Photo: Jackie Finlan
The Lupus Intus Elite Women’s 7s Tournament occurs this weekend and brings National Development Academies, proven select sides, and national team selectors together at Dartmouth College. Five teams will be competing during the two-day event, while USA Women’s 7s coach Richie Walker considers his player pool.
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The Northeast Academy is hosting the event, and coaches Ryszard Chadwick and John McGeachy have assembled a squad that pulls from the New York and Boston areas. Captain Lisa Roselin is one of seven academy members who featured in the club 7s national championship, where she led New York to a Plate championship. Beantown also competed in Minnesota and has two reps in Miranda Wakimoto and Hannah Mackay.
The event allows members of Old Blue and Boston, which didn’t feature at nationals, to get in front of national selectors. Sevens Eagle Sarah Buonopane is the most recognizable of Old Blue’s reps, and she is joined by former All-Americans Nikki Richardson and Gio Cruz, and Sacred Heart assistant coach Jenn Salomon.
NORTHEAST ACADEMY
Tahlia Brody – New York
Sarah Buonopane – Old Blue
Gio Cruz – Old Blue
Hannah Mackay – Beantown
Emily Magee – New York
Deanna Nash – Boston
Nikki Richardson – Old Blue
Shamira Robles – New York
Lisa Roselin (c) – New York
Jenn Salomon – Old Blue
Kristen Siano – New York
Miranda Wakimoto – Beantown
Coaches: Ryszard Chadwick, John McGeachy
Life West’s Adriaan Ferris and American Rugby Pro Training Center’s (ARPTC) Julie McCoy are leading the Tiger Cubs, which is pulling from their respective teams as well as the Chicago Lions. All three entities featured at club 7s nationals, and 10 of 12 players competed in Minnesota three weeks ago.
Chicago Lions’ Ordway – a Tiger Cub – against ARPTC / Photo: Amy Kish
The Chicago Lions have sent three of its high scorers in All-American Danielle Ordway, Devon Gold and Rose DiBalsamo, and Life West has added three impactful playmakers in Amy Naber, Jenn Sever and Nikki Kenyon. Nicole Strasko is listed with Life West, and per Ferris, the 7s and 15s Eagle will enroll as a student next quarter.
ARPTC has sent five players, including nationals captain Abby Vestal, try-scoring machine Neariah Persinger, Eagle Ashley Perry, Life University grad Christina Swift and Hallie Taufoou, who plays her regular season ball with Utah State and was a memorable flyhalf in Minnesota.
TIGER CUBS
Rose DiBalsamo – Chicago Lions
Devon Gold – Chicago Lions
Nikki Kenyon – Life West
Amy Naber – Life West
Danielle Ordway – Chicago Lions
Hallie Taufoou – ARPTC
Neariah Persinger – ARPTC
Jennifer Sever – Life West
Nicole Strasko – Life West
Christina Swift – ARPTC
Abby Vestal – ARPTC
Ashley Perry – ARPTC
Coaches: Jules McCoy (ARPTC), Adriaan Ferris (Life West)
Stars director Liz Entwhistle is teaming up with coaches Mere Baker, a former Black Fern who helped launch Hawks Rugby Academy in Norman, Okla., and Jon Grasso (Ithaca, N.Y.), and brings a 10-player squad to New Hampshire. The roster pulls from nine different 7s teams and will lean on Stars veterans Tanya Fletcher of DI Raleigh, former All-American Grace Hovde of DI Wisconsin, and Callie Woods of the Columbia Bombshells.
Raleigh’s Fletcher repping Capital All-Stars vs. Stars earlier this year. / Photo: Colleen McCloskey
“Our roster is fairly new as many of our veteran players have moved on to the academies and respective national teams,” Entwhistle explained. “With this being a talent ID and development tournament, our average age is close to 22.”
On the very young end of that spectrum is Girls’ High School All-American Grace Estes. The 17-year-old high school senior has received a special waiver to compete at the senior elite level, and spent the summer helping the Iowa Hawkettes to another successful 7s season.
The west has its representatives in Tempe duo Lindsey Mahoney and Julian White, both of whom featured at nationals. Lauren Ebeling will face her Chicago Lions teammates during competition and is joined by Chicago Griffins’ Miranda Rodriquez, one of three Midwest players overall. Emilie Flanagan will also be facing down fellow Old Blue teammates as a member of Stars.
STARS
Lauren Ebeling – Chicago Lions
Grace Estes – Iowa Hawkettes
Emilie Flanagan – Old Blue
T Fletcher – Raleigh
Grace Hovde – Wisconsin
Lindsey Mahoney – Tempe
Miranda Rodriguez – Chicago Griffins
Leigh Ward – UNC Wilmington
Julian White – Tempe
Callie Woods – Columbia Bombshells
Coaches: Mere Baker (Norman, Okla.), Jon Grasso (Ithaca, N.Y.), Liz Entwhistle (Director, Chicago)
After this article was published, Atavus and Armed Forces released their rosters. Click here to view the military team’s breakdown, and see below for Atavus:
