Eagle Women Assemble for Canada Test Match
Eagle Women Assemble for Canada Test Match
(USA Rugby Release)—The USA Women's 15s National Team has brought in 31 players for their Pacific Four Series assembly in advance of April 28's test match with Canada.
Captain Kate Zackary is in the list but will miss the home game as she recovers from a foot injury sustained in the South Africa game last month. She will join the team in Australia and New Zealand with the hopes of returning for the PAC4. Lotte Clapp will join the team for the Australia and New Zealand legs as well.
Samantha Brackett joins the squad list for the Pacific Four Series with an opportunity to earn her first international cap with the Eagles. Brackett, who participated in the Eagles ID camp in Charlotte in February, played with the U23s program in 2022 and 2023. The team heads into the 2024 Pacific Four Series with eyes on qualification for WXV 1 and ultimately the 2025 World Cup.
The winner of PAC4 will earn a spot at the World Cup, and the top-six ranked non-qualified teams out of WXV will earn qualification. The top three teams from the Pacific Four Series will head to WXV 1 in Ottawa, while the fourth-ranked team will head to WXV 2 in South Africa.
In 2023 the USA was the fourth-ranked team.
The USA Women’s Eagles kick off against Canada at 1:30pm PT on Sunday, April 28th, at DignityHealth Sports Park in Los Angeles.
“We were happy with a solid performance against South Africa that allowed us to implement our attack and defensive systems and provided an opportunity to test our set piece," said new USA Head Coach Sione Fukofuka. "From the match we took a lot of positives including our ability to win contact, and our work rate to be back on our feet and stay connected defensively for 80 minutes. A key focus for us leading into Canada will be our set piece accuracy and platform, as well as our decision making and our kicking game to exploit the field position and attacking space available."
Fukofuka said missing Zackary is a blow, but, he added. "we are confident in our leadership group to fill that void and drive the team. With the addition of our USA Sevens players, we have added speed and skill to our back three with Atumata Hingano and Autumn Czaplicki, and I’m excited to see them integrate into the team and compete for a position. Ultimately, we are confident in the players re-selected from the UK squad and are looking forward to building off the platform we set in the South Africa test, and taking the Canadian challenge head on.”
USA Women’s Eagles Traveling Squad | 2024 Pacific Four Series | ||
Name | Club | Caps |
Alivia Leatherman | Notre Dame College | 1 |
Amanda Berta | PR7s Experts | 1 |
Atumata Hingano | USA Sevens | 2 |
Autumn Czaplicki | USA Sevens | 3 |
Bulou Mataitoga | Loughborough Lightning | 14 |
Cassidy Bargell | Beantown RFC | 1 |
Catie Benson | Sale Sharks | 41 |
Charli Jacoby | Queensland Reds | 25 |
Emily Henrich | Unattached | 13 |
Erica Jarrell | Sale Sharks | 6 |
Eti Haungatau | Sale Sharks | 13 |
Freda Tafuna | Lindenwood University | 6 |
Gabby Cantorna | Exeter Chiefs | 25 |
Georgie Perris-Redding | Sale Sharks | 11 |
Hallie Taufoou | Loughborough Lightning | 14 |
Hope Rogers | Exeter Chiefs | 44 |
Jenny Kronish | Beantown RFC | 13 |
Katana Howard | Sale Sharks | 18 |
Kate Zackary* | Ealing Trailfinders | 36 |
Kathryn Treder | Loughborough Lightning | 17 |
Keia Mae Sagapiolu | Leicester Tigers | 7 |
Lotte Clapp* | Saracens | 14 |
McKenzie Hawkins | Colorado Grey Wolves | 13 |
Olivia Ortiz | Exeter Chiefs | 17 |
Paige Stathopoulos | Beantown RFC | 5 |
Rachel Ehrecke | Colorado Grey Wolves | 11 |
Rachel Johnson | Exeter Chiefs | 26 |
Samantha Brackett | Rhinos | Yet to debut |
Tahlia Brody | Leicester Tigers | 8 |
Taina Tukuafu | Lindenwood University | 6 |
Tess Feury | Leicester Tigers | 23 |
*Will join the squad for NZ and Australia |