Hamdan Recounts ‘Crazy and Surreal’ Year

When USA Women’s National Team head coach Rob Cain phoned Saher Hamdan, the Life University junior was shocked by the invitation to the fall 2020 Daily Training Environment (DTE). But surprise morphed into enthusiasm, and the Ohio native ended up attending all three residency blocks through July 2021, all while competing in the DI Elite championship season.

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Hamdan played rugby in high school and began her collegiate career with Notre Dame College, an NCAA DII varsity program that competes in NIRA. While in Euclid, Ohio, she was selected to the USA U20 team that competed in the 2019 Tri-Nations Cup in England. The hooker was subsequently invited to a one-week USA senior camp in Glendale, Colo.

“But from then on, I didn’t know where I stood,” Hamdan said. “It was a big gap [in USA communication] after that.”

Meanwhile, Hamdan transferred to Life University, and just as she was getting used to Marietta, Ga., as a Running Eagle, Covid-19 intervened and sent everyone home for the rest of spring 2020.

“I was home for a while and then ended up going to ARPTC, which I had done the previous summer as well,” Hamdan said of summers with the National Development Program. “It was the only real rugby going on in America, and it was an opportunity to train, stay fit and work on my micro-skills, because there was no still no contact [per Return to Play protocols]. It was really nice, and rewarding.”

At the end of the summer, Hamdan broke her foot and needed surgery as her 5th metatarsal failed to heal properly. That frustration was, however, salved with a phone call.

“Rob [Cain] called me out of the blue and invited me to the first DTE camp,” Hamdan said of the USA Women’s National Team 15s head coach. “I was a little star-struck, especially since it was random. It wasn’t like an official e-mail was sent out. I didn’t even know a DTE was happening.”

Hamdan disclosed her injury to Cain, who still insisted she join the DTE and also connect with the surgeon who works on the men’s players in Glendale. There was no conflict with her commitments at Life University, which offered options for distance learning and rugby training during the pandemic. Several Running Eagles, for example, relocated to Little Rock, Ark., in the fall to train full-time at ARPTC.

“It was cool that Rob allowed me to be there with the squad, not necessarily training but still being able to support the women out there and watch,” Hamdan said. “It was kind of surreal as well, because a lot of these players at these camps, I had grown up looking up to them and idolizing them a little. So it was cool to get to know them not as these people on t.v., but hard-working women who I can now call friends.”

Coming in with an injury, Hamdan had to set different goals from the rest of the participants.

“I just wanted to feel it out a little bit and figure out where I can put myself to best help the team and also stay mentally O.K.,” Hamdan said. “People forget that with an injury, it’s a lot, especially when you’re watching the people you would have been training with. But I kept it positive and was just looking forward to the opportunity that was given to me.”

By the time the second DTE arrived in winter 2021, Hamdan was in a much better place physically. Her foot had healed and she was running at near-100% during DI Elite scrimmages and against Lindenwood University. She played in the centers and flanked for Life, and was particularly impressive over the ball, stealing possession out of the contact area multiple times per game.

Hamdan was invited to the winter DTE, but being in-season with Life, she had to hash out the process with Running Eagles head coach Ros Chou.

“We were able to sit down and discuss a plan for us,” Hamdan said. “She gave me a few options and was 100% supportive of any one I chose. I could go to DTE for four weeks and come back for both [DI Elite] semifinals and nationals, or come back the week before nationals, put in the work for the week leading up to it, and try to get that spot [on the championship squad]. She had my back and was super supportive and wanted me to succeed.”

The idea of support was mutual, and Hamdan didn’t want her comings and goings to complicate Life’s trajectory throughout the season.

“It was a little hard just because I was putting in work with an entirely different group of women,” Hamdan said of transitioning between the DTE and Life. “Life was building chemistry and continuity amongst themselves, so when I came back in I had conversations with Ros. ‘What can I do to support what you have already done?’ I’m not going in hot-headed or trying to change things, or make things revolve around me. There was a learning curve in the beginning, but I just had to be a supportive teammate.”

When Hamdan returned to Marietta, she had a week to play into the championship squad. An injury to scrumhalf Sylina Flowers saw Tatum Johnson move from inside center to the halfback position, thus freeing up a spot for Hamdan at inside center. She got her reps in with flyhalf Sydnee Cervinski and outside center Pepe Toomalatai, and built some connection in advance of the DI Elite national championship. Lindenwood dominated the final, but by the time the teams faced each other in the CRC May Madness 7s title bout, Life had closed in and offered a really nice match to close out the tournament.

Cain had traveled to the DI Elite final and watched both Hamdan and fellow pool player Eti Haungatau, who was named championship MVP. Both were invited to the third DTE from June 17-July 11, and there was no conflict in the commitment. Coming in, the rising senior knew what was expected of her.

“It’s pretty set. Rob does a very good job making intentions clear throughout each DTE,” Hamdan said. “This block wasn’t really about building skills; it was executing and decision-making and building off that.

“My [lineout] throw is a big one, just getting it consistent,” she said of her focal points. “Decision-making as well. Seeing the space. We talk about small-picture and big-picture execution, so for me, it’s realizing I’m in space and seeing what opportunities I can make happen.”

The summer DTE saw the return of the Exeter players, and Hamdan looked forward to working with two in particular.

“Rachel Johnson and Kate Zackary,” Hamdan highlighted favorites. “And they ended up being my roommates in the apartments. At first I was very nervous and star-struck. Rachel has been my favorite player for years and Zackary was the captain. That was probably the most star-struck I’ve been out of all the DTEs. They were awesome. It was pranks [by them] all the time.

“I got more comfortable with each DTE,” she added. “I had already known Hallie Taufoou. She was an ARPTC resident, and I went in when she went in. [Life teammate] Emerson Allen had also been called up for an injury. Throughout it, it was just getting to know each other more on and off the field, and building that chemistry to take into the game.”

Hamdan asserted that that uptick in chemistry was tangible on the game pitch.

“A lot of us know how each other play now,” the hooker said. “You know if this player’s going to carry or break the line — like Hope [Rogers-Dellermann] — and then look for support and make something happen. Little things like that. Chemistry is really good and it really grew throughout each DTE. We’re finding momentum.”

The second Stars vs. Stripes match was live-streamed, and Hamdan started at hooker for the Stripes. She helped set up her side’s opening try, sending a lovely grubber to captain Emily Henrich running on, and then dotted down the second try herself in the second half. The Stripes lost 45-14.

“It was really cool,” Hamdan reflected on the intra-squad game. “It was my first time being able to play with the national team, and being on t.v., I knew I had friends and family watching. [The try was a] surreal moment. I didn’t really acknowledge it when it was happening during the game, because I kept thinking about the next job. I didn’t process it until the end of the game. ‘That all just happened. That is so cool.’”

Hamdan is back in Marietta but she’ll head to ARTPC for a week of training and take some time to visit her family back home. She doesn’t have any plans to play 7s this summer, although she hasn’t totally eliminated the possibility, and intends to stay around campus, get healthy and keep up with S&C coach Sylvia Braaten’s programming. Hamdan will have access to Life’s gym, field and shed. And Bitsy Cairns.

“Bitsy lives in Atlanta with her fiancé, who’s on the MLR team here,” Hamdan said of the USA flanker. “She’s a big one that always had my back [at the DTE] and continued to push me as a player. She demanded more out of me but not in negative way, in a positive way. … It’s nice to have her here. Even if I don’t want to do [S&C coach] Sylvia’s bronco, she will push me to do it.”

She’ll get some skill work with Cairns as well as Allen, who is at ARPTC right now.

“And when I’m home, there will be a lot of ladies on the Life team that would enjoy doing the extra skills and conditioning,” Hamdan extended her training options.

There are fall fixtures in the works for the USA 15s team, and Hamdan is hopeful she has another opportunity to keep growing at the highest level of the game. In the meantime, Life will have a fall schedule, and Hamdan’s ready to funnel all that focus back into the Running Eagles.

“Crazy. The last year has definitely been crazy,” Hamdan reflected. “I didn’t expect this right now. Obviously I had goals and aspirations of getting capped, but I never thought I’d have the potential to play in a World Cup. I would love to get capped – that was goal even through high school – and being where I’m at, in the position I’m in, it’s surreal. At practices for DTEs, it was: Wow, I’m training with some of the best women in America, doing the sport we all love. ‘Crazy’ and ‘surreal’ are the key words.”