USA Rugby Release by Aalina Tabani
Head Coach Rob Cain has named 51 players to the USA Women’s XV National Team’s World Cup Performance Squad. The program will hold two 7-week training blocks at the RugbyTown National Training Center before departing for the World Cup in New Zealand at the beginning of August.
The first training block runs from March 13 to May 2 and features the bulk of players named to the Performance Squad with consideration for those who have club commitments in the UK and Sevens Residency. At the end of May, the squad will filter down to 40 players who will assemble for a final World Cup Residency from May 31 to July 21. The official World Cup team will be selected once Residency concludes.
Upon arrival in New Zealand, all players and staff will complete mandatory two-week testing and quarantine period. Following this, it is proposed that a group of pre-World Cup fixtures will be played to optimize preparation before pool play begins.
Of the 51 players named, 11 have competed in at least one XVs World Cup while 15 seek their first cap. The Performance Squad also includes 8 USA Sevens players who have the opportunity to compete in both the Olympics and Rugby World Cup.
Head Coach Rob Cain said:
“What a great opportunity to continue the exciting platform from November at our RugbyTown National Training Center. We learned so much in terms of where we are, where we need to be and the time it will take to get there. The World Cup may seem far away but 259 days or 6240 hours is the time we knew we had from January 1.
“The ability to take those fresh learnings and pick back up so soon is a very exciting prospect for the group. This schedule is geared towards enabling the players to perform, meeting the real threat of no domestic rugby or training environments for the past year head-on. New Zealand, England, and France having full domestic seasons alongside international fixtures continue to present threats to our own goals.
“We have spent the past 2 years getting to the point where rugby is first but underpinned by physical qualities that are hard to match. We have gone about our business very quietly, adapting to the needs of the group at every opportunity. This hard road was created to allow our rugby, leadership culture, and people to continuously evolve; so when we experience real pressure at the World Cup, they can be the points of difference when we need them to. If we weren’t clear about our intentions for New Zealand, our actions speak volumes now.”
Women’s Eagles World Cup Full Preparation Schedule
- January to February: Remote training
- March 13 to May 2: Block #1 Training for 51 players in Glendale, CO
- May 2 to May 30: Remote training
- May 31 to July 21: World Cup Residency for 40 players in Glendale, CO
- July 22 to July 30: Recovery period, final World Cup Squad selection
- August 2: Team Departs for New Zealand
- August 21: Proposed Pre-World Cup matches
- September 18 to October 16: Rugby World Cup 2021
USA Women’s XVs National Team Performance Squad
PLAYER NAME | POSITION | CLUB | XVs CAPS |
Cassidy Bargell | Scrumhalf | Harvard University | uncapped |
Catie Benson | Prop | Life West Gladiatrix | 23 |
Meya Bizer | Center | USA Sevens | 18 |
Stacey Bridges | Lock | Beantown Rugby | 40 |
Elizabeth Cairns | Flanker | Life West Gladiatrix | 11 |
Kayla Canett-Oca | Full Back | USA Sevens | 7 |
Gabby Cantorna | Flyhalf | Exeter Chiefs | 8 |
Jennine Duncan | Wing | Exeter Chiefs | 7 |
Rachel Ehrecke | Back Row | Colorado Gray Wolves | uncapped |
Nana Fa’avesi | Center | USA Sevens | 2 |
Tess Feury | Wing | New York Rugby | 6 |
Megan Foster | Flyhalf | San Diego Surfers | 5 |
Saher Hamdan | Hooker | Life University | uncapped |
Fane “Eti” Haungatau | Center | Lindenwood | 3 |
McKenzie Hawkins | Flyhalf | Colorado Gray Wolves | 3 |
Jett Hayward | Hooker | Life West Gladiatrix | uncapped |
Emily Henrich | Center | Dartmouth Rugby | 8 |
Mata Hingano | Center | Life West Gladiatrix | uncapped |
Leti Hingano | Back Three | Life West Gladiatrix | 2 |
Katana Howard | Flyhalf | Twin City Amazons | 4 |
Charli Jacoby | Prop | Chicago North Shore | 6 |
Nick James | Prop | Houston Athletic | 12 |
Erica Jarrell | Second Row | Harvard University | uncapped |
Rachel Johnson | Flanker | Exeter Chiefs | 7 |
Kathryn Johnson | No. 8 | Twin City Amazons | 2 |
Layla Alev Kelter | Center | USA Sevens | 13 |
Kristi Kirshe | Back Three | USA Sevens | uncapped |
Joanna Kitlinski | No. 8 | Exeter Chiefs | 14 |
Jenny Kronish | Lock | Colorado Gray Wolves | uncapped |
Kayla Lawson | Wing | San Diego Surfers | uncapped |
Maya Learned | Prop | Colorado Gray Wolves | 2 |
Sarah Levy | Back Three | New York Rugby | 2 |
Shelby Lin | Scrumhalf | Berkeley All Blues | uncapped |
Sam Luther | Second Row | Colorado Gray Wolves | uncapped |
Ilona Maher | Back Three | USA Sevens | uncapped |
Bulou Mataitoga | Fullback | Berkeley All Blues | 3 |
Jordan Matyas | No. 8 | USA Sevens | 18 |
Olivia Ortiz | Scrumhalf | Davenport & Chicago North Shore | 5 |
Jetta Owens | Back Three | Virginia Tech | uncapped |
Neariah Persinger | Wing | Life West Gladiatrix | 1 |
Hope Rogers-Dellerman | Prop | Life West Gladiatrix | 29 |
Kristine Sommer | Lock | Harlequins Rfc | 13 |
Nicole Strasko | Flanker | Life West Gladiatrix | 7 |
Amy Talei Bonte | Center | Life West Gladiatrix | 6 |
Samantha Tancredi | Prop | Lindenwood | uncapped |
Hallie Taufoou | Back Row | ARPTC | uncapped |
Kristen Thomas | Wing | USA Sevens | 11 |
Kathryn Treder | Hooker | Beantown Rugby | 2 |
Alycia Washington | Lock | New York Rugby | 22 |
Carly Waters | Scrumhalf | Colorado Gray Wolves | 4 |
Kate Zackary | Flanker | Exeter Chiefs | 15 |
USA Women’s XVs National Team Staff
Women’s High-Performance Director | Emilie Bydwell
Head Coach | Rob Cain
Assistant Coach | Rich Ashfield
Assistant Coach | Jamie Burke
Assistant Coach | Kate Daley
Assistant Coach | Neil Harris
Assistant Coach | Jenny Lui
Team Manager | Louise Stewart
Strength & Conditioning | Sylvia Braaten
Sports Scientist | Conor Sweeney
Performance Analyst | Callum Howells
Team Doctor | Terrence Cronin
Athletic Trainer | Bri Arsenault
Athletic Trainer | Katherine Henry
Athletic Trainer | Jade Callen
Logistics Coordinator – Denver | Dee Nash
Women’s National XVs Team COVID-19 Safety Protocols
- Players are required to show a negative test before travel, complete an isolation period on the ground in Colorado and show a negative test before training begins
- Players are placed in training groups & pods in accordance with state guidelines
- Team members are required to eliminate all community exposure throughout the daily training environment and sign an agreement committing to this standard
- Symptom screenings are conducted twice daily
- Periodic testing protocol implemented through the 7-week block
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