Life West’s Ally Day / Photo: Wyland Luke
The USA Rugby Women’s Club 7s National Championship will be contested this weekend, Aug. 12-13. Sixteen teams are traveling to Blaine, Minn., and will treat an elite facility – the National Sports Center – to an elite competition.
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POOL A contains the reigning national champion, but Scion Rugby Academy looks much different from the 2016 title-winning the squad. Five players are in Ireland competing at the Women’s Rugby World Cup: Italy try-scorers Kimber Rozier and Abby Gustaitis, Italy Player of the Match Sara Parsons, resident Eagles correspondent Sam Pankey and Stacey Bridges.
The Sirens have retained 2016 MVP Saskia Morgan, who has spectacular speed and never-say-die defense. Sevens Eagle Dana Meschisi is also very dangerous with ball in hand, and vets Emily Fulbrook and Lauren Rhode, who has worn a slew of jerseys (San Diego, Berkeley, New York, ARPTC) over the years, inject good experience. And Aruka Queens’ Asuka Kuge (Japan) keeps Scion’s tradition of bringing in internationals alive.
Photo: Colleen McCloskey
Keep an eye on Jade McGrath, whom coach Joanne Liu singled out as a player to watch. Dartmouth’s Camille Johnson and Quinnipiac’s Maggie Myles will be representing some of the top collegiate talent as well.
The game to watch will be Scion vs. Life West, which enters the tournament as the Pacific North’s no. 2 seed. After winning the DI club national title in early June, the Gladiatrix took the rest of the month to recoup for the 7s season. That’s a lot of pressure – to be nationals-ready in six weeks – but Life West was already starting to hit form when it traveled to Tacoma, Wash., for the regional championship.
READ MORE ABOUT LIFE WEST’S SUMMER BUILD-UP
Life West’s Jess Lewis / Photo: Wyland Luke
Life West 7s coach Adriaan Ferris praised the leadership of Jenn Sever and Nikki Kenyon, who have served as co-captains, and relished the return of Elizabeth Cairns, who brings feistiness to the breakdown. Amy Naber, Hali Deters, Angelina Lomu are all dangerous ballcarriers, and the squad is lifted by summer-only, college-aged players Ally Day and Emily Roskopf.
The Glendale Merlins have been present at nationals under different banners, but this year’s team is led by coach Mose Timoteo and Sam Enari. The team typically struggles for competition in the Rocky Mountain region, but this summer’s schedule was even more sparse when the Denver 7s canceled its women’s division. The team traveled north to the Roy Lucas 7s for some cross-regional play, and that trip was very beneficial in terms of a status check.
“The team is pretty young but is certainly not lacking in competitive experience or skill level. Most have played on a large stage in college or club, so the setting won’t be intimidating,” Merlins assistant coach Enari pointed toward WPL and standout Division I players as well as talented college-aged athletes.
“We are fast, dynamic, and exciting,” the coach continued. “From 1 to 12, every player has the ability to break any game wide open. Expect big performances out of Kemi Adewunmi and [Melissa] Polheber up front; electricity and magic from Jess Dombrowski; Kelsie O’Brien pulling the strings; and truly national-caliber play from Kristine Peterson and captain Alli Hale – these two are going to turn heads.”
Enari, who will miss nationals due to his wedding day, is fully confident in the squad and the work the players have put in.
“We will have to be on our game [from] moment one, but we are ready for all challengers,” Enari concluded. “We have trained, we have learned, we have prepared, now it is up to the girls to get the job done.”
Photo courtesy Tempe Women’s Rugby
Tempe is the youngest team in Pool A, having debuted at 7s nationals last year. 2016 was a tough outing for the Ninjas, but now 7s coaches Daniela Mogro and Allison Price know what to expect and can prep the team accordingly. The Pacific South runner-up has returned three players from last year – captain Elena Clark, Lindsey Mahoney and Kanausha Thompson – and so a whole new class of Tempe players will experience high-level 7s in Minnesota.
2017 has been a good year for Arizona women’s teams, as club and collegiate programs were represented in regional playoffs, and a girls’ high school 7s league took flight. Watch for Natasha Opuku, who helped new DII program Grand Canyon University to a third-place finish at the spring championship. She was a very effective finisher for the Antelopes, which Mogro and Price also coach.
For more information, visit www.usaclub7s.com.
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