Eagle Women Chosen for Dubai, Cape Town

11.20.2025Eagles, Elite 7s

Krist Kirshe captains the USA.

Author: GRR Staff

USA Women's 7s Head Coach Emilie Bydwell has named the traveling squad selected for the first two stops in the SVNS World Series with several changes as the program looks to retool.

The Eagles will compete in Dubai November 29-30 and Cape Town December 6-7. USA fans can catch all the action on Paramount+.

USA will open their campaign in Dubai’s iconic Sevens Stadium in Pool A against Fiji at 2:20 AM ET, followed by matches against New Zealand and France to earn their way into the knockout stages. The SVNS World Series has retracted a bit and in these early tournaments there are only eight teams in each division. So every game will be against an excellent team.

Pool B is Australia, Canada, Great Britain, and Japan.

HSBC SVNS confirmed just yesterday that the USA stop March 14-15 will be in New York.

Under the leadership of Captain Kristi Kirshe, veterans Spiff Sedrick, Ariana Ramsey, and Sarah Levy return bringing skill and experience, with some new faces excited to inject their own energy and playing style on the field. In line to make their sevens debuts are Nalu Liufau, Tahna Wifley and Erica Coulibaly who recently showed her pace on the XVs field at Rugby World Cup 2025. More faces to look for are Ashley Cowdrey who made her USA Eagles debut last season in LA and Kaylen Thomas returns from injury ready to make her mark on the scene.

Tahna Wilfley at the National Youth 7s three years ago.

“We are really excited to get this season underway," said Bydwell. "The offseason has been a transformational period for our program— sharpening how we think about and play the game in the ways that maximize the strengths of our group and create long‑term competitive advantages.

"Last season was about form and foundation; this season is about raising the frame of our program, our style of play, and our culture as we move through the next three seasons toward Los Angeles. We know we are still early in our journey, but we’re eager to step onto the world stage and test how dynamic, adaptive, and courageous we can be within our new processes.

"After running two intensive combines in July and November, our selection group is extremely competitive, and we’re thrilled to award three new caps in Dubai. Tahna Wifley and Nalu Liufau, who joined us as 18‑year‑old residents and gained invaluable experience under Irene Gardner at the Junior Pan American Games, are now ready to contribute at the senior level. Erica Coulibaly, outstanding throughout the Rugby World Cup, brings an additional layer of power and physicality to our team. We are proud of the work put in by this group and excited for what lies ahead.”

With the final installment of player evaluation still underway, all players selected for this tour have committed to the LA 2028 cycle and were required to undergo an intensive Combine block to claim their space on the roster. The Combine presented an opportunity for both players and the overall program to challenge physical and professional standards, and asked players to define their roles within the team.

This opening tour marks an exciting time not only for the players to put their stamp on the season but for American fans nationwide to tune in and get behind the squad, especially with the recently confirmed USA stop of the SVNS Series set to take place in New York in March 2026. Fans can sign up for the New York ticket presale at https://usasvns.com/new-york-presale.

All Tour stops will be broadcast on Paramount+, crescendo-ing in the chance to watch the USA Women's Eagles Sevens favorite players in person at home in the Big Apple.