The USA women will start their 2024 test season March 30 in the UK against South Africa.
This is a warmup game before the Pacific Four Series starts up in Los Angeles.
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Kate Zackary leads the Eagles as captain for the new season, as Hope Rogers returns to the roster for the first time since playing Canada in the Pacific Four Series last April, coming off a long injury recovery. Nikki Kenyon travels with the Eagles for the first time since 2018. Reemerging onto the Eagles radar after some time with PR7s, Kenyon currently plays in the WPL with Life West.
Neariah Weathers also returns to the National Team camp after a rugby hiatus and celebrating her first child. She also had a standout performance with PR7s last year.
Three athletes will have an opportunity to earn their first cap with the Eagles program: Kelsie O’Brien, Amanda Berta, and Cassidy Bargel.
The USA have played South Africa five times since 2009, winning four of those meetings. Their last matchup was during the 2013 Nations Cup in Glendale, Colorado, where the Eagles took a 61-5 win on home soil. South Africa played in the WXV 2 competition with the USA last fall, but the teams did not get a chance to play each other in the window.
USA v South Africa kickoff time and broadcast details will be confirmed soon.
03.27.2024Eagles
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“The team offers a nice balance of experience and youth, who the coaching staff are excited to see connect and play together," said USA Head Coach Sione Fukofuka. "We have worked hard to select on form and look at all players in the extended player pool in order to select the strongest squad available to play a quality team in South Africa.
"The Talent ID and Assessment camp in Charlotte did exactly what it was intended to do. It provided a new coaching staff the opportunity to work with the US-based players and get a first hand view of the talent in the extended squad. There have clearly been some players that took this opportunity and have been selected to potentially make their debuts, or have returned to the team after time away.
"As a test match opponent we respect South Africa and their ability, but our focus is on us and establishing the core systems and patterns that we as a team will look to build on into 2024. We want to play a USA brand of rugby that highlights the strengths of the team through their physicality and enjoyment of the collision, and adds layers to that by using the ball, being skillful and making good decisions across the field. Combinations and our ability to connect and align across the UK camp will be a focus, however first and foremost we want to establish a strong foundation by emphasizing our core skills and work rate.”
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USA Roster for UK Assembly and South Africa:
Player
Club
Caps
Alivia Leatherman
Notre Dame College
1
Amanda Berta
PR7s Experts
0
Bulou Mataitoga
Loughborough Lightning
13
Cassidy Bargell
Beantown RFC
0
Catie Benson
Sale Sharks
40
Charli Jacoby
Queensland Reds
24
Emily Henrich
Unattached
12
Erica Jarrell
Sale Sharks
5
Gabby Cantorna
Exeter Chiefs
24
Georgie Perris-Redding
Sale Sharks
10
Hallie Taufoou
Loughborough Lightning
14
Hope Rogers
Exeter Chiefs
43
Jenny Kronish
Beantown RFC
12
Katana Howard
Sale Sharks
17
Kate Zackary
Ealing Trailfinders
35
Kathryn Treder
Loughborough Lightning
16
Keia Mae Sagapolu
Leicester Tigers
6
Kelsie O’Brien
Colorado Grey Wolves
0
Kristin Bitter
Life West
3
Lotte Clapp
Saracens
13
McKenzie Hawkins
Colorado Grey Wolves
12
Megan Neyen
Beantown RFC
2
Neariah Weathers
Life West
1
Nikki Kenyon
Seattle Rugby Club
2
Olivia Ortiz
Exeter Chiefs
16
Paige Stathopoulos
Beantown RFC
4
Rachel Ehrecke
Colorado Grey Wolves
10
Rachel Johnson
Exeter Chiefs
25
Tahlia Brody
Leicester Tigers
7
Tess Feury
Leicester Tigers
22
