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eagles.rugby – The USA Rugby Women’s U18 7s Summer Camp took place at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center (CVEATC) in Southern California. The headquarters for the USA 7s program welcomed 29 USA Pathway athletes from 12 states into a high-performance assessment and skill development assembly.
Players were invited to camp after USA Pathway scouting efforts at various domestic competitions throughout the year, as well as through the 2026 Pathway Talent ID Days and Regional Development Days. Attendees hailed from 12 states, with Utah leading all selections with six. California had seven overall representatives — three from Southern California’s Belmont Shore (including Ulalei Pulu, who is also connected to Maui Wahine in Hawaii) and four from Northern California when including Emily Katavake, who came out of SacAIR Amazons and is currently attending Lindenwood University.
Pennsylvania (4), Colorado (2), Idaho (2), Iowa (2), Washington (2), Arizona, Maryland, Ohio and Wisconsin also sent players to Chula Vista.
“We are excited to welcome 29 U18 athletes to the CVEATC, the majority will be attending their first Pathway 7s camp,” USA Women’s Pathway 7s Head Coach. “Many have attended a U18 15s camp this summer, and only five of the 29 have previously attended a 7s camp. The camp will give us an opportunity to introduce them to a high performance training environment and see them play in the 7s context.”
The camp brought athletes together for one week of rugby fitness, skills and molding playing IQ toward an aligned USA Rugby style. Players capped off the week with a 7s tournament-style simulation with three internal matches serving as an assessment selection event for upcoming U18 competitions, 15s winter camps, and 2027 Pathway competitions.
“We are grateful to have Pathway events for our U18 age group which reward the efforts of not only the athlete but also the community coaches and clubs that support them throughout the year,” Gardner said. “We are honored to work with this age group as they start their journey in the USA Rugby Pathway aimed at supporting their development toward national team integration in the years to come.”
Following this camp, coaches will work with players to create an individual development plan that is a collaborative effort between the athlete and the coaching staff. The plan aims to support their development in several key areas of rugby and serves as a tool to guide their on-going development with their home clubs.
2026 U18 7s Camp Roster
Mackenzie Aluise* – Doylestown, Pa.
Leah Cipollo – Doylestown, Pa.
Maria Depner – Moon Area HS, Pa.
Madison Englin* – Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa
Apikaila Fa’apouli – Belmont Shore, SoCal
Sofie Ferri – Hudson, Ohio
Chloe Gandy – Chuckanut Bay, Wash.
Margo Grebinoski – Green Bay Banshees, Wis.
Adelina Jackson – North Bay, Md.
Rebekah Jenks – Rocky Mountain HS, Idaho
Sophia Johnson – Majestics, Utah
Sabrina Jutronich – Tucson Thunderbirds, Ariz.
Emily Katavake – Lindenwood Univ, Mo. (SacAIR Amazons)
Tamika Katavake – Sacramento Harlequins, NorCal
Lavinia Lomu – United, Utah
Abbey McGettigan – Downingtown, Pa.
Eseta Moala – Nova, Utah
Luisa Moala – Nova, Utah
Ella Moynihan – Tsunami Tacoma, Wash.
Ulalei Pulu* – Maui Wahine, Hawaii / Belmont Shore, SoCal
Morgan Roth – Iowa Hawkettes
Avery Russer – Summit, Colo.
Hailey Russer* – Summit, Colo.
Luisa Taai – United, Utah
Leilani Teaupa – SacAir Amazons, NorCal
Paige Thomason – Rocky Mountain HS, Idaho
Isabel Uyema – United, Utah
Maya Wilson – Belmont Shore, SoCal
Zoe Zumbro* – Belmont Shore, SoCal
*Previous 7s Camp athlete
2026 U18s Camp Staff
Irene Gardner | Women’s 7s Pathway Head Coach
Kelly Griffin | Women’s 7s Pathway Assistant Coach
Jackie Rodriguez | Women’s 7 Pathway Head Athletic Trainer
Ashley Morataya | Women’s 7 Assistant Performance Coach
Aiyana Gilliard | Team Services Manager
Kristin Zdanczewicz | Women’s Pathways Performance Coach
Martha Daines | Head of Women’s Player Systems & Development