English Premiership and French Top 14. John has since retired.
The 2012 mid-year rugby union tests refer to the rugby union Internationals that were played through June, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere.
Vaea Naufahu Anitoni is an American former rugby union player who played wing. Anitoni is the all-time leading try scorer for the U.S. national team. Anitoni played for the United States national team from 1992 to 2000. During that period, Anitoni played in 46 matches, starting 44, and scored 26 tries, a record which still stands today.
Nate Augspurger is an American rugby union player from Minneapolis, Minnesota who plays scrum-half for the San Diego Legion in Major League Rugby (MLR).
The 2017 end-of-year rugby union internationals, also known as the November internationals, or autumn internationals in the Northern Hemisphere, were international rugby union matches in 2017.
Hans de Goede is a Dutch-born Canadian former rugby union player who played as lock.
Nicklas Swain Boyer is an American rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for the Houston SaberCats of Major League Rugby (MLR) and the United States men's national team.
Melani Matavao is a Samoan professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for the Samoa national team.
Matt Heaton is a Canadian rugby union player who plays as a flanker for Rugby ATL in Major League Rugby (MLR). He also represents Canada playing for the Canadian national rugby union team internationally.
