An All American at Minnesota, Christy Ringgenberg made her reputation as a player who hit harder than her relatively slight frame would make you predict.

But quickly she showed she could do more than that. Capped before she graduated from Minnesota, Ringgenberg showed that she could play flyhalf, center, fullback, and wing. She had vision, was superbly fit, and very smart. As a 15s player she was central to a superb Minnesota Valkyries team in the early 2000s. She also earned 17 caps and scored 87 points as a 15s Eagle.

As a 7s player, she was luminous, using her versatility to create space and scoring opportunities for the excellent team that finished 3rd in the 2009 Rugby World Cup 7s.

At that tournament, it was plain to several in the press room that had the USA made the final (they missed out by two points and a couple of iffy calls) Ringgenberg would probably have been tournament MVP. She returned to the 7s team for the 2013 RWC 7s and helped the USA to a 3rd-place finish again.

Humble off the field, and one who never forgot that rugby is actually fun, Ringgenberg was uncompromising in her preparation and her performance and her work rate. See the highlights below and you'll see an example.

But we can't ignore her 15s contributions, either, which include her performance in the 2010 World Cup. Ringgenberg was a key figure in three of the USA team's five games. All were Eagle victories. Two were crucial to propelling the USA to 5th. Ringgenberg scored 44 points in those three games. 

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