Building the American Identity with Dominic Besag & Martin Pengelly - US Rugby Happy Hour

Join us on this week’s U.S. Rugby Happy Hour as we explore the heart and soul of the American game. We kick things off with our signature "National Maul" segment, featuring the insightful and always opinionated Martin Pengelly, who joins us to discuss the unique challenges of American rugby infrastructure and the evolution of the USA Eagles’ identity. In our main segment, our jingle department's latest masterpiece—a cello-accordion techno anthem that you absolutely have to hear to believe! Then, we sit down with USA Eagle and Saint Mary’s standout Dominic Besag. At just 21, Dom has already racked up an incredible 20 caps for the senior national team, and he gives us an exclusive look at life in the Eagles’ camp under coach Scott Lawrence. From his perspective on the "process-over-scoreboard" mentality to his candid thoughts on the future of collegiate rugby scholarships, Dom provides a front-row seat to the future of American rugby. This is an episode you won’t want to miss! Chapters: 00:00 Intro & The Jingle 02:54 The National Maul w/ Martin Pengelly 05:30 Rugby Infrastructure in the US 19:00 The Eagles' Performance & Identity 23:05 Interview with Dominic Besag 26:18 The College/International Balance 31:18 Scott Lawrence’s Process 43:00 The College Scholarship Gap 45:00 Looking Ahead to 2027 Hashtags: #USARugby #Eagles #RugbyPodcast #DominicBesag #TheNationalMaul #CollegeRugby —————————————— Connect with US Rugby Happy Hour: * Twitter: https://x.com/AmerRugbyRising * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americanrugbyrising/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanRugbyRising/ * Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@americanrugbyrising * Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@americanrugbyrising * BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/americanrugbyrisin.bsky.social * LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3OjEHf8 🎧 Listen to this and previous episodes of US Rugby Happy Hour on Youtube and your favorite podcast player today! iHeart: bit.ly/3A43Tff Apple: bit.ly/3Uuj9u7 Spotify: bit.ly/3ZxjAa0 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkYbnIvt-gI&t=2s Like, follow, and subscribe and please leave a comment!! Check out americanrugbyrising.com for the latest on your USA Eagles, schedules, news and more, and visit rugbymorning.com for the latest on ALL rugby! Hosts, Bill Baker and John Fitzpatrick are available for media opportunities and appearances. Contact information below. Bill Baker, an Emmy award winning editor and producer, has curated Eagles Overseas Rugby since 1996, providing updates and news stories about USA Eagles plying their trade around the world. http://www.americanrugbyrising.com⁠ ⁠eaglesoverseas@comcast.net⁠ John Fitzpatrick is the brain behind Rugby Morning, serving rugby news everyday via email newsletters to rugby fans around the world. ⁠John@rugbymorning.com⁠ ⁠http://www.rugbymorning.com Martin Pengelly is a Washington-based reporter and editor. His “The National Maul” Substack about rugby in the US. His first book, Brotherhood: When West Point Rugby Went To War, is published by Godine. https://thenationalmaul.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices