Jason Damm will lead the USA into an Independence Day Nations Cup opener against Portugal in Denver, with World Rugby framing the fixture as a major test of American momentum.
The Men’s Eagles face Os Lobos at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park on Saturday in their first test of 2026, and the first USA-Portugal meeting ever staged on American soil.
World Rugby’s round-one preview underlined the symbolic timing: a home fixture on 4 July, against what it described as the form side in the Nations Cup. Portugal arrive after winning the Rugby Europe Men’s Championship in March and carrying a seven-match winning run.
Damm call gives Eagles clear leadership point
Damm starts as captain for Scott Lawrence’s side, with former Germany international Christopher Hilsenbeck selected at fly-half. Luke Carty is listed among the replacements, while Perry Mayo is set for a test debut and AJ MacGinty remains unavailable.
The selection gives the USA a firm domestic leadership core for a match that also feeds into the longer runway towards the 2027 World Cup and the country’s own 2031 hosting cycle.
Portugal’s threat is obvious. Jose Madeira and Tomas Appleton continue as co-captains, while veteran scrum-half Samuel Marques returns. Rodrigo Marta and Nicolas Martins are absent, but Os Lobos still bring a kicking game and lineout pressure that World Rugby identified as central to their recent surge.
For the Eagles, the equation is blunt: Lawrence needs a performance that sells progress as well as ambition. The Nations Cup has already opened a new competitive route for World Cup-bound sides; beating Portugal would make the USA’s route look immediately credible.
Embedded media: Watch the World Rugby Nations Cup on RugbyPass TV
Source: World Rugby Nations Cup round one preview; USA Rugby player profile: Jason Damm.
