Photo: Jackie Finlan
GREELEY, CO – USA Rugby will host Women’s All-Star Week, a two-part competition taking place August 1st and 3rd Greeley, Colo., featuring teams from the Women’s Premier League (East and West), Division I and Division II All-Stars, as well as the Collegiate All-Americans.
Each team will play two matches, one on each day, with a finalized schedule and broadcast details to be announced at a later stage.
The competition serves primarily as a pathway initiative by Women’s High Performance, as part of a commitment to create more inclusive opportunities for talent to be identified and verified across all levels of the game. By bringing together four teams for a centralized “club plus” competition, All Star Week provides an accessible forum for collegiate and senior club players to be assessed by national team staff, especially in those who don’t regularly compete in National Championship events.
All Star Week will function as an opportunity window for players to be considered for the senior Women’s Eagles player pool and upcoming November series. The competition will also offer valuable competitive playing time for current pool players who were not included in the Women’s Rugby Super Series earlier in July.
While USA Rugby’s age-grade programs and the Women’s Premier League serve as two primary routes to the senior national team, Women’s High Performance recognizes the importance of creating multiple entry points into the pathway so all players across the wider women’s game have a chance to vie for selection.
Women’s Premier League Director of Marketing, Alicia Goldberg said: “The WPL is excited about this year’s All Star Week, it feels like a natural expansion to continue to include more and more opportunities for players to get high performance experience and national team exposure. We can’t wait to see our 2019 WPL East and West All-Star teams assembled in Greeley and are looking forward to sharing the experience with the All-Americans and the Division I and Division II All Stars.”
USA Rugby General Manager for Women’s High Performance, Emilie Bydwell said: “The All Star Week initiative is a hugely important part of our Senior team schedule. With an increase in scheduled test matches and training camp opportunities to support our National team’s preparation, this event will serve as a critical checkpoint to verify currently identified talent, assess emerging talent and provide an additional layer for coach support and development. These games should represent the highest quality of rugby played domestically in the United States, providing an excellent platform for players to compete and express themselves.”
Broadcast information for the Women’s Rugby All-Star Week will be confirmed at a later stage. Updates will be communicated across USA Rugby’s digital and social media channels. Attendance will be free to all fans.