USA RUGBY – USA Rugby Women’s National Team (WNT) Interim Head Coach Rich Ashfield announced the traveling roster for the second leg of the 2023 Pacific Four Series. Australia, Canada and New Zealand will be joining the Eagles in Ottawa, Canada, for July fixtures.
Thirty players have been selected for the Pacific Four Series in Canada, where the USA will play Australia (July 8) and New Zealand (July 14) in the final two rounds. On the line is a spot in the WXV Tier 1 competition, which will go to the top-3 teams in the series (the 4th-place team will compete in Tier 2). In April, the USA lost 50-17 to Canada in Spain.
Kate Zackary will captain the squad and will be fresh off the Allianz Premier 15s championship on June 24 (along with fellow Exeter Chiefs Hope Rogers, Rachel Johnson and Charli Jacoby). The majority (16) of the touring squad plays its regular rugby in the U.K., and another six are staying sharp in the Women’s Premier League, which heads into its final round of play prior to the summer break. Summer Harris-Jones and Joanne Fa’avesi represent USA 7s residents.
Joanne Fa’avesi / Photo: Alex Ho @hoiho_photo
“We’re also happy to add Hallie Taufoou, Jennine Detiveaux, and Joanne Fa’avesi back into the mix,” Ashfield contrasted the Canada-bound squad with the team that competed in Spain. “Their experience and leadership will really help the squad both on and off the field with a busy year ahead.”
Five tour-goers are coming right off the USA U23 tour to South America (^), and three are looking for their first caps (*), including U23s Taina Tukuafu and Freda Tafuna.
“We saw some great tenacity in the U23 tour to Brazil,” Ashfield said. “Taina [Tukuafu] and Freda [Tafuna] had great years at the collegiate level and stood out with the U23 in Brazil so we’re confident they can progress nicely onto the senior side. Erica Jarrell has been around the squad for a couple of years now and has really stood out this year with Beantown in the WPL so we’re looking forward to seeing how she can support the team.”
Kristin Bitter on the U23 tour / Photo: Brasil Rugby
7.2 Update: Hope Rogers and Emily Henrich have sustained injuries that have eliminated them from Pacific Four play. Mona Tupou and Meya Bizer have been called up from the camp squad to replace them.
PACIFIC FOUR SERIES SQUAD
Tiara A’au – New York
Evelyn Ashenbrucker – Berkeley
Catherine Benson – Sale (Eng)
Kristin Bitter – Dartmouth College^
Tahlia Brody – Cheltenham (Eng)
Lotte Clapp – Saracens (Eng)
Jennine Detiveaux – Knoxville
Rachel Ehrecke – DMP Sharks (Eng)
Joanne Fa’avesi – USA Sevens
Tess Feury – DMP Sharks (Eng)
Summer Harris-Jones – USA Sevens
Eti Haungatau – Sale (Eng)
McKenzie Hawkins – Colorado Gray Wolves
Jett Hayward – Life West
Emily Henrich – Dartmouth College^
Charli Jacoby – Exeter (Eng)
Erica Jarrell – Beantown*
Rachel Johnson – Exeter (Eng)
Bulou Mataitoga – Loughborough (Eng)
Olivia Ortiz – DMP Sharks (Eng)
Georgie Perris-Redding – Sale (Eng)
Hope Rogers – Exeter (Eng)
Keia Mae Sagapolu – Central Washington Univ.^
Paluvava’u Freda Tafuna – Lindenwood Univ.*^
Hallie Taufoou – Beantown
Kathryn Treder – DMP Sharks (Eng)
Taina Tukuafu – Lindenwood Univ.*^
Alycia Washington – Sale (Eng)
Carly Waters – Sale (Eng)
Kate Zackary (C) – Exeter (Eng)
^ USA U23 tour to Brazil
* Uncapped
The WNT will have the benefit of a pre-tour camp in Canada, and another 17 players are being invited to Ottawa to provide some competition and momentum.
“We are doing things a little differently,” Ashfield said. “We hope this will help us build some momentum for what will be sure to be tough games against Australia and New Zealand.”
The 17 prep campers range from Rugby World Cup Eagles, to rising collegiate freshmen Olivia and Reece Woods. Eight of the attendees (^) are also coming off the U23 Americas Rugby Trophy.
The Woods sisters in Brazil
PREP CAMP ATTENDEES
Su Adegoke – Life Univ. ^
Emerson Allen – Railway Union (Ire) ^
Kapoina Bailey – Lindenwood Univ. ^
Olivia Bernadel-Huey – Berkeley
Meya Bizer – DMP Sharks (Eng)
Yeja Dunn – Beantown
Nicole James – Sale (Eng)
Jenny Kronish – Harlequins (Eng)
Tiahna Padilla – Harvard Univ.^
India Perris-Redding – Sale (Eng)
Sophia Pyrz – Rhinos
Sadie Schier – Dartmouth College^
Paige Stathopoulos – Beantown
Monalisa Tupou – EPA Lady Razorbacks^
Caitlin Weigel – Colorado Gray Wolves
Olivia Woods – Eagle High School (Idaho)^
Reece Woods – Eagle High School (Idaho)^
USA Women’s Eagles Traveling Staff
Interim Head Coach | Richard Ashfield
Assistant Coach | Katie Dowty
Assistant Coach | Kate Daley
Strength & Conditioning | Sylvia Braaten
Head Athletic Trainer | Katherine Henry
Athletic Trainer | Ken Look
Analyst | Caitlin Singletary
Team Doctor | Chau Bui
Team Doctor | Rachel Sachs-Bourne
Team Manager | Tim Westwood
Team Manager | Tiffany Lopez
Assistant Coach/Consultant | Mouritz Botha
2023 Pacific Four Series Schedule
April 1, 2023
v. Canada | 17-50 (L)
Location: Madrid, Spain
July 8, 2023
v. Australia | 4:00pm ET
Location: Ottawa, Canada
July 14, 2023
v. New Zealand | 4:00pm ET
Location: Ottawa, Canada