Cassidy Bargell during the LVI /// Photo: Erin Scott-Williams
The USA Falcons ended its Vancouver 7s campaign 4-3, finishing behind the Maple Leafs and South Africa Selects, and defeating Stars 20-0 inside BC Place Stadium for third. The tournament marked the Falcons’ second elite event in as many weeks, and coach Emilie Bydwell lauded the value of these playing opportunities.
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“Having events like this is critical. It’s something we can’t underestimate or undervalue,” Bydwell told This is American Rugby’s Curtis Reed after the third-place match. “The [HSBC Women’s] World Series is so much pressure. There’s pressure from the sense that we have to be in the top eight to continue in the World Series, so to have events where we can take risks and take a few younger players – play younger players and not just have them sit on the bench – it’s invaluable. I just feel … lucky to be able to have the resource and funding to be able to do this, because we’ve got players here that are definitely going to be – I think – in Tokyo and they need these experiences.”
Players like Bulou Mataitoga, Nicole Strasko, Kelsi Stockert (who scored three of the four tries in the third-place match) Megan Foster and Sarah Buonopane are all new 7s players this cycle. They’re all capped and have played on the World Series, but the Falcons offer much more time to acquaint themselves with the international level of play.
“It’s just being able to have them come and play, and being confident with just a little less of that pressure you get on the World Series, and more minutes,” Bydwell said. “It really allows them to come into themselves and find their identity at this level.”
For players like Buonopane, who isn’t a Chula Vista resident, the international fixtures are especially valuable.
“She’s been a stalwart now for the Falcons these past two tournaments. She put in a lot of minutes,” Bydwell added. “Because if you go on the World Series you might only play 2-5 minutes the whole tournament so we need events like this [or] we won’t know how players can blossom and evolve.”
Buonopane jumping during the LVI. /// Photo: Jackie Finlan
The competition is the other component of evaluating players, and the USA Falcons were able to play the Maple Leafs and South Africa Selects twice. Both of those sides fielded World Series players, and with the Stars, all four teams played inside a packed BC Place Stadium during the men’s World Series’ Canada 7s.
“We’ve got four teenagers on the field,” Bydwell said of Cassidy Bargell (Summit High School), Maryjane Pasioles (SacPal Amazons), Mata Hingano (Life West) and Sui A’au (Central Washington). “You can’t replicate this anywhere else. So the fact that we could come to this tournament, replicate what it’s like to play on the World Series real time, and have them have a performance like they had in the [third place match], I just feel really lucky that we were able to come and do this.”
Bargell and Serevi played with the Falcons in Las Vegas, while A’au and Hingano teamed up with the Atavus All-Stars in the LVI Women’s Elite division.
“The last two weeks, the last two tournaments, Cassidy Bargell has been incredible,” Bydwell said of the 7s scrumhalf. “She’s 17 years old. She’s never played adult rugby before Las Vegas. And she came in … and played one of the most difficult positions on the field. She played it confidently and she dominated it. We’re just lucky to have found her when she was 16, being able to get her into the High School All-American program early, and now into the Falcons. If we didn’t have a Falcons opportunity, we wouldn’t know that she could go on the World Series and play. But we know that now.”
The USA Falcons don’t have any more fixtures on the 2017 schedule, as opportunities are a function of sponsorship and resources. There are some U18 events to come – like the Tropical 7s in Florida and European U18 championship in September. Those events will allow young players on the radar – Bargell, Lilly Durbin, Julia Riekena, etc. – to develop at their own age group, which is also very important.
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