Growing women’s rugby, one line-break at a time /// Photo: Jackie Finlan
The U.S. Women’s Rugby Foundation (USWRF) and Atavus are co-sponsoring the 2017 Women’s Rugby Forum, which takes place Monday-Tuesday, May 15-16 in Providence, R.I. The event brings together women administrators, coaches, referees and players to critically reflect on the state of women’s rugby in the U.S. and build an association with the explicit goal of directing and growing girls’ and women’s rugby.
The forum’s priorities include:
• Fostering and promoting the development of rugby for women and girls
• Attaining equal representation on national and international governing boards
• Attaining equal opportunity and pay in hiring and consideration for administrative and coaching positions
• Building regional and national governing structures that reflect the numbers of girls and women served
The participants are coaches, players, administrators, referees, academics and more. Stay tuned for follow-up reportage and outcomes.
Beverly Armstrong: Board, USWRF
Leah Berard: Referee, national panel, Minnesota
Laurie Bourdon: Coach, high school; player, USA NT
Stacey Bridges: Coach, Dartmouth; player, USA NT
Karen Bryant: CEO, Atavus
Emilie Bydwell: Coach, Atavus; player, USA NT
Laura Cabrera: Coach, ARPTC; player, USA NT
Rebecca Carlson: Coach, Quinnipiac University
Valerie Connolly: Coach, admin, Maryland youth rugby
Martha Daines: Coach, player, WCAA, USA NT
Mel Denham: Coach, Central Washington University; player, USA NT
Farrah Douglas: Coach, GHSAA, high school; player, USA NT
Katie Dowty: Coach, Dartmouth College; player, USA NT
Donna Duffy: Researcher, UNC Greensboro
Lisa Durham: Board, USWRF
Katie Dyke: Manager, Training & Education, USAR
Brianna Falese: Admin, Molloy College
Anne Marie Farrell: Coach, Ithaca Men; manager, USA NT
KJ Feury: Admin, Morris, Rugby New Jersey
Jackie Finlan: Journalist, The Rugby Breakdown
Kathy Flores: Coach, Brown University, USA NT; player, USA NT
Koma Gandy Fischbein: Coach, player, NYRC, Navy, Armed Forces Rugby
Jennifer Gray: Director of Operations, USAR
Heather Harley: Admin, Indiana rugby
Kerri Heffernan: Coach, Brown University; board, USWRF; player, USA NT
Emily Hsieh: Referee, Potomac, New England
Nick James: Admin, Texas; player, HARC; coach, Texas A&M
Erin Kennedy: Admin, USAR, Rugby Canada
Phaidra Knight: Player, USA NT; board, USAR
Danita Knox: Board chair, USWRF; coach, player, Atlanta
Pam Kosanke: Player, USA NT; USAR congress/board
Joanne Liu: Coach, Scion Rugby
Katrina Logan: Coach, Berkeley All Blues
Amelia Luciano: Referee, New England
Stacey Markovic: Coach, Boston Women
MaryBeth Mathews: Coach, Bowdoin College
Mary Money: Player, USA NT
Melissa Olman: Coach, Molloy College
Karen Onufry: Coach, Middlebury College; player, USA NT
Candi Orsini: Coach, FSU, Eckerd College, USA NT; player, USA NT
Sue Parker: Coach, Harvard, Navy; player, USA NT
Ashley Potvin: Coach, University of New England
Julie Prentice: Co-Founder, Atavus
Michelle Reed: Coach, Sacred Heart University
Kittery Ruiz: Coach, Glendale; player, USA NT
Meredith Scarlata: Admin, Brown University
Kelly Seary: Coach, player, Beantown, Harvard
Monica VanBuskirk: Player, Beantown, Glendale
Alycia Washington: Player, USA NT
Alex Williams: Admin, SoCal Youth Rugby; player, coach, USA NT
Katie Wurst: Admin, Coach, Queens University of Charlotte; sports psychologist