Scion after its 7s qualifier win on June 24
Scion Rugby Academy leads the women’s Mid-Atlantic club 7s standings after one qualifier and added a Cape Fear 7s title to its accomplishments last weekend. The Women’s Elite division in North Carolina was arguably the most talented field that has assembled so far this summer, and the reigning club 7s national champion was tested en route to the trophy.
“With limited time to train and play together before Cape Fear, given a late start to our season, Toshi [Palamo] and I could not have been happier with the progress the girls showed with every game,” Scion founder and coach Joanne Liu praised. “Cape Fear is always competitive and a great beginning-of-season test for us, and this year was not different. Any of the top-four teams there could have won the whole thing, and given some of the athletes I saw on the field on the social side as well, it would have been interesting to see how they would match up against the elite teams, especially a team like Raleigh who brought a full roster of athletes.”
Scion defeated Stars 29-0, Ohio’s 1823 17-5 and local rival NOVA 12-7 during pool play. ARPTC, last year’s tournament winner, went 3-0 as well, defeating the Atlanta Harlequins 22-10, Team Pretty 32-0 and D.C. Furies 29-7 on day one. The teams were reseeded for the knockouts. Scion advanced to the final after defeating the D.C. Furies 31-0 and then 1823 19-7 in the semifinals. NOVA triumphed over Team Pretty 52-0 and then ARPTC 21-15 in the semis.
“As we know all too well from playing them weekly, NOVA gives us top competition and a close game every time we play them,” Liu reflected on the 19-12 final win. “Though it takes quite a bit of time and investment to make it to Cape Fear on a holiday weekend, it is one of the only two-day tournaments prior to nationals that provides us with elite competition, so we appreciate the invitation annually. Of course it’s all the sweeter when we also win, but honestly that last game was just playing great rugby, including having Leah Berard, the best female referee the U.S. has to offer. The Cape Fear 7s tournament committee clearly goes through a lot of effort to bring in the best for this tournament and it does not go unnoticed.”
Liu was impressed with the skill level of 1823 and lamented not facing ARPTC, which has shifted focus to collegians this summer. Scion also has a healthy contingent of college-aged players, and they’re guided by veteran returners Kiki Morgan and Emily Fulbrook. Dana Meschisi and Lauren Rhode are in the D.C. area for the summer, and this quartet helps fill the absence of six players who are in San Diego with the World Cup 15s player pool. On the opposite end of the age spectrum is rising collegiate freshman Makayla Lowe from McMinn High School in Tennessee. She’s heading to Life University in the fall.
“A player to look out for this summer, given the improvement she has shown already, is Jade McGrath from Boston College,” Liu commended. “[She] was a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball this weekend.”
Also bolstering the squad is flyhalf Asuka Kuge of Japan’s Aruka Queens. She is one of several international athletes who have represented Scion and joins alumni Lauren Cattell of England and Niamh Byrne, who just signed a professional 7s contract with Ireland.
“This should be an interesting/exciting season with different rosters for us every week [as] we test out new combinations,” Liu concluded.
Scion will now rejoin the Mid-Atlantic 7s series, which will name its three representatives to the women’s national championship via cumulative standings points. There are four qualifiers this summer, and this Saturday’s tournament in Richmond, Va., marks the second stop. The Mid-Atlantic will know its nationals’ reps on July 22.
Scion Rugby Academy @ Cape Fear 7s
Emily Fulbrook
Megan Gilmore
Katherine Hobbs
Asuka Kuge
Makayla Lowe
Katie Lutton
Jade McGrath
Dana Meschisi – Captain
Hannah Moran
Kiki Morgan – Captain
Olivia Rasp
Daz Williams
ScionRugbyAcademy #CapeFear