USA Eagles men beat Spain 29-22 in Cary for the third straight victory in Rugby Nations Cup. Halftime was 19-12. It was the first international rugby match in Cary since 2015. USA was ranked 14 in world, Spain 16. Attendance was 7,000+.
On July 4, the Eagles downed Zimbabwe 31-15 in Charlotte. These matches are part of the buildup for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in the U.S.
A former UNC heavyweight wrestler Cory Daniel, 24, switched sports in 2020 and has developed into one of the most dependable forwards for the U.S. team, according to a report by UNC Rugby’s Megan Lenehan. He leads Major League Rugby in total tackles and was All-MLR first team.
Earlier in the day, Triangle Invitational 7s tournament, organized by CGRU, was played at WMSP (8 men, 8 women teams). Raleigh Pit Vipers (20 points) were first in men and Scion Sirens (20) first in women. Tobacco Road Rugby (17) was fourth in men, Eno River (11) sixth in women. Teams played four matches.
Previously, Eno River finished second at Beer City 7s in Asheville. Scorers were Mads, Ally, Isaac, Kasy. BOPs were Ally and Alyssa.