Daniel Joseph Lyle (born 28 September 1970 in Louisville, KY)[1] is an American rugby union footballer. A 1992 graduate of Virginia Military Institute, he took up rugby union aged 23 in an attempt to keep fit. He had been invited to train with American football team Minnesota Vikings and had a trial with the Washington Redskins. Lyle is 6 ft 5 in (1.95 m) and weighs 252 lb (114 kg) and played number eight.
Lyle made his United States debut against Ireland in November 1994 at Lansdowne Road. He first captained the USA against Japan in June 1996, in the Pacific Rim tournament. He also led the USA to Sevens victory in the bowl competition at the Hong Kong Sevens in 1997.
He joined English club Bath from the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club (OMBAC) for the 1996/7 season. He spent seven seasons at Bath, captaining the side for the 2001/2 season and playing in 125 matches for the club, helping them to lift the Heineken Cup title in 1998 with victory over Brive in Bordeaux.
Lyle moved to Leicester Tigers in 2003, but shortly afterwards returned to America, after appearing for the United States in the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup. He is now the Tournament Director with USA Sevens LLC, the owner and operator of the largest commercial rugby tournament in the country.
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