USA Women To Play Stars vs Stripes Series

Glendale, Colo. — Head Coach Rob Cain has announced a 49-player roster for the Women’s National Team 15s team's scrimmage series slated for November 18 and 21.

Kickoff will be at 2 PM Mountain Time at the Rugby Town National Training Center in Glendale.

The roster is split into two teams — USA Stars and USA Stripes — which feature athletes from the recently held daily training environment and mini camps, as well as the USA Sevens Residency Program.

On match days, teams will be led by Cain and assistant coaches Kate Daley & Jamie Burke.  Both games will be used to evaluate player progression as preparation for Rugby World Cup 2021 continues. 

“Our focus the past 24 months, as a national team, as well as domestically through the WPL and collegiate game, is beginning to pay dividends as seen by the exciting squads here," said Cain. "Unfortunately, between us and our international competition, who are not only playing international games but have also had full domestic seasons, the divide is very real. Knowing this, the importance of these games has taken even more significance, allowing us to challenge the players both on and off the pitch. We are all looking forward to seeing the results of this next week."

Players around the world have been able to get back on the field, while return-to-play in the USA during the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult. This is for a number of reasons, not least of which is that the sheer size of the United States means that while a club in one state might be able to compete, it has no opposition because nearby states are in a more difficult situation. Smaller countries—the UK, New Zealand — have been a bit easier to manager.

“Many of our players haven't played a game in 12 months," added Cain, "and as you can imagine there is a mix of nervousness, excitement and energy in the air. These games will be an opportunity and next steps window as we near the final stages to create our team for 2021. Thank you to our incredibly hard-working staff who brought this vision to life and to the community who have supported this program before and during these unprecedented times. Your support is priceless to the players and we are extremely thankful to you all.”  

Fans can watch both games live and for free  on FloRugby.com. Former national team players Sarah Chobot and Dallen Stanford form the commentary team for each match. Infinity Park will remain closed to fans to mitigate the ongoing risks of COVID-19. 

To see Game 1, click here >>

To see Game 2, click here >>

The rosters for the Stars and Stripes include 23 uncapped players. In addition, the first four MA Sorensen Award-winners as the top college players in the country—Hope Rogers, Ilona Maher, McKenzie Hawkins, and Emily Henrich—are included.

Players Unavailable

Ina Bailey, Meya Bizer, Kaitlyn Broughton, Stacey Bridges, Gabriella Cantorna, Jennine Duncan, Joanne Fa’avesi, Fane Haungatau, Leti Hingano, Alev Kelter, Kristine Sommer, Kristen Thomas, Alycia Washington, Kate Zackary

Women’s National Team XVs Staff

On the Ground
Women’s High Performance Director | Emilie Bydwell
Head Coach | Rob Cain
Assistant Coach | Jamie Burke
Assistant Coach | Kate Daley
Strength & Conditioning | Sylvia Braaten
Team Manager | Louise Stewart
Logistics Manager | Deanna Nash
Team Doctor | Terrence Cronin
Athletic Trainer | Jade Callan
Athletic Trainer | Mary Swanstrom
Analyst | Grant Thomas

Remote
Assistant Coach | Neil Harris
Assistant Coach | Rich Ashfield
Support Coach | Jenny Lui
Sport Scientist | Conor Sweeney
Head Athletic Trainer | Bri Arsenault
Athletic Trainer | Katherine Henry
Performance Analyst | Callum Howells