United States Player Biographies

Following are brief biographies of the U.S. World Cup squad (ages correct at start of tournament):

JACK CLARK (Coach). Took charge of national team in June 1993 after guiding university All-American programme from its birth in 1987. Also has role of general manager where he has transformed the programme from an amateur to a professional footing. As a lock forward he was capped for the U.S. before suffering a career-ending injury.

ANDRE BLOM. Fullback. Age 29. Height 1.80 metres. Weight 82 kg. Caps: 10. Denver Barbarians player is a fast and versatile back who has scored four tries in only 10 tests.

KURT SHUMAN. Fullback. Age 25. 1.85 metres. 91 kg. Based at Oxford University in England where he became sixth ever Oxford Blue, playing in 1998 Varsity Match. Won his first cap in 1997.

VAEA ANITONI. Wing. Age 29. 1.72 metres. 77 kg. Caps: 41. Airline employee is all-time leading try scorer for the U.S and an electrifying runner with good defensive skills. Holds the U.S. record for most caps along with Tom Billups.

BRIAN HIGHTOWER. Wing. Age 29. 1.72 metres. 83.5 kg. Caps: 14. Teacher-cum-ski instructor is co-holder of the U.S. record for tries in a game with four. First represented U.S. in 1996 France Sevens and is an acknowleged sevens expert.

RICH SCHURFIELD. Wing. Age 36. 1.85 metres. 108 kg. Caps: five. Michigan player in an internet consultant.

SINAPATI UIAGALELEI. Wing. Age 20. 1.87 metres. 100 kg. Uncapped. Plays for Orange County Islanders in California and can run 10.6 seconds for the 100 metres. He unlikely to see a lot of playing time however.

JUAN GROBLER. Centre. Age 26. 1.82 metres. 93 kg. Caps: 16. Landscaper has scored three times in an Eagle jersey this year. Made his international debut against Argentina in 1996.

MARK SCHARRENBERG. Centre. Age 30. 1.80 metres. 91 kg. Caps: 37. A very classy player whose eight tries are second on the U.S. all-time list. Scored one of the two tries against Uruguay which took U.S. to World Cup finals. His first cap came against Australia in 1993.

ALATINI SAULALA. Centre. Age 31. 1.82 metres. 97 kg. Caps: 17. San Mateo, California player is an explosive runner.

TOMASI TAKAU. Centre/wing. Age 29. 1.80 metres. 91 kg. Caps: 19.

MARK WILLIAMS. Centre. Age 38. 1.80 metres. 86 kg. Caps: 35. Aspen interior designer is the only player remaining from the 1991 U.S. World Cup squad. Williams is the fourth most prolific Eagle scorer and has been capped at three different positions.

DAVE STROBLE. Flyhalf/wing. Age 33. 1.80 metres. 80 kg. Uncapped. Plays his rugby in France and is a rarity in being an uncapped American who plays professionally in Europe. He has played international sevens.

DAVID NIU. Flyhalf. Age 33. 1.80 metres. 88 kg. Caps: five. Pennsylvania-based player is a schoolteacher who played his way into to the team at the 1998 Inter-Territorials. He previously captained the U.S. Rugby League team. An ambitious flyhalf, he scored a game-clinching try against Fiji this year.

JESSE COULSON. Scrumhalf. Age 22. 1.75 metres. 84 kg. Uncapped. Plays club rugby in Waikato, New Zealand. Physical Education teacher has been nagging Clark for a go for a year, and finally made the recent tour to Britain where he impressed sufficiently to make the World Cup side.

KEVIN DALZELL. Scrumhalf. Age 25. 1.72 metres. 78 kg. Caps: 13. Nicknamed 'Dazzle,' he took over kicking duties after Mark Williams was injured, notching up 60 points in six tests.

DAN LYLE. Flanker/number eight (captain). Age 29. 1.95 metres. 113 kg. Caps: 24. Bath player shows a remarkable talent for finding the ball and for scoring tries. The most famous of the Eagles, has repeatedly spurned offers to play gridiron. Made his international debut against Ireland in 1994 and became U.S. skipper in 1996. Returned from a 22-month international absence to play Tonga this year after suffering cruciate ligament injury in February 1998.

ROB LUMKONG. Flanker/number eight. Age 29. 1.85 metres. 95 kg. Caps: 27. Denver Barbarians player is a mortgage broker who is just coming back from a knee injury.

RICHARD TARDITS. Flanker. Age 34. 1.87 metres. 110 kg. Caps: 19. Business management consultant is a devastating runner. He played gridiron for the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots. Made debut in 1993 against Australia.

FIFITA MO'UNGA. Flanker. Age 26. 1.80 metres. 95 kg. Caps: eight. Plays his rugby in California and employed as construction worker.

SHAUN PAGA. Flanker. Age 21. 1.85 metres. 97 kg. Caps: four. University of California player is a student who made his debut against Canada last year. Is a Pacific athletic league wrestling champion.

LUKE GROSS. Lock. Age 29. 2.05 metres. 114 kg. Caps: 35. Plays for Rovigo, Italy. His height and ball handling skills which he learned as a basketball player have made him a line-out force.

DAVE HODGES. Lock/flanker. Age 31. 1.93 metres. 100 kg. Caps: 20. Llanelli player is a former professional gridiron player. Made Eagles debut against Uruguay in 1996 and toured Wales a year later.

ERIC REED. Lock. Age 24. 2.03 metres. 111 kg. Uncapped. California-based player.

ALEC PARKER. Lock. Age 25. 1.98 metres. 100 kg. Caps: 21. Aspen-based player is a rancher. He has speed, height, and power. Made his debut against Hong Kong in 1996 when he was youngest player to represent Eagles in the second row.

JOE CLAYTON. Prop. Age 25. 1.82 metres. 111 kg. Caps: two. Software Consultant who made his international debut in June this year.

MARC L'HUILLIER. Prop. Age 28. 1.75 metres. 110 kg. Caps: one. Sydney Universities player is a market researcher by trade.

RAY LEHNER. Prop. Age 29. 1.85 metres. 109 kg. Caps: 31. California player is very experienced prop and his work will be the key to success in the World Cup scrums. Played in British Varsity match in 1997 for Oxford University. Made international debut against Canada in 1995 and has club experience in both England and South Africa.

GEORGE SUCHER. Prop. Age 30. 1.82 metres. 100 kg. Caps: 12. Washington player is computer software salesman who scored the Eagles' only try against England in August. Made international debut in 1998.

TOM BILLUPS. Hooker. 34. 1.72 metres. 95 kg. Caps: 41. Pontypridd player is an emotional leader who captained the side during Dan Lyle's long injury layoff in 1998. He will pack down against friend and rival Keith Wood of Ireland when the Eagles play Ireland.

KIRK KHASIGIAN. Hooker. Age 22. 1.80 metres. 95 kg. Caps: three. University of California player is a student whose father Fred played for the Eagles in their first match against Australia in 1976.

Reuters contributed to this report.