Eagles fly into Texas for ARC
The U.S. won its fourth consecutive game against border rival Canada with a raucous crowd of more than 7,000 supporters cheering inside the Dell Diamond Minor League baseball stadium in February 2016 and finished second in the inaugural ARC competition with two wins and a draw from three home matches.
Ranked 36th, Brazil will visit Texas for its first-ever clash on US soil on Saturday, February 11.
"We're excited to host USA Rugby in the Americas Championship for the second consecutive year. Bringing in events like this one not only showcase the versatility of Dell Diamond on an international level but really help grow the game of here in Texas.
"We're looking forward to growing this match and welcoming even more fans through the gates this year," COO of Ryan Sanders Entertainment, JJ Gottsch said.
The teams met for the first time in South America in the ARC earlier this year, where the Brazilians emerged victorious from their encounter with a young Eagles squad, 24-23.
The return fixture follows the opening round of the 2017 competition on February 4 when the U.S. will host Uruguay in nearby San Antonio.
"It may not look like your typical rugby stadium, but Dell Diamond was a great home for the Eagles for a match that was a success on and off of the field. We knew we had to bring international rugby back to Round Rock and we couldn't be more excited to be doing it so soon," USA Rugby International Events Director Kellie Cavalier said.
Dell Diamond also hosted last year's World Under-20 Trophy qualifier match between the Men's Junior All-Americans and their U-20 Canadian counterparts, which ended with a miraculous, 50-meter penalty goal by the U.S.
Three Americans from the MJAA squad have since gone on to receive their senior debuts under head coach John Mitchell, while additional age-grade talents joined up with the USA Selects development side in October.
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