eagles.rugby — From their opening win against Canada, the USA Women’s Eagles Sevens delivered an inspiring performance at Sports Illustrated Stadium (Harrison, N.J.), site of the HSBC NYC SVNS, this past weekend. Going 3-2 overall, the Eagles took home a second-straight bronze medal and finished 3rd overall in the series standings. Now, the HSBC SVNS World Championship circuit will commence. [lead photo: Alex Ho @hoiho_photo]

The USA beat Canada and Japan comfortably during Saturday’s pool play and then battled Australia to a competitive loss. The Eagles also threatened New Zealand in Sunday’s Cup semifinal but ultimately lost before beating Fiji in the 3rd place match. The bronze follows on the heels of the team’s first series medal in Vancouver, Canada.

 

Proud of the team and their continued progression throughout the series, head coach Emilie Bydwell commented:

“It’s been an awesome two weeks. We came into this block, knowing that we were going to have to level up, particularly on day two. We fell short in three bronze medal games, before we hit these two weeks, and we really focused on stepping it up.”

“The players responded so well to what we were asking them to do, and just empowered each other and believed in each other and lived our values. I’m really proud of them. 
The thing is though, as happy as we are to win a medal at home, it’s what we said we wanted to do, and we’ve done it. I think we all – at least I have a little feeling in my stomach knowing that there’s so much more for this team, and we just have to trust the process and keep going, because we’re two and a half years away from where we’re trying to get to (LA28), and right now, the girls are exactly where they’re supposed to be.”

 

Opening against Canada for the second time this series, the Eagles delivered a commanding performance from the start. Ariana Ramsey set the tone with a breakaway try through the middle of the pitch, and the defense did well to repel a Canadian surge at the line. Captain Kristi Kirshe scored the important first try of the second half, and then Ramsey and  Sammy Sullivan followed with a fourth team score. Ashley Cowdrey and Sariah Ibarra, who are both such great playmakers in the middle of the pitch, added a conversion apiece.

Keeping the momentum going into match number 2 against Japan, the USA Women’s Eagles posted a second-straight shutout. Kirshe scored the first two tries to get the offense rolling. Tahna Wilfley forced a turnover and ball moved to Sariah Ibarra for a third try into the break. Sullivan opened the second half with a score followed by two successive groundings from Kaylen Thomas. Hann Humphries ran the ball down offloading to Ramsey to dot down under the posts for the USA’s 47-0 win.

 

With 71 points scored and 0 conceded the USA Women’s Eagles faced Australia for their third and final pool match of the day.

USA went point for point with Australia, dotting down two Ramsey tries and two Cowdrey conversions for a 14-14 halftime. The Wallaroos outscored the Eagles two tries to one — Sullivan accounted for the American points — in the second half, resulting in a 26-19 final. Still, the USA advanced to the Cup semifinals and readied for New Zealand on Sunday.

The always opportunistic Black Ferns dotted down first, but hometown hero Su Adegoke had something to say with an 80-meter breakaway try. The Cowdrey conversion put the USA up 7-5, a lead that held through halftime. New Zealand is extremely efficient in converting any gifted advantage, and the eventual tournament winners put down two more tries in the second half. The Americans weren’t silenced, however, and Thomas burst into the try zone before the final buzzer: 26-14 to the Kiwis.

 

Looking to solidify a repeat podium position, the USA took on Fiji in the 3rd Place match. Fiji took the opening points, but captain Kirshe roared down field to level up on the scoreboard. Fiji responded immediately, and Adegoke battled back with a try, with Sariah Ibarra converting both and putting the Eagles up 14-10 at the half. Kaylen Thomas and Ariana Ramsey ran in two tries solidifying a formidable lead and giving the Eagles a comfortable buffer despite Fijiana’s subsequent score closing the match out 26-17.

NYC SVNS marks the final stop of the HSBC SVNS series with the SVNS World Championship on deck kicking off first in Hong Kong April 17-19 before touching down in Valladolid and Bordeaux.

USA fans can follow along live on Paramount+.

USA ROSTER

1 Ariana Ramsey – 20 caps
2 Erica Coulibaly – 6
3 Tahna Wifley – 6
12 Kristi Kirshe (C) – 36
13 Sarah Levy – 19
15 Rachel Strasdas – 13
19 Kaylen Thomas – 10
22 Sammy Sullivan – 21
24 Su Adegoke – 13
26 Ashley Cowdrey – 7
28 Sariah Ibarra – 11
29 Hann Humphreys – 7
33 Nalu Liufau* – 2
99 Autumn Czaplicki – 8

NYC SVNS Results

Saturday, March 14

USA 24-0 Canada
Tries: A. Ramsey (2), K. Kirshe, S. Sullivan
Conv: A. Cowdrey, S. Ibarra

USA 47-0 Japan
Tries: A. Ramsey, K. Kirshe (2) , S. Sullivan, K. Thomas (2), S. Ibarra
Conv: A. Cowdrey (3), S. Ibarra (3)

Australia 26-19 USA
Tries: A. Ramsey (2), S. Sullivan
Conv: A. Cowdrey (2)

Sunday, March 15

New Zealand 26-14 USA
Tries: S. Adegoke, K. Thomas
Conv: A. Cowdrey, T. Wilfley

USA 26-17 Fiji
Tries: A. Ramsey, K. Kirshe, S. Adegoke, K. Thomas
Conv: A. Cowdrey, S. Ibarra (2)

2025-26 HSBC SVNS Series

November 29-30 | Dubai – 5th
December 6-7 | Cape Town – 4th
January 31-February 1 | Singapore – 4th
February 7-8 | Perth – 4th
March 7-8 | Vancouver – 3rd
March 14-15 | NYC – 3rd

2026 HSBC SVNS World Championship

April 17-19 | Hong Kong
May 29 -31 | Valladolid
June 5-7 | Bordeaux

USA Coaches & Staff

Emilie Bydwell | Head Coach
Tony Roques | Assistant Coach
Charlie Purdon | Technical & IDP Skills Coach
Ben Pinkelman | Support Coach
Lauren Barber | Performance Analyst
Trey Ford | Head of Athletic Performance
Ashley Morataya | Assistant S&C
Nicole Titmas | Head of Athlete Health & Wellness – 7s / Women’s 7s Head ATC
Meghan Chambers | Rehab Specialist
Jackie Rodriguez | Athletic Trainer
Jacque Scaramella | Dietician
Peter Haberl | Sport Psychologist
Liz Strohecker | Head of High Performance Operations – 7s
Maria Adams | High Performance Operations Coordinator – 7s
JP Juarez | Videographer
Paris Malone | Digital Content
Jenni Burke | National Team Media Manager