USA Roster Named for Hong Kong 7s

eagles.rugby — USA Rugby Women’s 7s Head Coach Emilie Bydwell and staff have named the squad heading to the iconic Kai Tak Sports Park in Hong Kong for the opening leg of the HSBC SVNS World Championships this Friday-Sunday, April 17-19. [lead photo: Alex Ho @hoiho_photo]

The Eagles are coming off back-to-back bronze medal performances on the HSBC SVNS Series, podium-ing in Vancouver and New York in March. The Eagles head into the HSBC World Championships as the 3rd-ranked team overall. The USA Women come in as the top seed in Pool C with their opening match against Spain, before taking on Argentina and closing out pool play against France.

“We are really proud of how effectively we switched gears heading into the two North American legs, which led to two podium finishes,” Bydwell said. “The team responded really well to the change in tone, understanding that we needed to increase our accountability to the core behaviors that allow us to play the style of rugby we aspire to play and to live out our collective intentions on both sides of the ball.

“But, as belief in our group and playing philosophy continues to grow, we are also not satisfied,” she continued. “We know we are still very early in this journey, and there is so much potential in what is to come. So while we can be proud of our recent performances, our focus is on looking ahead to Hong Kong, attacking it one game at a time, and staying committed to getting 5% better in our key areas of focus.”

Kristi Kirshe / Photo: Alex Ho @hoiho_photo

Led by powerhouse and captain Kristi Kirshe, the roster plays to the dynamic and edgy style the USA Women’s Eagles Sevens have been crafting all season. With the core roster remaining consistent, injury shifts see Spiff Sedrick returning with Su Adegoke unavailable. Karina Gauto is set to make her debut as Lilly Thomas is named as the traveling reserve.

“Starting the series, we had a clear vision for how we wanted to play and how to maximize the strengths of our group,” Bydwell said. “What’s been really exciting is seeing that vision come to life on the field, and how we’ve continued to build on that foundation. As a team, we’ve grown our understanding of the game we want to play and expanded our toolbox, which allows us to be more effective and adaptable under pressure. We’ve also seen how committing to expressing our physicality, alongside our principles of play in both attack and defense, is what truly brings our identity to life. Our focus now is on consistently delivering that from game to game as we head into Hong Kong.”

Ari Ramsey / Photo: Alex Ho @hoiho_photo

USA fans would have seen capped 7s players Cass Bargell, Erica Coulibaly and 15s debutante Hann Humphreys with the 15s Eagles in Sacramento last weekend for the Pacific Four Series. Tessa Hann has also been called into the USA 15s player group for round two of the PAC4, which heads to Kansas City, Mo., on Friday, April 17.

USA fans can follow all the USA Women’s Eagles action live on Paramount+ this weekend.

HSBC SVNS World Championships – Hong Kong Roster

1. Ariana Ramsey – 20 caps
3. Tahna Wilfley – 6
4. Lilly Thomas* – 0
8. Spiff Sedrick – 24
10. Karina Gauto* – 0
12. Kristi Kirshe (C) – 36
13. Sarah Levy – 19
15. Rachel Strasdas – 13
19. Kaylen Thomas – 10
22. Sammy Sullivan – 21
26. Ashley Cowdrey – 7
28. Sariah Ibarra – 11
33. Nalu Liufau – 2
99. Autumn Czaplicki – 8

* Debut

HSBC SVNS World Championships – Hong Kong

Pool C (All Times ET)
THU April 16
10:53 p.m. USA v Spain

FRI April 17
1:57 a.m. USA v Argentina
9:53 p.m. USA v France

2026 HSBC SVNS World Championship

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

2025-26 HSBC SVNS Series Results

2026 USA Women’s Sevens Eagles Coaches & Staff

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