First Empire GU all-star team at Can-Ams /// Photo: Kat Ramage •
Slowly but surely, women’s senior all-star 15s teams are returning. They disbanded after the National All-Star Championships were canceled, but unions have come to realize that they still need these teams to help bridge the gap between club and national-level recognition.
The Empire GU is the latest region to rejoin the senior all-star landscape and debuted at Saranac Lake last weekend. It was a group effort led by Empire GU president Ken Pape, who also serves as Rutgers coach and was recently named women’s Big Ten commissioner, and high performance director Pat Moroney.
“One thing I brought to USA Rugby was that we need to bring back these competitions,” Pape said. “USA Rugby is looking at the one percent to fill roles at the national level. They’re seeing the top teams and their players, and they’re not getting exposed to DII or DIII girls that have potential for the national team.
“We could really fill in the blanks there,” Pape added.
The coach saw more then 40 players at tryouts and selected 24 for the inaugural fixture in Saranac Lake. The team ranged from college students to a 40-year-old, and saw seven teams represented. Aside from the two tryouts, Pape and assistant coaches Val Rodgers and Sharon Berger had one Sunday practice to introduce a game plan before heading to upstate New York.
The weekend started well, as tries by Ciara Lehane, Maverick Perez, Kristen Siano (who also kicked three conversions), Jen Jones, Emmarie Etheridge, Nicole Caroll and Angie Tornetto helped Empire to a 41-0 win over Brooklyn. The team followed with a 14-0 loss to DI Beantown, essentially taking the New York City-area team out of the championship bracket.
“Overall, the level was not what I expected. We had one practice – I was very impressed,” Pape praised. “We had two performers who really stood out: Andrea Villanova from New York and fullback Ciara Lehane from the Village Lions.”
It was an especially pleasing moment for Pape, who wants to place the union all-stars into something bigger.
“It’s been my pet project that I’ve been trying to get off the ground the last few years,” Pape said “There are plenty of GU teams out there, just no competition. I want to create an all-star competition; I’m just waiting to hear back [from USA Rugby].”
In the meantime, Pape has discussed the matter with NERFU president Lori Staples, who is currently working out the process. And on August 27 at Rutgers University, Empire will host the Capital All-Stars for an exhibition match. There have been talks of restarting the Midwest’s senior program, and Florida has sent its Women’s High Performance teams to 7s and 15s fixtures. On the other side of the country, a SoCal vs. NorCal senior all-star game occurred before the turn of the New Year. In other words, looks like club rugby wants its all-star teams back.
Empire GU All-Stars • Saranac Lake
1. Amber Chandu – Old Blue / New York
2. Andrea Villanova – Old Blue / New York
3. Sierra Cutler – Village Lions
4. Nicole Carroll – Monmouth
5. Leah Smeltzer – Rochester
6. Mara Friedman – Rutgers
7. Fedora Francois – Brooklyn
8. Kathryn Hussey – Monmouth
9. Rebecca Musumeci – Monmouth
10. Kristen Siano – Old Blue / New York
11. Amanda Fin – Union
12. Maverick Perez – Union
13. Angie Tornetto – Union
14. Emmarie Etheridge – Village Lions
15. Ciara Lehane – Village Lions
Reserves
16. Lekia Hayes – Old Blue / Life Univ.
17. Ashley Allen – Village Lions
18. Precious Cummings – New York
19. Marianna Fleming – Monmouth
20. Sian Parker – Rutgers
21. Felicia Vargas – Monmouth
22. Alex Rumsey – Monmouth
23. Jen Jones – Monmouth
24. Catherine Goldstein – Rutgers
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