April 14, 2016
USA Women’s Eagles 7s Squad for Langford
Doug Coil
The USA Women’s Eagles Sevens Head Coach Richie Walker has made five changes to the squad that won the Plate at HSBC Atlanta 7s last weekend. Emily Azevedo, a crossover bobsled athlete and Carmen Farmer, a Women’s Rugby World Cup veteran and member of the U.S. team at the 2015 NACRA Sevens Championships will make their HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series debuts at HSBC Canada Women’s Sevens in Langford, British Columbia.
Both Meya Bizer and Lauren Doyle sustained injuries at Atlanta and returned to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California for treatment. Jillion Potter will also miss this Series round, with Bui Baravilala assuming the captaincy.
Joanne Fa’avesi and Victoria Folayan are ready to deliver and have been added to the squad. Christy Ringgenberg returns to make her first circuit appearance since 2014. She had a tuneup at the Vancouver Rugby Festival last month with the USA Falcons.
With the changes, Richie Walker, the new Eagles Head Coach, is able to assess additional players prior to Rio. He indicated that “with the five changes I’ve made and the clear understanding of what the expectations were at the OTC before the team left for Atlanta, we don’t need to go back to square one. They are already familiar with the style and the game plan we want to play, so it’s just about getting everyone on the same page before we play in Canada.”
The Eagles are in Pool C with Fiji, New Zealand, and Spain, with the HSBC Canada Women’s Sevens scheduled to kick off Saturday, April 16.
Women’s Eagles Sevens | HSBC Canada Women’s Sevens
1. Carmen Farmer 2. Megan Bonny 3. Emily Azevedo 4. Alev Kelter 5. Ryan Carlyle 6. Nicole Heavirland 7. Christy Ringgenberg 8. Bui Baravilala (C) 9. Richelle Stephens 10. Joanne Fa’avesi 11. Victoria Folayan 12. Jessica Javelet
Women’s Eagles Sevens: HSBC Canada Women’s Sevens
v. Spain – Saturday, April 16 @ 3:50 p.m. ET
v. Fiji – Saturday, April 16 @ 6:42 p.m. ET
v. New Zealand – Saturday, April 16 @ 9:12 p.m. ET
