USA Rugby Defeats Zimbabwe 31-15 In World Rugby Nations Cup

History was made in Men’s rugby Saturday as USA Rugby and Zimbabwe went head-to-head for the first time ever in a men’s rugby test match.

The Eagles rose to the occasion, defeating the Sables 31-15 in the World Rugby Nations Cup to secure a historic victory in the inaugural meeting between the two nations. 

The win continued USA’s strong showing in the tournament while providing another confidence-building result against international competition as the Eagles continue their winning streak.

Here’s a look at how the USA defeated Zimbabwe, along with the biggest moments and takeaways from the historic victory.

USA Improves To 2-0 In Rugby Nations Cup

The United States men’s rugby team remained unbeaten in the inaugural Rugby Nations Cup with a 31-15 victory over Zimbabwe on Saturday in Charlotte, improving to 2-0 in the competition.

The matchup marked the first-ever men’s test between the two nations, with the Eagles earning a historic win over a Zimbabwe side that had already secured its place at the 2027 Rugby World Cup after defeating Namibia in last year’s Rugby Africa Cup final. The Sables entered Saturday looking to bounce back from last weekend’s loss to Tonga.

The win also gives the Eagles back-to-back victories to open the tournament after edging Portugal 30-29 in last weekend’s opener.

Fast Start, Strong Finish Lift Eagles

Conner Mooneyham gave the United States an early spark, crossing for the opening try of the match in his eighth appearance for the national team. Perry Mayo followed with the Eagles’ second try just six minutes into the contest after making his USA debut in last weekend’s win over Portugal.

Zimbabwe answered with tries from Edward Sigauke and Aiden Burnett, while Bruce Houston converted to level the match at 12-12 before knocking through a long-range penalty to hand the visitors their first lead of the afternoon.

The Eagles faced another obstacle when Makeen Alikhan was shown a yellow card in the 29th minute, leaving the hosts down a player for the remainder of the first half. Zimbabwe carried its three-point advantage into the break and held onto the lead early in the second half before the United States found its response.

Nathan Den Hoedt crashed over for his first try in a USA jersey to put the Eagles back in front, and Cory Daniel put the match away in the 77th minute with his second try in as many games after Ethan McVeigh delivered a well-timed cut-out pass to the unmarked flanker.

The Eagles will look to complete an unbeaten Rugby Nations Cup campaign when they host Spain at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina on July 18.

Nations Championships Fixtures Results

• New Zealand vs. Italy (47-17)
• Australia vs. France (26-42)
• Japan vs. Ireland (20-36)
• Fiji vs. England (8- 73)
• South Africa vs. Scotland (42-28)
• Argentina vs. Wales (35-21)

World Rugby Nations Cup Fixtures Results 

• Uruguay vs. Romania (36-36)
• Samoa vs. Georgia (12-33)
• Tonga vs. Spain (19-32)
• Chile vs. Hong Kong China (38-17)
• USA vs. Zimbabwe (31-15)
• Canada vs. Portugal (14-38)

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Nations Championship Fixtures & Schedule

• Saturday, July 18, 3:10 a.m. ET — New Zealand vs. Ireland
• Saturday, July 18, 4:40 a.m. ET — Japan vs. France
• Saturday, July 18, 6:10 a.m. ET — Australia vs. Italy
• Saturday, July 18, 9:10 a.m. ET — Fiji vs. Scotland
• Saturday, July 18, 11:40 a.m. ET — South Africa vs. Wales
• Saturday, July 18, 3:10 p.m. ET — Argentina vs. England

World Rugby Nations Cup Fixtures & Schedule

• Saturday, July 18, 9:30 a.m. ET — Samoa vs. Romania
• Saturday, July 18, 12:00 p.m. ET — Uruguay vs. Hong Kong China
• Saturday, July 18, 2:00 p.m. ET — Chile vs. Georgia
• Saturday, July 18, 3:45 p.m. ET — Tonga vs. Portugal  
• Saturday, July 18, 6:30 p.m. ET — USA vs. Spain  
• Saturday, July 18, 7:00 p.m. ET — Canada vs. Zimbabwe

Here’s How Fans Can Watch The Nations Championship

Fans in the United States can stream every match of the Nations Championship for free on RugbyPass TV and the World Rugby YouTube page.

Here’s How Fans Can Watch The World Rugby Nations Cup

Fans in the United States can stream the USA Rugby Eagles and the rest of the field on Paramount+.

Current World Rugby Men’s Rankings

1. South Africa — 93.94
2. New Zealand — 91.04
3. Ireland — 89.32
4. France — 86.74
5. Scotland — 84.11
6. England — 83.91
7. Argentina — 83.77
8. Australia — 81.28
9. Fiji — 79.53
10. Italy — 77.31
11. Wales — 76.67
12. Japan — 76.42
13. Georgia — 72.67
14. USA — 69.40
15. Portugal — 68.51
16. Uruguay — 68.46
17. Chile — 67.31
18. Samoa — 66.90
19. Tonga — 66.88
20. Spain — 66.64
21. Belgium — 61.03
22. Romania — 60.08
23. Canada — 59.63
24. Hong Kong China — 59.14
25. Zimbabwe — 58.59

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