The Elite Girls Rugby League (EGRL) will, for the second year, send a team south to the regional all-star 15s event in St. Petersburg, Fla., to face reigning champion Midwest High School Thunderbirds, USA Rugby South Panthers and newcomer Hawkeye Academy. While the EGRL Selects coaches and staff are expecting a strong level of play from this year’s 25-member roster, if you ask them, the most exciting wave may still be forming on the horizon.

“The invite to participate last year really sparked us to get our ‘EGRL Selects’ program from idea to action,” said Mike Eisenhart, head of EGRL operations. “We felt good enough about the experience that we put two competitive teams into NY 7s and are finalizing details for a summer trip north across the border. Throw in a growing relationship with some like-minded folks in Ireland, and it’s a lot to organize, but super exciting to see things progress toward the ultimate vision: a strong and sustainable platform for our member clubs and athletes.”

All of the activity invigorated the ranks, and more than 70 players from eight states attended ID camps in 2023.

“The level of play overall continues to improve significantly,” Eisenhart said. “It’s exciting to see so many athletes who are locked into the idea of becoming great rugby players.”

Meanwhile, the EGRL administration used 2023 to further organize the Select program’s structure and system. Four new coaches along with three returning staffers from the league’s three regions have been invited on tour and will bring some experience from Florida back to their respective regions. The crew from Morris Rugby of New Jersey (the self-proclaimed “sappy dads” who anchor much of the EGRL’s effort) have stepped into logistics, livestream and consultative roles.

“It’s probably the hardest ask, to take rugby coaches and ask them to step off the field and into ‘system’ roles, especially when there’s this much talent all in one place,” Eisenhart said. “But these guys are fully on board with what we’re trying to build here and how short the time horizon to do our part really is. It’s this kind of attitude that is at the heart of our success so far.”

The team itself is senior dominated, with 17 tour-goers heading into their final semester of high school this spring. Eight have committed to NCAA varsity women’s rugby programs, and several more are in the final phase of decision-making. Caroline Cook (Charlotte Cardinals, N.C.) was recently active, attending the USA U20 camp in Marietta, Ga., last month.

There are five juniors, with Rebecca Balladares among them. The West Carroll, Md., player represented the USA U18s at the Global Youth 7s in New Zealand last month. There are also three sophomores — Bridget McGonigle and Nolah Flynn from Doylestown, Pa., and Aspetuck Valley’s Gia Klotter out of Connecticut. All told, the squad is nearly evenly split between returners from the 2022 Florida tour (13) and newcomers (12).

Games will take place Feb. 17-18 in Puryear Park, St. Petersburg, Pa. Stay tuned for more match-day information.

Learn more about the EGRL at www.EGRL.org, visit Instagram (@EliteGirlsRugby) or subscribe to the @EliteGirlsRugbyLeague YouTube Channel. For athletes interested in attending EGRL events, or clubs who want more information about the process to join, e-mail admin@egrl.org

EGRL SELECTS – REGIONAL ALL-STAR 15S

* Returner from 2022 tour

STAFF

Southern Regional Coaches
Alicia Tice*, Charlotte Cardinals, NC
Geoff Tice*, Charlotte Cardinals, NC
Kerry Gholson*, Wando Wahines, SC

Central Regional Coaches
Brian Melody, West Carroll, MD
Jeff Adamczyk, North Bay, MD

Northern Regional Coaches
John O’Neill*, Aspetuck Valley, CT
Shane Flynn, Doylestown, PA

EGRL Operations
Brian Ahern, Morris
Stefano Aliprandi, Morris
Bill Dobbs, Morris
Lindsay Eisenhart, Photography
Mike Eisenhart, Morris
Nelson Galarza, Morris
Jan Monrad, Morris
Kris O’Brien, Morris

*First-time Attendee