USA Rugby Release by Aalina Tabani
The USA Women’s National Team XVs has named rosters for an eight-week daily training environment (DTE) and two 8-day mini-camps to be held through November in Glendale, CO. Both assemblies will take place at Infinity Park, the official national training site for the Men’s and Women’s Eagles in XVs.
Players for the DTE will assemble this Saturday, Sept 19, and remain in Colorado until mid-November. Those unable to attend the DTE due to work commitments will engage in the 8-day mini-camps happening at various points through October.
The DTE and each mini-camp will focus on individual, unit, and team skills as an extension of remote learning conducted through COVID-19 quarantine. Rosters feature a number of young and talented pool players with many representing Junior National Team programs.
Overall, fall programming will set the stage for World Cup preparation with just one year until New Zealand 2021. And as the world continues to fight COVID-19, players in attendance will follow a number of rigorous safety protocols to ensure a safe setting for all involved.
Head Coach Rob Cain said:
“A huge thank you to our medical staff, the XV Foundation, and USA Rugby Players Association for bringing this vision to life in terms of safety, finance, and logistics. I cannot stress the importance of what we are doing. The cancellations of our domestic season have meant that our players haven’t had any competitive rugby for almost 12 months. We had to act to give ourselves a fighting chance in 2021.
“We are all excited to get to work and build on the past 5 months of hard work, where our staff and players combined work ethic advantage of our robust remote learning program. Alongside our experienced players, there will be some excellent inner competition thanks to the high school, college, WPL, and pathway coaches who have developed our extremely talented uncapped players and youngsters.
“We see everything as a challenge and this chapter in our story continues to shows our ambition to make an impression in 2021.”
More information regarding safe return to training and competition can be found in USA Rugby’s Return to Play Guidelines at bit.ly/RETURN2PLAY. All members should continue to heed the advice of local health officials to remain vigilant in the fight against COVID-19
DAILY TRAINING ENVIRONMENT ROSTER
PLAYER NAME | POSITION | CLUB | CAPS |
Cassidy Bargell | Scrumhalf | Harvard University | uncapped |
Julia Beuscher | Back row | San Diego Surfers | uncapped |
Kaitlyn Broughton | Wing | Glendale Merlins | 5 |
Elizabeth Cairns | Flanker | Life West Gladiatrix | 11 |
Gabriella Cantorna | Flyhalf | Exeter Chiefs (ENG) | |
Rachel Ehrecke | Back row | Glendale Merlins | uncapped |
Tess Feury | Wing | New York Rugby | 6 |
Megan Foster | Flyhalf | San Diego Surfers | 5 |
Saher Hamden | Hooker | Life University | uncapped |
McKenzie Hawkins | Flyhalf | Glendale Merlins | 3 |
Jett Hayward | Hooker | Life West Gladiatrix | uncapped |
Emily Henrich | Center | USA Sevens | 8 |
Katana Howard | Flyhalf | Twin City Amazons | 4 |
Lisa Jackson | Prop/Hooker | Atlanta Harlequins | uncapped |
Charli Jacoby | Prop | Chicago North Shore | 6 |
Nick James | Prop | Houston Athletic | 12 |
Kathryn Johnson | No. 8 | Twin City Amazons | 2 |
Rachel Johnson | Flanker | Oregon Rugby Union | 7 |
Bridget Kahele | Scrum-half | Atlanta Harlequins | uncapped |
Joanna Kitlinski | No. 8 | Glendale Merlins | 14 |
Jenny Kronish | Lock | Glendale Merlins | uncapped |
Kayla Lawson | Wing | USA Sevens | uncapped |
Maya Learned | Prop | Glendale Merlins | 2 |
Shelby Lin | Scrum-half | Berkeley All Blues | uncapped |
Sam Luther | Second Row | Glendale Merlins | uncapped |
Bulou Mataitoga | Fullback | Berkeley All Blues | 3 |
Kelsie O’Brien | Scrum-half | Glendale Merlins | Uncapped |
Olivia Ortiz | Scrum-half | Davenport & Chicago North Shore | 5 |
Jetta Owens | Center | Virginia Tech | uncapped |
Neariah Persinger | Wing | Life West Gladiatrix | Not 29 |
Allie Schrenker | Hooker | Glendale Merlins | uncapped |
Amy Talei Bonte | Center | Life West Gladiatrix | 6 |
Hallie Taufoou | Back row | Richmond RFC / ARPTC | uncapped |
Kathryn Treder | Hooker | Beantown Rugby | 2 |
Nichole Wanamaker | Back Three | Glendale Merlins | uncapped |
Carly Waters | Scrum-half | Glendale Merlins | 4 |
MINI CAMP ROSTER – BACKS
PLAYER NAME | POSITION | CLUB | CAPS |
Catie Benson | Prop | Life West Gladiatrix | 23 |
Kristin Bitter | Flyhalf / Fullback | Dartmouth | uncapped |
Ashlee Byrge | Scrum-half | USA Sevens | 5 |
Leti Hingano | Back Three | Life West Gladiatrix | 2 |
Evan Hoese | Center | Berkeley All Blues | 1 |
Natalie Kosko | Back Three | New York Rugby | uncapped |
Sarah Levy | Back Three | New York Rugby | 2 |
Matalasi Morrissette | Flyhalf | BYU | uncapped |
Karissa Postula | Center | ORSU | uncapped |
Darina Roe | Flyhalf | Penn State | uncapped |
Julie Tordonato | Center | Glendale Merlins | uncapped |
PK Vincze | Flyhalf/center | Harvard | uncapped |
MINI CAMP ROSTER – FORWARDS
PLAYER NAME | POSITION | CLUB | CAPS |
Evelyn Ashenbrucker | Backrow | San Diego Surfers | uncapped |
Erica Jarrell | Second Row | Harvard | uncapped |
Darian Lovelace | Backrow | Atlanta Harlequins | uncapped |
Hope Rogers | Prop | Life west Gladiatrix | 29 |
Megan Rom | Prop | Atlanta Harlequins | 2 |
Kristine Sommer | Lock | Seattle Saracens | 13 |
Paige Stathopoulos | Hooker | Glendale Merlins | uncapped |
Nicole Strasko | Flanker | Life West Gladiatrix | 7 |
Mckenna Strong | Lock | Lindenwood | 1 |
Samantha Tancredi | Prop | Lindenwood | uncapped |
Alycia Washington | Lock | New York Rugby | 22 |
WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM XVs STAFF
*Indicates staff on the ground for DTE and Mini Camps.
Head Coach | Rob Cain*
Assistant Coach | Kate Daley
Assistant Coach | Neil Harris
Assistant Coach | Rich Ashfield
Support Coach | Jenny Lui
Support Coach | Jamie Burke*
Strength & Conditioning | Sylvia Braaten*
Sports Scientist | Conor Sweeney
Team Doctor | Terrence Cronin
Head Athletic Trainer | Bri Arsenault
Athletic Trainer | Katherine Henry
Athletic Trainer | Jade Callen*
Performance Analyst | Callum Howells
Team Manager | Louise Stewart
Logistics Coordinator – Denver | Dee Nash*
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