United States national rugby league team Information & United States national rugby league team Links at HealthHaven.com

United States
Nickname(s)	Tomahawks
Association	American National Rugby League
Region	Americas
Head coach	Matthew Elliott; Terry Matterson; David Niu
Captain	Matthew Petersen
Home stadium	Hodges Stadium
RLIF ranking	15th
	National Uniform
	National Uniform
First international
	France 31 - 0 USA ; (Toulouse, France; October 1954)
Biggest win
	Japan 6 - 78 USA ; (Jacksonville, USA; 27 June 2003)
Biggest defeat
	England 110 - 0 USA ; (Leeds, England; 2000)

The United States National Rugby League team represents the United States in the sport of rugby league football, and is nicknamed the Tomahawks. They have competed in international competition since 1954, albeit with limited success.

[edit] History

[edit] The American All-Stars

One of the earliest attempts to introduce rugby league to the United States was in 1953, when Mike Dimitro, a wrestling promoter, was asked to organize a tour of Australasia by an American rugby league team.

The team, known as the American All-Stars, was given a huge schedule that included 26 matches against Australian and New Zealand sides. None of the 22 American players had ever played rugby league prior to this tour, they presented themselves in American football-like attire early on in the tournament. The team only won six games and tied two.

Their second match of the tour, against a Sydney side, drew a crowd of 65,453 to the Sydney Cricket Ground. After a consistent lack of competition, crowds were good but never reached the great height that the match at the SCG did.

The tour did not in turn bring any benefits to American rugby league. Mike Dimitro did however, not give up, he was able to organise two exhibitions against Australia and New Zealand in California that did not turn out to be a big success.

[edit] The return of the United States

2004 USA team shirt

The United States played their first international in 1987 against Canada. They have participated in the World Sevens (1992-1997), Superleague World Nines (1996, 1997), Emerging Nations World Cup (2000) and Victory Cup (2003, 2004) competitions.

The United States Tomahawks warmed up for the 2000 World Cup with a three-match trip to New South Wales. On Friday 11 August they took on Forster XIII, drawn from Forster’s two clubs, the Hawks and the Dragons. The Americans were defeated 32-12. They also played the South Sydney Rabbitohs at the old Redfern Oval during Souths' appeal to return to the Australian NRL.

In 2001 as a response to the September 11 attacks incident, the AMNRL setup a rugby league match between local USA born players (USA All Stars) and AMNRL players who were born overseas (World Allies All Stars). The match was won by the USA All Stars 27-26. Proceeds from the game were donated to the Red Cross to help with cleanup operations.

Since 2002, the Tomahawks have been playing regular international competition in the United States. In 2002, the United States were defeated by Russia 54-10 in front of over 25,000 spectators in Moscow.

In 2004 they shocked the Rugby League world by leading the World Cup and Tri-Nations champions Australia for most of the game. Australia rallied in the last quarter of the game and won 36-24.

[edit] USA Tomahawks Team for World Cup Qualifying

[edit] 2009 Squad

2009 Atlantic Cup: Squad^[1]

Gareth Baxendale (New York Knights)
Louis Tulio(Aston DSC Bulls)
Nate Smith (Connecticut Wildcats)
Derrick Roma (New Haven Warriors)
Gene Giallombardo (Aston DSC Bulls)
Apple Pope (Jacksonville Axemen)
Sean Taylor (New York Knights)
Siose Muliumu (New Haven Warriors)
Curtis Cunz (Connecticut Wildcats)
Kea Misipeka (New Haven Warriors)
Mike Brazill (Aston DSC Bulls)
Bob Knoepfel (Jacksonville Axemen)
John Grace (Aston DSC Bulls)
Ewan Robinson(New Haven Warriors)
Taco Pope (Jacksonville Axemen)
Keikeokalani Misipeka(New Haven Warriors)
Michael Cartwright (New York Knights)

[edit] 2008 Rugby League World Cup qualifying

In October 2006 The Tomahawks were to participate in a four team Atlantic qualifying pool for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, but South Africa and the West Indies withdrew. The Atlantic qualifying pool, as a result, was reduced to a single game between the Tomahawks and Japan. The USA won 54-18. They then played Samoa in the Repechage Semi Final. Samoa won this match 42-10. Despite playing well against Samoa and coming within two games of qualifying for the World Cup, when the new world rankings were released after the tournament, the United States were dropped from 14th down to 15th.

[edit] USA Representative Results

[edit] International Results

USA def. Jamaica 37-22 (14 November 2009)
Samoa def. USA 42-10 (9 November 2007)
USA def. Japan 54-18 (28 October 2006)
Italy "A" def. USA 38-6 (4 February 2006)
USA def. Japan 40-10 (26 January 2006)
Australia def. USA 36-24 (1 December 2004)
Russia def. USA 64-8 (12 May 2004)
Ireland def. USA 74-16 (10 May 2004)
USA def. Ireland A 41-10 (24 March 2004)
USA def. Japan 78-6 (27 June 2003)
Russia def. USA 44-14 (6 May 2003)
USA def. Ireland A 20-16 (15 March 2003)
New Zealand A def. USA 74-14 (6 October 2002)
Russia def. USA 54-10 (13 September 2002)
Tartarstan def. USA 30-24 (9 September 2002)
USA def. Japan 26-10 (1 June 2002)
USA def. Ireland A 24-22 (16 March 2002)
USA def. Morocco 50-10 (2000)
Italy def. USA 40-16 (17 November 2000)
USA def. Canada 52-10 (13 November 2000)
USA def. Ireland A 19-6 (18 March 2000)
England def. USA 110-0 (2000)
Lebanon def. USA 62-8 (November 1999)
USA def. Canada 68-0 (1999)
USA def. Japan 54-0 (1999)
USA def. Canada 32-6 (1998)
USA def. Canada 50-10 (1997)
Ireland A def. USA 26-6 (16 March 1996)
Russia def. USA 28-26 (20 October 1995)
Scotland def. USA 38-16 (18 October 1995)
Cook Islands def. USA 64-8 (16 October 1995)
Wales def. USA 66-10 (18 June 1995)
Wales def. USA 92-4 (11 June 1995)
Ireland A def. USA 24-22 (16 March 1995)
USA 44 def. Canada 0 (1995)
USA def. Canada 22-0 (1994)
USA def. Canada 22-10 (1994)
Russia def. USA 19-12 (1994)
USA def. Canada 32-2 (1993)
Canada def. USA 23-10 (1987)
France def USA 31-0 (1954)

[edit] World Nines Results

Tonga def. USA 26-4 (1997)
Fiji def. USA 18-8 (1997)
Cook Islands def. USA 24-6 (1997)
Papua New Guinea def. USA 38-8 (1997)
Western Samoa def. USA 30-10 (1997)
Australia def. USA 24-0 (1997)
Cook Islands def. USA 22-0 (1996)
USA def. Morocco 18-4 (1996)
Western Samoa def. USA 14-6 (1996)
Australia def. USA 30-16 (1996)
Scotland def. USA 12-6 (1996)

[edit] World Sevens results

Illawarra def. USA* 18-6 (1997) *unofficial team
USA* def. Japan 18-14 (1997) *unofficial team
Italy def. USA* 22-0 (1997) *unofficial team
Gold Coast def. USA* 40-8 (1996) *unofficial team
USA* def. Japan 20-8 (1996 *unofficial team
Melbourne def. USA* 18-14 (1996) *unofficial team
Australian Aboriginals def. USA* 28-0 (1996) *unofficial team
Tonga def. USA 20-4 (1995)
USA def. Russia 28-8 (1995)
USA def. Italy 22-4 (1995)
USA def. Russia 20-6 (1995)
Sydney Tigers def. USA 24-10 (1995)
South Africa def. USA 20-8 (1994)
New Zealand def. USA 20-12 (1994)
France def. USA 18-12 (1994)
Wainuiomata def. USA 34-8 (1993)
South Sydney def. USA 28-6 (1993)
Illawarra def. USA 28-4 (1993)
Fiji def. USA 30-10 (1992)
USA def. CIS Red Arrows 12-8 (1992)
South Sydney def. USA 12-0 (1992)
Newcastle def. USA 16-0 (1992)

[edit] Student Results

USA def. Japan 54-10 (1996)
Wales def. USA 22-18 (1996)
Western Samoa def. USA 82-8 (1996)
New Zealand def. USA 62-10 (1996)
USA def. Ireland 22-20 (1996)

[edit] Other Representative Results

USA All Stars def. World Allies All Stars 27-26 (2001)
Sydney def. USA All Stars 52-25 (1953)

[edit] Match Officals

Referee

[edit] See also

American National Rugby League

[edit] References

^ http://www.americanrugbynews.com/artman/publish/rugby_league/USA_names_team_i.shtml

American All Stars RL Team - rl1908.com

[edit] External links

[0] ttp://www.americanrugbynews.com/artman/publish/rugby_league/USA_names_team_i.shtml

[1]

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