Head Coach Rob Cain has named 51 players to the USA Women’s XV National Team’s World Cup Performance Squad. The program will hold two 7-week training blocks at the RugbyTown National Training Center before departing for the World Cup in New Zealand at the beginning of August.
The first training block runs from March 13-May 2 and features the bulk of players named to the Performance Squad with consideration for those who have club commitments in the UK and Sevens Residency. At the end of May, the squad will filter down to 40 players who will assemble for a final World Cup Residency from May 31-July 21. The official World Cup team will be selected once Residency concludes.
Upon arrival in New Zealand, all players and staff will complete a mandatory two-week testing and quarantine period. Following this, it is proposed that a group of pre-World Cup fixtures will be played to optimize preparation before pool play begins.
Of the 51 players named, 11 have competed in at least one XVs World Cup while 15 seek their first cap. The Performance Squad also includes 8 USA Sevens players who have the opportunity to compete in both the Olympics and Rugby World Cup.
Head Coach Rob Cain said:
“What a great opportunity to continue the exciting platform from November at our RugbyTown National Training Center. We learned so much in terms of where we are, where we need to be and the time it will take to get there. The World Cup may seem far away but 259 days or 6240 hours is the time we knew we had from January 1.
“The ability to take those fresh learnings and pick back up so soon is a very exciting prospect for the group. This schedule is geared towards enabling the players to perform, meeting the real threat of no domestic rugby or training environments for the past year head-on. New Zealand, England and France having full domestic seasons alongside international fixtures continues to present threats to our own goals.
“We have spent the past 2 years getting to the point where rugby is first but underpinned by physical qualities that are hard to match. We have gone about our business very quietly, adapting to the needs of the group at every opportunity. This hard road was created to allow our rugby, leadership culture and people to continuously evolve; so when we experience real pressure at the World Cup, they can be the points of difference when we need them to. If we weren’t clear about our intentions for New Zealand, our actions speak volumes now.”
To support the Women’s Eagles on their journey to Rugby World Cup 2021, visit allin.usa.rugby.
USA WNT RWC PREP SCHEDULE
Jan-Feb: Remote training
March 13-May 2: Block #1 Training for 51 players in Glendale, CO
May 2-30: Remote training
May 31-July 21: World Cup Residency for 40 players in Glendale, CO
July 22-30: Recovery period, final World Cup Squad selection
Aug 2: Team Departs for New Zealand
Aug 21: Proposed Pre-World Cup matches
SepT 18-Oct 16: Rugby World Cup 2021
USA WNT PERFORMANCE SQUAD
WNT STAFF
Women’s High Performance Director | Emilie Bydwell
Head Coach | Rob Cain
Assistant Coach | Rich Ashfield
Assistant Coach | Jamie Burke
Assistant Coach | Kate Daley
Assistant Coach | Neil Harris
Assistant Coach | Jenny Lui
Team Manager | Louise Stewart
Strength & Conditioning | Sylvia Braaten
Sport Scientist | Conor Sweeney
Performance Analyst | Callum Howells
Team Doctor | Terrence Cronin
Athletic Trainer | Bri Arsenault
COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS
- Players are required to show a negative test before travel, complete an isolation period on the ground in Colorado and show a negative test before training begins
- Players are placed in training groups & pods in accordance to state guidelines
- Team members are required to eliminate all community exposure throughout the daily training environment and sign an agreement committing to this standard
- Symptom screenings are conducted twice daily
- Periodic testing protocol implemented through the 7-week block