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Alama Ieremia charged with getting USA back on World Cup stage

The former All Black jets out next week to join the Eagles as an attack coach. (Source: 1News)

The United States has often been called a sleeping giant in terms of its rugby potential.

If that is to be believed then Alama Ieremia is the latest coach tasked with waking American rugby from its slumber, joining the Eagles' set up next week as attack coach.

"That's the part that really excites me," said the former Samoa and Auckland head coach.

"What's trending at the moment is the Pacific Island players, there's quite a few in Utah - they have a lot of Pacific Island players coming through the system up there."

"San Diego too, who are doing really well and potentially could win it this year so there's a lot of different types of players."

While Ieremia said he will look to target a growing base of American Pasifika players he also had a chance to look at other athletes with non-rugby backgrounds.

"Grassroots rugby isn't as established as it is in New Zealand or Australia but that doesn't mean you can't have other solutions to help bring rugby through."

USA Rugby needs all the help is can get after reaching its lowest point in recent history, missing out on its first Rugby World since 1995 to Portugal in November's last chance play-off tournament in Dubai.

Portugal kicked a penalty after the fulltime hooter to secure a 16-16 draw and 2023 World Cup qualification on points differential.

With their domestic Major League Rugby competition attracting more and more international interest plus World Cup hosting responsibilities in 2031, it was World Rugby who approached Ieremia about getting the USA back on its feet before the 2027 World Cup in Australia.

"It's a big challenge in terms of players, systems and getting alignment with other teams over there.

"I've been watching it develop over the years and when I was coaching Auckland I saw how it went from strength to strength, there's a lot of NPC players over there now, a few Australian players and a melting pot of coaches as well."

While he's been in the job a few months, Ieremia has only interacted with his new colleagues online and is travelling to the United States for the first time.

Ieremia's coaching experience has seen him as an assistant with Suntory Sungoliath in Japan, Wellington and the Hurricanes, while he was head coach of Samoa and Auckland.

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