April 26 is just around the corner and the USA women will play Japan on that date at Wallis Annenberg Stadium on UCLA campus, followed by the kickoff of the Pacific Four Series in Kansas City with USA vs Canada Friday, May 2 at CPKC Stadium.
USA Women's National 15s Head Coach Sione Fukofuka will be working with an expanded roster of players as he works to filter everything down to the Rugby World Cup squad for later this summer. The Eagles feel pretty good in several areas, Fukofuka told GRR, but would like to get better cover at flyhalf and fullback. Players in the extended roster, if they don't make the 2025 RWC squad, could well be projects for 2029, along with players in age-grade levels.
"The depth chart that goes relatively deep across the U18s, U20s, and U23s," said Fukofuka. "And there's a few players that are definitely moving their way up that that chart, which is nice. And Then there's a few players that we hadn't seen before that we've we've highlighted that will hopefully have further involvement. So yeah, it's it's exciting. And getting the opportunity to to see that now before we get to 26 and have to make some really tough decisions has been a great opportunity."
Kate Zackary will return as Captain for her seventh season as team lead, with a number of exciting selections also named to the player pool. Sevens star Ilona Maher returns to the USA 15s team for the first time since 2021—she made her debut during the Pacific Four Series in Glendale, Colo. that year. Anorher 7s star, Nicole Heavirland, rejoins the 15s player pool for the first time since selection to the 2017 Rugby World Cup in Ireland.
Three new names earn a nod in 2025, Kapoina Bailey, Erica Coulibaly and Malia Isaacs will all be in search of their first USA Eagles cap. Issacs and scrumhalf Sophie Pyrz will join the squad for training camp and be available for selection to the April 26th match against Japan, before a 36-player roster will be available for Pacific Four Series selection.
The XV Foundation is also behind the team in support this year, partnering with USA Rugby High Performance to supply squad selection and competition bonuses for the team during the Rugby World Cup.
In addition to the senior squad tour, USA Rugby is organizing a Women’s Falcons tour of South America for a two-match development tour in Brazil; creating competition opportunities for the extended talent pool of Women’s Eagles looking to put their hand up for summer competitions and potentially the Rugby World Cup. Dates and rosters will be released when confirmed.
"Since the WXV1, we have been tracking our players either in their team environments in the Premiership Women’s Rugby or here in the US preparing with their WER teams," said Fukofuka. "What has stood out most, is the players hunger to be better and take key learnings from 2024 to challenge themselves on and off the field by playing to perform under pressure.
"We have real competition for positions and a strong core playing group with some x-factor, that we are excited to work with which will allow us to play the style of rugby we feel will be successful and expressive. The Pacific Four Series is a performance tournament, where we are lucky to play highly-ranked teams in Canada (2), New Zealand (3) and Australia (5). We will use this tournament to compete for results and learn to take opportunities in key moments. This will provide a strong platform for the Rugby World Cup by allowing us to implement our game model, develop combinations and create an environment where we have the ability to change the game, on and off the field."
