USA RUGBY – The USA Women’s Eagles gather this week for a third assembly in 2023, landing in Dublin where they will train and scrimmage with Ireland before heading to Wales for a warm-up match ahead of WXV2 in Cape Town, South Africa. Notable names return from injury as two players look for an opportunity for their USA National Team debut. [@usarugby graphic]

Thirty athletes have been named to the Wales and WXV2 player pool, with four changes between the Ireland, Wales and WXV2 camps. The pool includes a consistency from the previous two assemblies for the Pacific Four Series, alongside some new names, continuing to give more athletes the chance to earn playing experience and put their hand up for future selection on the senior international stage. Beantown’s Paige Stathopolous and Yeja Dunn, two standouts from the Women’s Premier League over the last few years, join the team with an opportunity to earn their first USA Eagles cap. Hope Rogers will rejoin the team in South Africa for the first time since April, after recovering from an injury sustained during the U.K. Premiership, as will the rehabbed Emily Henrich, who looks for her first match appearance of 2023.

USA Rugby photo: Emily Henrich with the USA U23s this summer

Four players – Sarah Levy, Jenny Kronish, and uncapped Alivia Leatherman and Amanda Berta – will exclusively train with the team in Ireland as training depth for upcoming test matches. Leatherman joins after a strong showing with the U23s this summer.

Interim Head Coach Rich Ashfield, who will remain with the team in Ireland before handing over the reins to Milton Haig for the remainder of camp, said, “I think we have an exciting group that can continue the positive work we did in Canada in July. This tour to Ireland and Wales gives us another opportunity to build experience and start to hone the skills required to win games at WXV. Handing off to someone of Milton’s experience is exciting for the program and I am sure he will help drive the program forward into WXV.”

Newly appointed interim head coach Milton Haig added, “All teams at the WXV Tournament will be wanting to make improvements on their previous performances and we will be no different. I’m excited about some of the talent I’ve seen in the team and am confident we can make incremental improvements as we move forward from our time in Europe to the competition in South Africa. Ultimately we want to win test matches and work our way up the world rankings. This is not only a realistic goal but an achievable one. It will take hard work, some resilience and confidence to execute what we train, but we are ready and willing for that.”

USA WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM PLAYER POOL

Tiara A’au – New York RC
Catie Benson – Sale Sharks
Meya Bizer – Ealing Trailfinders
Tahlia Brody – Leicester Tigers
Gabby Cantorna – Exeter Chiefs
Autumn Czaplicki – USA Sevens
Yeja Dunn – Beantown RFC
Rachel Ehrecke – Colorado Gray Wolves
Tess Feury – Leicester Tigers
Eti Haungatau – Sale Sharks
Emily Henrich – Beantown RFC
Mata Hingano – USA Sevens
Charli Jacoby – Unattached
Erica Jarrell – Beantown RFC
Rachel Johnson – Exeter Chiefs
Bulou Mataitoga – Berkeley All Blues
Georgie Perris-Redding – Sale Sharks
Keia Mae Sagapolu – Leicester Tigers
Freda Tafuna – Lindenwood University
Hallie Taufoou – Beantown RFC
Paige Stathopoulos – Beantown RFC
Kathryn Treder – Loughborough Lightning
Taina Tukuafu – Lindenwood University
Monalisa Tupou – Life West/EPA Razorbacks
Carly Waters – Colorado Gray Wolves
Kate Zackary – Ealing Trailfinders

IRELAND ONLY
Amanda Berta – Experts PR7s
Jenny Kronish – Beantown RFC
Alivia Leatherman – Notre Dame College
Sarah Levy – USA Sevens

WXV ONLY
Evi Ashenbrucker – San Diego Surfers
Charlotte Clapp – Saracens
Summer Harris-Jones – USA Sevens
Hope Rogers – Exeter Chiefs

INJURY RESERVES
Kristin Bitter – Life West
Jett Hayward – Life West
Olivia Ortiz – Exeter Chiefs
Alycia Washington – Sale Sharks

USA WNT 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

USA WNT 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