Zackary, Benson, Augustyn / Max Haynes photo (mxfotos.com)
Read the full article below or the original on USA Rugby’s website. Immediately below are the 38 players selected to the 2019 Performance Squad:
Sui A’au – Central Washington University
Tiana A’au – Central Washington University
Tiara A’au – Central Washington University
Katy Augustyn – Berkeley All Blues
Bui Baravilala – San Diego Surfers
Catie Benson – Life West Gladiatrix
Stacey Bridges – Beantown
Kaitlyn Broughton – Atlanta Harlequins
Elizabeth Cairns – Life West Gladiatrix
Gabby Cantorna – Glendale Merlins
Jennine Devereaux – Seattle Saracens
Megan Foster – San Diego Surfers
Misha Green – New York Rugby
McKenzie Hawkins – Lindenwood University
Emily Henrich – Dartmouth College
Evan Hoese – Berkeley All Blues
Katana Howard – Twin Cities Amazons
Nick James – Houston Athletic
Bailey Johnson – Twin Cities Amazons
Katie Johnson – Twin Cities Amazons
Rachel Johnson – Oregon Sports Union
Joanna Kitlinski – Glendale Merlins
Cortney Kuehl – Atlanta Harlequins
Bulou Mataitoga – Berkeley All Blues
Azniv Nalbandian – Penn State University
Mary Jane Pasioles – Central Washington University
Christiane Pheil – Atlanta Harlequins
Kat Ramage – Dartmouth College
Megan Rom – Life University
Kimber Rozier – Beantown Rugby
Kristine Sommer – Harlequins (ENG) / Seattle Saracens
Kelsi Stockert – Unattached
McKenna Strong – Lindenwood University
Finau Tamaivena – Seattle Saracens
Joyce Taufa – Lindenwood University
Alycia Washington – New York Rugby
Carly Waters – New York Rugby
Kate Zackary (C) – San Diego Surfers
CHULA VISTA, CA – Thirty-eight athletes have been named to the new Women’s Eagles (15s) 2019 Performance Squad, USA Rugby announced today.
The Performance Squad serves as the top tier of a new player pool structure, to be announced at the beginning of each year and remain equivalent in status across both the Women’s and Men’s Eagles (15s) sides. Both programs will include an Extended Squad within their player pool — which sits junior to the top tier — while the Women’s National Team will also have a third tier called the Watchlist.
Players who sit in the Women’s Extended Squad and Watchlist represent athletes who show potential to reach the main Performance tier over time. Each of the three groups within the player pool will receive attention and support from Women’s High Performance with accountability and resources most heavily attributed to the top Performance tier.
Additionally, to give athletes more opportunities to compete internationally, Women’s High Performance will integrate its sevens and fifteens programs by allowing Women’s Sevens players a chance to be selected for fifteens competitions. Athletes in the Women’s Sevens Residency Program will be considered an extension of the Women’s Eagles Performance Squad, with the goal of helping players cross into the fifteens program earlier in the 2021 World Cup cycle.
As a core piece in the new Road to 2021 Campaign for the Women’s National Team, the tiered structure provides athletes with much-needed transparency on where they stand within the larger setup of the program.
The Women’s Eagles 2019 Performance Squad features 21 forwards and 17 backs with 10 players still seeking their first cap.
General Manager for Women’s High Performance, Emilie Bydwell said: “Rob and staff have worked hard to create the necessary depth charts for the Women’s 15s program at the senior and age-grade levels. These have allowed us to form critical tiers within our playing group and better understand what our current playing group looks like now, versus what it could look like in two and a half years at Rugby World Cup. Announcing and supporting a Performance Squad annually will increase transparency, clarity and inter-competition allow us to best maximize our support structures and resources. Having a clear vision on how each tier of our senior player pool, age-grade groups and sevens residents interact, operate and continue to develop is critical. Developing a fully functional ecosystem that encompasses all of these layers has been a real priority for us.”
Women’s Eagles Head Coach Rob Cain said: “This announcement shows exciting times for the Women’s 15s Program with many more announcements to follow. This continues to show our determination in demonstrating how clear, transparent and supportive we are with our approach as a program. Through our tiered player pools and yearly calendar, we give everyone an equal opportunity with lots of platforms to pursue their dream of being an Eagle.
This inner competition and accountability will really allow the players to not only drive their playing ambitions but also keep everything contextual; allowing them to showcase themselves on a regular basis in the environment we create.”
For more information about the Women’s National Team’s Road to 2021 Campaign, visit usarug.by/W15to2021.
To support the Women’s Eagles in their endeavor to represent the United States at Rugby World Cup New Zealand 2021, click here.
General Manager of Women’s HP | Emilie BydwellHead Coach | Rob CainAssistant Coach | Richard AshfieldAssistant Coach | Kate DaleyAssistant Coach | Jamie Burke Assistant Coach & Athlete Mentor | Jenny LuiHead of Physical Performance | Ian JonesHead Performance Analyst | David GardnerHead Athletic Trainer | Bri Sparks Assistant Athletic Trainer | Katherine HenryTeam Doctor | Terrence CroninWomen’s HP Operations Manager | Liz Strohecker