Eagle Women Still Young, But Get Points in Cape Town

12.10.2025Eagles, Elite 7s

USA needed more defense against Australia in Cape Town Dec 7. Alex Ho photo for World Rugby.

Author: Alex Goff

It is ironic, of course, that the USA women’s 7s team went 4-1 in Dubai and finished 5th, and 2-3 in Cape Town and finished 4th.

But that’s tournament play for you.

The Eagles have started really well, overall, and in the second tournament, in South Africa, produced a bit of a fit with a 15-7 defeat of Fiji after having lost to Fijiana the week before.

Of course, they also lost to New Zealand and France, teams they beat in Dubai.

The upshot is that the USA is 4th in the SVNS Standings, just a couple of points behind the one team they haven’t played yet, Japan.

For a team that is as young and inexperienced as this one, that’s a solid start in what is often the toughest legs of the journey for the Americans—going 12 time zones to Dubai and then being nine time zones away in South Africa, right at the beginning of the season.

Now the Eagles can pull back, learn some things (defensive consistency is a big one), and realize they can’t surprise anyone anymore.

USA Women 7s Result at Cape Town

USA 15 Fiji 7
Tries: Thomas 2, Sedrick

USA 12 New Zealand 38
Tries: Ibarra, Adegoke
Convs: Ibarra

USA 31 Great Britain 17
Tries: Adegoke 2, Sedrick, Thomas, Kirshe
Convs: Cowdrey 2, Ibarra

USA 7 Australia 34
Tries: Thomas
Convs: Wilfley

USA 12 France 15
Tries: Ramsey, Coulibaly
Convs: Ibarra

Overall what happened in Cape Town is what many expected to happen in Dubai—the stress and intensity of the Series caught up with the team a bit. Australia rolled, and that was unfortunate, but this is still a USA team with enormous promise that is achieving things—4-2 in Pool Play so far.

Kaylen Thomas is among the Series leaders in tries, and, perhaps more important, a lot of players have scored and are getting minutes.

Next Up

In a little less than two months we will see legs 3 and 4, with Singapore and then Perth a week later. The USA women have been drawn into Pool A with Australia, Fiji, and that team they haven’t seen yet, Japan. This is an excellent chance for them to be tested against an unfamiliar opponent and then also find out what works against the Wallaroos.