USA RUGBY – Interim Head Coach Milton Haig announced today the 23 athletes set to play against Wales on Saturday, September 30. Kickoff is at 9:30 a.m. ET, live on Welsh Rugby Union’s YouTube page.
Two players will have the opportunity to earn their first Eagles cap: Atumata Hingano and Paige Stathopoulos. Hingano joins the 15s squad from USA Sevens residency, and Stathopoulos joins from Beantown RFC. An exciting moment for Stathopoulos who has been on the USA Eagles radar since first attending national team camp in 2019, while Hingano will look to translate her dynamic sevens play on the XVs stage. On the bench side, Meya Bizer, may earn her 30th cap this weekend, becoming the 13th USA Women’s Eagle to earn the achievement.
With two weeks of training together, including a scrimmage with Ireland, the Wales match will help the team confirm their improvements and pinpoint work-ons and adjustments heading into WXV2 in Cape Town next month.
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Being his first time overseeing a USA test match, Interim Head Coach Milton Haig said, “This is an official test against Wales, who are ranked above us in the World rankings, and it’s an opportunity to implement everything we have been training in the last two weeks with physical intent and accuracy of skills. Wales are a very good side, and we know we will be put under pressure by them, but we’ve shown excellent improvement in all aspects of our game this training week. Our aim is to make a very good account of ourselves.”
USA WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM vs WALES
1. Catie Benson – Sale Sharks (36)
2. Kathryn Treder – Loughborough Lightning (12)
3. Keia Mae Sagapolu – Leicester Tigers (2)
4. Hallie Taufoou – Beantown (10)
5. Rachel Ehrecke – Colorado Gray Wolves (6)
6. Freda Tafuna – Lindenwood University (2)
7. Georgie Perris-Redding – Sale Sharks (9)
8. Rachel Johnson – Exeter Chiefs (21)
9. Carly Waters – Colorado Gray Wolves (19)
10. Gabby Cantorna – Exeter Chiefs (20)
11. Sarah Levy – USA Sevens (5)
12. Mata Hingano – USA Sevens (0)
13. Kate Zackary (C) – Ealing Trailfinders (31)
14. Tess Feury – Leicester Tigers (18)
15. Bulou Mataitoga – Berkeley All Blues (10)
16. Paige Stathopoulos – Beantown (0)
17. Monalisa Tupou – Life West/EPA Razorbacks (2)
18. Charli Jacoby – Colorado Gray Wolves (20)
19. Erica Jarrell – Beantown (1)
20. Tahlia Brody – Leicester Tigers (3)
21. Taina Tukuafu – Lindenwood University (2)
22. Meya Bizer – Ealing Trailfinders (29)
23. Eti Haungatau – Sale Sharks (12)
Mata Hingano / Photo: USA Rugby
USA Women’s Eagles Traveling Staff
Head Coach (Ireland) | Rich Ashfield
Head Coach (Wales & WXV) | Milton Haig
Assistant Coach | John Haggart
Assistant Coach | Melodie Bosman
Strength & Conditioning | Sylvia Braaten
Lead Physiotherapist | Katherine Henry
Team Doctor | Rachel Sachs
Assistant Physiotherapist | Samantha Malette
Analyst | Caitlin Singletary
USA Women’s Eagles Fall Schedule
Saturday, Sept. 30
USA v. Wales | 9:30 a.m. ET
WXV2
All matches live on RugbyPass
Saturday, Oct. 14
v. Samoa | 8 a.m. ET
Friday, Oct. 20
v. Scotland | 8 a.m. ET
Saturday, Oct. 28
v. Italy | 11 a.m. ET