New USA men's Sevens head coach Alexander Magleby has named the 12 players that will depart on Sunday March 18 for the sixth and seventh stops on the HSBC Sevens World Series in Hong Kong and Tokyo.
 
“Hong Kong is an exciting tournament, one of the best, and a great opportunity for us to grow,” said Magleby who has played for the USA in the Hong Kong Sevens before and will soon know what it’s like to coach at the famous tournament.
 
Captain Shalom Suniula feels that the team is confident and aware of where they stand as a group going into the climax of the Series.
 
“We’ve got a really good feeling right now. The guys have been working really, really hard to get rid of some bad habits. We’re working on our defence, we still need work and we know that, which is good,” Suniula said.
 
The captain will lead a corps of capable and experienced players. Zack Test, Colin Hawley, Mike Palefau, Peter Tiberio, Folau Niua, and Suniula are the nucleus of the team, while two exciting players, Maka Unufe and Andrew Durutalo, represent an exciting crop of young talent in the programme.
 
Veterans Mark Bokhoven and Nick Edwards return to the team after missing out on the USA Sevens in February, while utility back Tai Enosa has earned a call-up and will likely see action at fly half and scrumhalf in Hong Kong and Tokyo.
 
Nu’u Punimata, the former University of Texas – El Paso linebacker and Old Puget Sound Beach star returns to the fray in the USA forwards. A physical presence with a high work rate, Punimata hasn’t played with the Eagles since October 2011, when Team USA took bronze at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
 
In a changed competition format in Hong Kong, the USA face a very competitive pool with matches against New Zealand, South Africa and Wales in Pool B.
 
USA Men’s Eagle Sevens:
Mark Bokhoven (Denver Barbarians; Ames, Iowa)
Andrew Durutalo (Old Puget Sound Beach; Seattle Wa.)
Nick Edwards (Sydney University; Sydney, Australia)
Tai Enosa (USA Rugby; San Diego, Calif.)
Colin Hawley (USA Rugby; Trowbridge, Calif.)
Folau Niua (USA Rugby; East Palo Alto, Calif.)
Mike Palefau (Unattached; Salt Lake City, Utah)
Nu’u Punimata (Old Puget Sound Beach; Seattle, Wa.)
Shalom Suniula (USA Rugby; San Diego, Calif.)
Zack Test (USA Rugby; Palo Alto, Calif.)
Peter Tiberio (USA Rugby; Naperville, Ill.)
Maka Unufe (USA Rugby; Provo, Utah)