Similar to the previous two years, TRB is collating information (interest forms, tryouts, games, etc.) for U23 programs that are funneling toward the U23 National All-Star Championship (June 28-30 @ New England Free Jacks Stadium in Quincy, Mass). The tournament is a selection venue for the U23 national team, an important age grade regarding individuals for the senior Eagles.
The exact slate of teams competing in the national all-star tournament has not been publicized, so the following reflects only that information that is known. [At this point, April 8, only the Central South Mustangs are missing from this piece.] This post will continually update as new information is discovered, so please feel free to send additions/corrections to Jackie Finlan.
MID-ATLANTIC
For players that live or go to school in PA, MD, VA, DE, DC and WV
Contacts:
Head coach: Kat Aversano, katherine.aversano@gmail.com
Coach: Kate Daley, kathleen.m.daley@gmail.com
MIDWEST
Eight state-based teams will compete in the Midwest Coaches Challenge on May 17-19 in Oshkosh, Wis. There, Thunderbird coaches Xane Gerasimo and Meghan Flanigan will identify talent and invite individuals to the Midwest U23 team, which competes at nationals.
The following is information for the eight state-based U23 teams:
ALLEGHENY
Indicate interest and/or register for Sunday, April 21 tryout HERE.
Contact: Kiyomi Knox, kiyomiknox@gmail.com
Head coach: Mike Geibel, mbgeibel@gmail.com
TRYOUT
Sunday, April 21, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
@ Pittsburgh, Field location TBA
$5 per player, Venmo to @Mike-Geibel
Lunch will be provided
ILLINOIS
Contact: Head coach Betty Nguyen
betty.nguyen25@gmail.com
Registration: Link
TRYOUTS – location TBD
Sunday, March 24
Sunday, April 7
PRACTICES, if selected – location TBD
Sunday, April 14
Sunday, April 21
Sunday, May 5
INDIANA
Contact: Head coach TBD. Contact Xane Gerasimo in interim
IOWA
Contact: Head coach Meghan Flanigan, Univ Northern Iowa
flanigan.meghan@gmail.com
Interest form: Link
Tryout: March 23, 9:30 a.m. -1 p.m.
@ Iowa City or Cedar Falls – to be confirmed
Tryout: Sunday, April 14, 1-3 p.m.
@ Iowa City, IA
MICHIGAN
Contact: Head coach Jamie Frech
jamiefrech@gmail.com
Interest form: Link
The Mastodons are gathering interest now and will select a few dates and locations in March for tryouts. After selections, the team will have 2-3 practices before the Coaches Challenge.
MINNESOTA
Contact: Mikayla Miller, Univ. Minnesota
mill3998@umn.edu, 651-307-5944
Subscribe for tryouts: Link
There are two tryouts for college and club players in good standing with the Minnesota Rugby Union, and a third tryout is TBD (the hope is for a far-northwest location):
TRYOUT #1
Saturday, Feb. 17 • 1:30-3:30 p.m.
@ University of Minnesota Recreation and Wellness Center – Field House Turf (Minneapolis, MN)
TRYOUT #2
Sunday, March 24 • 7-9 a.m.
@ Irish Sports Dome (Rosemount, MN)
TRYOUT #3
Date & Location TBA
OHIO
Contacts
Coach: Vanessa Marsh
marsh.vj@gmail.com
Coach: Izzi Gibbon
513-667-0826 • izzigibbon@gmail.com
SOUTH TRYOUT
Sunday, April 7 • 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Dayton Area Rugby Club
620 Shiloh Dr., Dayton, OH 45415
NORTH TRYOUT
Monday, April 8 • 5-6:30 p.m.
Notre Dame College
4545 College Rd., South Euclid, OH 44121
WISCONSIN
Contact: Head coach Xane Gerasimo
xanthi.gerasimo@gmail.com
NEW ENGLAND
The New England Free Jacks Academy is the regional all-star program for the Women’s U23s (“Independents”).
Staff: Olivia Benzan-Daniel, Stacey Markovic, Sarah Harkness, Bridget Kahele, Jenn Jordan
Subscribe here for the April 14 tryouts, and then check out the Open Training dates below.
ACADEMY TRIALS
Sunday, April 14, 3-5 p.m.
Veterans Memorial Stadium
850 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02169
Registration Link
OPEN TRAINING DATES
Veterans Memorial Stadium, Welch Field
All sessions 1-3 p.m.
Saturday, May 4
Saturday, May 12
Sunday, May 19
PACIFIC COAST
The Pacific Northwest and NorCal feed into the Pacific Coast Grizzlies. They have their own camps, and then will send their representative teams to the Bay Area on Saturday, June 8 for a Grizzlies selection match. The game will be a curtain-raiser for the WPL Berkeley vs. TC Amazons match.
NORCAL
Contact: DM via Instagram
Training Camp #1
Sunday, Feb. 18, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
@ San Jose
Training Camp #2
Sunday, March 17, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
@ St. Mary’s College, Moraga, Calif.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
PNW Selects held two, free, regional development camps (Feb. 25 in Washington & March 17 in Oregon) that were open to HS, U23 and senior players and led by USA Rugby Women’s High Performance personnel. Those selection venues led to the following roster, which travels to NorCal on June 8:
GRIZZLIES SELECTION MATCH
Saturday, June 8 @ Bay Area
Curtain-raiser for Berkeley v TC Amazons
PACIFIC SOUTH
There will be a series of tryouts to cover the SoCal and Southwest regions. Initial information is coming out of the Pacific Desert conference’s Instagram @pacdesert_rugbyconference, so refer to that page for more info.
ARIZONA TRYOUT
Sunday, April 7, 9-11 a.m.
@ Grand Canyon Univ., Phoenix
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
This region covers Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. The main info source is @rockymountainpeaks on Instagram.
ALL-STAR TRYOUT
May 24-25 @ Utah Valley Univ.
Registration Link
SOUTH
The South Reapers represent players from ages 18-23 who live or go to school in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee or Kentucky. Visit the program’s Instagram page, @u23southregionalrugby for more info.
Head coach & main contact: Lisa Jackson, usarugbyu23south@gmail.com
Express your interest via this registration form and not that personal rugby footage must be submitted by Wednesday, April 10.
TO BE CONFIRMED
Read last year’s summary for more info on the following programs:
Central South Mustangs