There isn’t much sugar-coating it: 2014 wasn’t a particularly fulfilling year for the U.S. women’s national teams. There were high points no doubt, but generally, the Eagles fell short of their goals.

 

Center stage belonged to the quadrennial Women’s Rugby World Cup. The Eagles rallied behind the “Final in ‘14” banner, but after the opening-round loss to Ireland, the hope for even a top-four finish dropped out of sight. The USA finished in sixth place with a 2-3 record. Although the Americans left the tournament disappointed, it was an opportunity for fans to the witness the country’s best players in action, and we're going to recognize some of those performances.

 

The USA 7s team underwent an overhaul. After finishing third at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens, a host of new athletes entered the residency program. At the end of 2014, only three players from the World Cup team remained. The 2013-14 series was marked by experience gains, and the results fluctuated: The team ended the season with a Plate championship in Amsterdam, but finished as low as 11th in Guangzhou. All told, the USA finished 7th in the IRB standings.

 

The All Americans were split as well. The Women’s Junior All Americans played two games against their Canadian counterparts and were outscored 94-11. The Women’s Collegiate All Americans won two games north of the border, and while it was a pleasant experience watching up-and-comers express themselves, the victories came against regional age-grade teams (Ontario Storm), not the Canadian U20s.

 

The year did have its bright spots, and that’s what we’re going to honor.