Photo: Meredith Nelson, Mean Photography
The USA Rugby Women’s Club 7s National Championship will draw 16 teams from across the country to Blaine, Minn., this weekend, Aug. 12-13. The tournament marks the seventh time that a women’s title will be awarded.
RELATED: Club 7s: Pool A Preview • Club 7s: Pool B Preview • Teams’ Nationals Roster
American Rugby Pro Training Center (ARPTC) is the most successful team in Pool C the last two years, having won the title in 2015 and finishing third (after a 12-7 semifinal loss to eventual champion Scion) in 2016. Like every team in the competition, this year’s squad is different, but the academy shifted focus this summer and has targeted college-age players.
Abby Vestal is the veteran by far, now in her third year with ARPTC, and is co-captaining the squad with Oksana Goretaya of Brown University. Fifteens scrumhalf Olivia Ortiz of Davenport University is fresh off of Women’s Junior All-American (WJAA) tour to Canada and joined by regular-season teammate Hannah Tennant, the consummate flyhalf. Sophie Pyrz (Penn State), Elona Williams (UC Riverside) and Neariah Persinger (Tulsa, Okla.) are notable college-age players and major contributors to their home teams.
ARPTC also values that international element to 7s residency and is bringing two players – Sierra Brown (University of Essex, England) and Madison Gold (B.C., Canada) – to Minnesota.
ARPTC after winning Tornado Alley 7s / Photo courtesy ARPTC
The team is very young – if not the youngest in the competition – but under the direction of coach Laura Cabrera, the academy side was able to repeat as Red River champion. The Little Rock, Ark., team actually locked up the title after three of the four qualifiers. The residents were fortunate to also scrimmage the Chicago Lions – also nationals bound – to sharpen up.
The game drawing the most interest is ARPTC vs. San Diego. The SoCal side is one of two teams (NOVA is the other) to compete in all seven women’s club 7s national championships and has two national titles to its credit. Last year, a three-point loss to ORSU in the Cup quarterfinals relegated the team to the Plate, which San Diego won.
The Pacific South champion brings another solid team to Minnesota. Vets Josie Ziluca – who has also been busy coaching Atlantis in France and Utah – and USA Falcon Tia Blythe are co-captaining the team. The team has its share of elite talent in 7s and 15s Eagles Megan Foster and Kelsi Stockert, as well as college-age talent in Karmin Macedo (Notre Dame College), and UC San Diego highlights Alex Beckett and Teigan MacDonald.
Co-captain Tia Blythe / Photo: Carisa Weaver
San Diego plays a fast, wide, fun brand of 7s, and despite the flow of athletes that come in and out of the jersey every summer, coach Liz Strohecker has perpetuated a familiar style on the pitch. Read more about the coach’s lessons from 2016 and the group she is working with.
Beantown is a relative newcomer to the national 7s scene, having made one other appearance in 2013. But now there is a formalized summer 7s program, which drew big numbers and allowed four Beantown sides to compete at tournaments. Coach Tara Roberts is in charge and she explained that approximately one-third of the roster is senior 15s players and the majority are college-aged players.
Watch for Claire Stingley to set the standard in Minnesota and to be well supported by fellow vets like Morgan Roberts and Kat Phelan. Miranda Wakimoto is a truly fun athlete to watch and she can tease the defense. We’re excited to see Eagle prop Jess Davis on the 7s pitch, as well as Harvard’s Caitlin Weigel, who was in Ottawa, Canada, with the WJAAs and got time at flyhalf.
Photo courtesy Beantown RFC
Beantown got good pushback from Boston and Providence during the New England 7s series. At the regional championship, Beantown finished runner-up to New York, dropping the Atlantic North title match 33-12. But it’s been nearly a month since that game and Beantown’s been honing its execution of the game plan and ramping up fitness.
Atlanta rounds out Pool B. The Harlequins took a break from competitive 7s for a couple years, but in its three appearances at nationals (’11, ’13, ’14) always advanced to the Cup quarterfinals. The team is coached by Life University assistant coach Kevin Corley and finished second to Orlando at the South championship.
“Our goals for the tournament are to improve after each game and start off each game firing on all cylinders,” Corley relayed. “Most importantly have fun and enjoy the experience. We want this to be a positive experience for all the players and play some good rugby.”
Monique Compito / Photo: Meredith Nelson, Mean Photography
Unfortunately, Atlanta is traveling with only nine players and that will make a difference over six games. Monique Compito serves as captain and leads by example. She’s propped up by veterans Keta Sutton – a solid, hard forward – and Maggie Craig, who excels in the tackle.
In terms of players to watch, Corley pointed to Compito, prop Kimberly Knipe and Life University’s Christina Swift.
“She is one of our strongest tacklers and runners and never gives up,” Corley praised Knipe, who also serves as Life University’s strength-and-conditioning coach. “Christina Swift … is our utility player and one of our youngest and is always a threat with ball in hand.”
Atlanta certainly has its work cut out for it but will be looking to shake it up on game day.
POOL C SCHEDULE
(all times Central)
10:40 a.m. ARPTC v Beantown (field 2)
11:00 a.m. San Diego v Atlanta (field 2)
1:40 p.m. ARPTC v Atlanta (stadium)
2:00 p.m. San Diego v Beantown (stadium)
5:00 p.m. ARPTC v San Diego (stadium)
5:00 p.m. Atlanta v Beantown (field 2)
Click here to view the full pool play schedule.
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