Two Rugby Illinois alumni earned caps this month when USA Rugby played in matches against England and Ireland. Former Lake Forest Harrier Matt Harmon earned his first cap against England wearing No. 17 when USA Rugby made a solid showing at Twickenham Stadium July 4. The Eagles lost the match but had a strong second half, outscoring England 26-17. After helping the Harriers win two consecutive Illinois State Championships in 2012 and 2013, Harmon went on to lead Life University to a D1A National Championship with a 60-5 win over Cal. Matt has spent the last three seasons with NOLA Gold in Major League Rugby playing hooker and prop. Following suit several days later was Mt. Carmel alumni Andrew Guerra, a flanker, who earned his first cap wearing No. 21 against Ireland on July 10. Guerra also happens to be a teammate of Harmon’s on the NOLA Gold squad. Guerra is a product of Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood. He was a multi-sport athlete for the Mt. Carmel Caravan before playing for Notre Dame College of Ohio. Guerra was the Notre Dame captain his junior and senior years. The Falcons won the 2017 D1AA National Championship before switching to Rugby East in 2018. He was a member of the Rugby East All-Conference team in 2018 and 2019.
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