The USA Rugby Women’s 7s Team finished 5th in Vancouver (Feb. 23-25), the fourth stop on the 2023-24 HSBC SVNS series, and earned 12 standings points to be ranked 4th overall. The Eagles will now return to Chula Vista and reset before heading to Los Angeles the March 1-3 tournament.
RELATED: USA 7s Photo c/o Alex Ho
“We came into this weekend with the goal of being on the podium, and it’s frustrating to fall short of that. But how we went about our business in terms of behavior and actions we’ve been working on really put us in a good position,” USA Women’s 7s Head Coach Emilie Bydwell told USA Rugby. “We had two second-half comebacks on day one, which is something we’ve been striving to improve. In the golden point game against Australia, we really felt like we were in a position to win. It’s just the little details in the end that we didn’t get quite right that ended up punishing us. It hurts, but we still have an opportunity to learn from it.”
Ari Ramsey scoring one of five tries in Vancouver / © 2024 Alex Ho @hoiho_photo
The USA began pool play on Friday, defeating Fiji 21-17 and Japan 26-12. Against Australia, the teams were tied at 12 into referee’s time, and then Maddison Levi secured the winning try in minute 16: 17-12 the final. Nonetheless, the Americans advanced to the Cup quarterfinals later Saturday evening to face hometown Canada. The teams both scored two tries, and Ari Ramsey (who scored a team-leading five across the whole tournament) accounted for both of the American scores. Canada, however, added a Chloe Daniels conversion to win 12-10 and advance to the semifinals.
“In the Canada game, we were less clinical than we needed to be in the beginning and when we had opportunities,” Bydwell said. “We let them get momentum to put points on the board, and we went down players [to two yellow cards]. We talked a lot about possession and discipline against Canada, and when we don’t follow that, they’re going to put pressure on us.”
Alev Kelter with the kick-chase © 2024 Alex Ho @hoiho_photo
The Eagles were then routed to the 5th place match against Fiji, which had dropped its quarterfinal match 35-19 to Australia. The USA opened up with a 29-7 win, as Ramsey, Sarah Levy (2), Alev Kelter and Sammy Sullivan all scored tries, and Kelter kicked two conversions.
“We see this as the next building block going into LA, our home tournament,” Bydwell said. “We know as a team that we’ve improved since Perth, and the placing doesn’t necessarily show that. We’re very clear on what we’ve improved and what our opportunities are. The challenge is to go out and respond, not take a step backward. I’m proud of the players for doing that. We’re leaving Vancouver on a mission and feel we’ve taken steps in the right direction.”
Bydwell (second from right) trotting out with the team © 2024 Alex Ho @hoiho_photo
The LA 7s matches will be live-stream for free on RugbyPass TV. Games begin on Friday, March 1, so stayed tuned for pools and schedules.
ROSTER
| Name | Position | HSBC Tournaments |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cheta Emba | Prop | 32 |
| 2. Ilona Maher | Center/Prop | 26 |
| 3. Kayla Canett | Flyhalf | 25 |
| 5. Alev Kelter | Center/Prop | 43 |
| 6. Alena Olsen | Scrumhalf | 20 |
| 7. Naya Tapper (C) | Wing | 37 |
| 10. Steph Rovetti | Scrumhalf/Flyhalf | 12 |
| 12. Kristi Kirshe | Prop/Hooker | 22 |
| 13. Sarah Levy | Hooker | 7 |
| 17. Spiff Sedrick | Center | 16 |
| 21. Ariana Ramsey | Wing | 5 |
| 22. Sammy Sullivan | Prop/Hooker | 10 |
| 23. Lauren Doyle (C) | Flyhalf | 42 |
STAFF
Head Coach | Emilie Bydwell
Assistant Coach | Zack Test
Strength & Conditioning | Trey Ford
Athletic Trainer | Nicole Titmas
Sports Psychologist | Peter Haberl
Media Manager | Taylor Dean
RESULTS
Pool Play
USA 21-17 Fiji
USA 26-14 Japan
Australia 17-12 USA
Cup QF: Canada 12-10 USA
5th: USA 29-7 Fiji