Twenty-five years ago, the United States was marching to the top of the Rugby world.

Now, it was the world of women's rugby, which was, at the time, nowhere near as popular as it is now, but the Americans were, nevertheless, the best. The USA Women's National Team played its first game in 1987 - a good 11 years after the Men's team played its first modern international. But bolstered by some excellent athletes and smart coaching, the Eagles started off well, beating Canada three times in a row in their annual clash (1987 22-3, 1988 26-10, 1989 28-3).

In 1990, the Eagles finally played somebody different, touring New Zealand to play Netherlands (a 42-0 win), the hosts (a 9-3 loss), and the USSR (32-0 win). That tour was the precursor to the 1991 Women's World Cup - a somewhat unofficial competition that nevertheless involved 12 national teams.

Under coaches Kevin O’Brien and Chris Leach, the first Women's World Cup began on April 6, 1991 USA with a 7-0 defeat of the Netherlands. World Rugby Hall-of-Famer Patty Jervey scored the USA's only try (remember, tries were four points then, not five), and lock Andi Morrell added a penalty goal. Among the players on that team were longtime Minnesota Valkyries Coach Barb Fugate, Current USA Rugby Associate Collegiate Director Tam Breckenridge, and another all-time great and coach, Candi Orsini.

Next up was April 10, 1991 and the USSR. The Eagles won that game 46-0. Jervey scored three tries, and Orsini two. In this game, MA Sorensen, who now lends her name to a new award for top women college players, made her World Cup debut. So, too, did Kathy Flores, who started at NO. 8 and was later to coach this USA team in two world cups. This was the indication of the superb backline the Eagles would unleash for the next eight years, with Jervey, Orsini, and Jen Crawford at the center of a threequarter line that would lead the USA to three World Cup finals.

So next up was New Zealand, and in revenge over the previous year's loss, the Eagles notched their third shutout, beating New Zealand 7-0. Barb Bond, one of the all-time-great No. 8s in women's rugby history, scored the line try, and flyhalf Chris Harju kicked a penalty. 

And that win put them in the final. April 14, 1991, the Eagles faced England in Cardiff, Wales. The USA got a good luck message from then-president George Herbert Walker Bush, who wasn't a rugby player, but whose son George W. was. England looked to exert what they felt was their superiority in the pack, and in fact looked to be about to do just that. A scrum driving over the goal line was stopped when USA flanker Claire Godwin illegally killed the ball. 

The result was a penalty try against the USA, and a 6-0 lead. It was the first try, and the first points conceded by the USA team, and it would be the last. From there, the Americans unleashed a 15-player attack that had England reeling. Godwin scored two tries in good support play, and scrumhalf Patty Connell added one, while flyhalf Chris Harju converted two tries and added a penalty. 

The USA Eagles were World Champions. They came back home to be welcomed at the White House, and their exciting, attacking game promised more great things. And those great things continued to come. The Eagles played only four times before the next World Cup in 1994, going 3-1 (they lost to England in 1993). In 1994 they destroyed everyone on their way to the final, where they met England once again. In that game, England prevailed 38-23 in an impressive display.

Four years later, this USA team, mostly the same group, made the final again, only to lose to a superb New Zealand squad.  

At least five players - prop MA Sorensen, No. 8 Barb Bond, and backs Patty Jervey, Jen Crawford, and Krista McFarren - played in all three of those first World Cups. And it all started on this date 25 years ago.

(Thanks to Ann Barford for the photos. Thanks to Ed Hagerty and Rugby Magazine's 2004 Handbook for the stats and player notes.