The USA Eagles, the senior national rugby union team, will continue competition in the Americas Rugby Championship today in Brazil as Jessieville native Ruben de Haas continues to progress within the national team setup.
The Eagles finished 3-0 in ARC matches at home in California a week ago. De Haas earned his first cap, a national team appearance in a competitive match, in the 45-13 victory over Chile in the final home match at Titan Stadium in Fullerton, Calif., with members of his family on hand.
"It is hard to find words to explain," de Haas said. "It was literally a dream come true. We are a close family, and my family and friends have been my biggest supporters.
"It was a huge privilege to share the day with them. One's first cap only happens once in your life."
Up next for the Eagles are their final two matches in this year's ARC, both on the road in South America. Today's match against Brazil at Estådio Martins Pereira in São José dos Campos will be shown live on The Rugby Channel, http://www.therugbychannel.tv, at 2:40 p.m. Central Time.
Updates will be available by following @USARugby on Twitter. A replay of the match will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 6 a.m. Sunday.
Head coach Gary Gold announced the starting lineup Thursday with veteran Shaun Davies, 28, at scrum half, a position similar to the role of quarterback in American football. De Haas will again start the game on the bench as a reserve.
"Honestly, it's so special every time you put the jersey on," de Haas said. "I don't take it for granted. I just want to compete and get as much playing time as possible. I also want to make a good impression on my fellow players and coaches."
De Haas was among 39 players and four scrum halves originally called up in January for the five ARC matches. Nate Augspurger, 28, started at scrum half in the opening 17-10 win over Argentina XV at the StubHub Center in Carson on Feb. 3 and the 29-10 victory over Canada on Feb. 10 at Papa Murphy's Park in Sacramento before captaining the squad against Chile. Davies subbed on for Augspurger in the first two matches until de Haas was able to make his debut a week ago.
"Although rugby is a truly global game, there are certain unspoken rules that apply everywhere," de Haas said. "Rookies respect the seniors and you know your place.
"However, it is the ultimate team game. There is no offense and defense. We are all in it together for the entire game and have to work cohesively. As a 19-year-old, I am in an environment with much older players. Some are married with children, but they are seasoned pros who are eager to teach me so much."
De Haas moved to Arkansas from South Africa with his family when he was in fifth grade. He is the son of Pieter and Lorrain de Haas.
Pieter de Haas played professional rugby in South Africa for the Cheetahs and the Lions before helping establish the Junior Stormers youth club in Arkansas. Ruben de Haas progressed with the Junior Stormers and the youth levels of USA Rugby. He impressed with the USA Selects, the second national rugby team, at the 2017 World Rugby Americas Pacific Challenge in Uruguay last fall.
De Haas graduated from Jessieville High School in May. He was scouted by CSM Sports and Marketing and later reached an agreement to play for the Cheetahs Academy in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
"Professional sport is a competitive environment and it requires hard work, dedication, commitment and sacrifice," de Haas said. "There is a lot more responsibility now. People expect more from you than in high school and the stakes are much higher."
Several members of the team, including Augspurger, have returned to their clubs, but the Eagles must secure points in South America to win the 2018 ARC. The competition in its current form began in 2016 under the guidance of the Americas Rugby Association and the unions of the six participating countries -- Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Uruguay and USA.
Argentina XV, Argentina's secondary national team, led the table in 2016 with 22 points with the USA and Canada tied at 15. The Eagles won last year's competition with 22 points, one point ahead of Argentina.
USA, Argentina XV and Uruguay currently lead the table with 14, 11 and nine points, respectively. All three nations have already qualified for the 2019 Rugby World Cup to be held in Japan next fall.
The Eagles and Uruguay will play on the final match day, March 3, at Estadio CharrĂșa in Montevideo.
"Every time you put on the jersey, you are representing your country and you put your body on the line," de Haas said. "Every time we go on the field we want to win for our country. We've got a job to do, and we play with a huge amount of pride."
De Haas said he will return to Bloemfontein immediately after the Uruguay match to rejoin the Cheetahs Academy. He is among many of the academy players who currently compete in the 2018 Varsity Cup with televised matches every Monday.
Sports on 02/24/2018