Fifteen of the top college rugby players in the country have been named to National Collegiate Rugby’s All-American squad headed for Rugbytown 7s Aug. 21-23 at Infinity Park in Glendale, CO. The diverse group of athletes comes together from 13 different colleges across every division. Every All-American participated in the 2026 Collegiate Rugby Championship National 7s in April, with three winning national titles and four being named to their division all-tournament teams.
The squad was selected by coaches Ethan Pougnet and Steve Lewis. Pougnet helped with the NCR Griffins side that debuted at Rugbytown last year, and Lewis just helmed New York Old Blue to a Club 7s national title. Both were at the CRC, as well as NCR All-Stars in January, scouring talent.
Three-time defending Premier Cup champion and reigning DI Player of the Year, Wheeling’s Alex Nyamunda, will bring physicality to the All-Americans. The standout center was busy this summer, getting called into Zimbabwe’s senior national team camp for the first time.
He’s joined by Wheeling and Zimbabwe teammate Taku Musingwini. The mercurial flyhalf spent his summer in Denver, flip-flopping between playing for the Sables against the USA and 7s on the senior club circuit with the Denver Barbarians alongside Brown star and fellow All-American Marco Lapierre.
The Denver native played for the USA in the U20 World Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia this June and July, starting against Argentina and Uruguay and coming off the bench against England and Japan. He has Rugbytown experience, playing in this tournament last year with the USA Falcons.
D1AA champion Jack Eberle is also on the squad. From winning a second DIAA 7s title in three years with Louisville in April, where he was named to the all-tournament team, to helping hometown club Invictus (Chicago) to its first-ever berth at Club 7s Nationals last week, Eberle hasn’t had much of a “break” this summer.
Manu Taula, 2025 Prusmack Award Winner as the best college 7s player in America, is one of two All-Americans to win a XVs national title with St. Bonaventure last December. He spent the summer in New York, helping his club to a Club 7s title with Lewis.
Fellow Bonnie Noah Edwards will be joining Taula at Rugbytown. The Chilean sensation earned MVP honors in the XVs national title match in the fall. And in the spring, he led the Bonnies in tries at the CRC with six. Fast, with lethally accurate passing and kicking, to boot.
Notre Dame halfback Jack Dunne was selected for his organ-splitting tackles and dogged defense, the same reasons he was named to the all-tournament team at the CRC. The former Ireland age-grader was a huge part of Notre Dame’s Big Ten title run in XVs last fall, as well.
Saki Tikotani is an electrifying stepper from Sacramento, CA headed into his sophomore season at Southern Virginia. He contributed three tries and four conversions to SVU’s 12th-place (out of 32) finish at the CRC in April. As a prep, he won the esteemed National American Invitational 7s Elite Division with the SacAIR Islanders.
Dartmouth big man Richard Wofford was a key cog in the Big Green’s run to the Premier Cup final. Long limbs, good aerial and contact skills, and a high motor make him one to watch out for at Rugbytown and beyond. Look for him and Musingwini to connect on kickoffs as often as possible.
River Hanson is the lone holdover from the NCR Griffins side that played in this competition last year. The former Duke defensive back is beginning to mature in his transformation from gridiron to rugby, scoring four tries in the Blue Devils’ quarterfinal run at the CRC before spending the summer helping Mystic River reach Club 7s Nationals. He is the lone DIII player on the squad.
At 6’3”, Henry Thomas brings size and athleticism to the All-Americans. An all-conference wing in XVs, he also brings finishing speed. A former Scottish age-grade player, he’s helped the Golden Bears to a 63-20-1 record in 7s over his first three seasons on campus.
Clemson’s Alex Smith-Stephens is a speed merchant on the wing, earning all-conference honors each of his first two seasons at Clemson. The London native, a more than capable striker, dotted down the opening try of the 2026 CRC.
Casey Graybill is going into his junior season at Marian, helping the Knights to back-to-back CRC appearances in his first two years on campus. Last fall, the hometown Hoosier was an All Big Rivers selection at center, and in the spring he led Marian to a conference 7s title and tied for 8th in points at National 7s.
The lone DII player on the squad is Grand Valley State’s Reinhardt Stipp. He arrived to GVSU from his native South Africa on a track scholarship, but has been a rugby star ever since first stepping on the pitch for the Lakers. He helped the program to a semifinal appearance in XVs last fall. In the spring, he tied for the DII lead in points (36) and tries (6) at National 7s.
Rounding out the side is Filimone Manu, the lightning playmaker from American International College. He played in this tournament last year with the USA Falcons, has won multiple NCR All-Star championships with New England, and looks to have a bright future. Born in American Samoa and raised in New Zealand, he’s USA-eligible.
ALL-AMERICANS SQUAD FOR RUGBYTOWN 7S
Alex Nyamunda – Wheeling University
Taku Musingwini – Wheeling University
Jack Eberle – University of Louisville
Marco Lapierre – Brown University
Manu Taula – St. Bonaventure University
Jack Dunne – University of Notre Dame
Noah Edwards – St. Bonaventure University
Saki Tikotani – Southern Virginia University
Richard Wofford – Dartmouth College
River Hanson – Duke University
Henry Thomas – Kutztown University
Alex Smith-Stephens – Clemson University
Casey Graybill – Marian University
Reinhardt Stipp – Grand Valley State University
Filimone Manu – American International
