The USA Women's 7s team is back on the training field at Chila Vista after a long layoff and it's a welcome return for the Eagles.

Head Coach Chris Brown and HP chieftain Emilie Bydwell are working with the players as they ease back into a full training regiment.

"It's really good to be back," Naya Tapper told Goff Rugby Report. "We're training in small groups for now but we'll soon be able to work together more closely. It's exciting."

The USA team is looking to regain the momentum that saw them make eight straight semifinals over in 2018 and 2019. That string saw the USA finish 2nd in the Sevens World Series in 2018-19, earning an automatic berth in the Tokyo Olympics. They then started the 2019-2020 season with a tournament win in Glendale and a third place finish in Dubai. But after that they slipped somewhat, taking 5th, 5th, and a disappointing 8th in Sydney. That led to a slip to 5th in the Series standings, which is where they finished up when the remainder of the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The journey is just as important as the destination.

2021 and Tokyo on the horizon. #BRAVE  #ThePioneers pic.twitter.com/PMz8nXztEA

— USA Rugby (@USARugby) August 10, 2020

But now Brown has his charges back and will be looking to regain the right combination that produced the only non-New Zealand tournament champions in the last sevens World Series events. Shuffling players, combinations, and even captains, Brown saw inconsistencies on the field.

The training is possible because, while USA Rugby is still going through bankruptcy, Brown and Bydwell are able to be on-site, and the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee has still been able to provide funding.