The APEX Academy team has been selected for the Girls bracket of the Serevi Cup - the high school-age 7s tournament being held in the conjunction with the USA Rugby Club 7s Championships August 9-10 at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash.

 

APEX is run by Summit HS Head Coach Karl Barth, who is also a former USA U19 girls Head Coach. Barth began the APEX program to "to enhance the development of young female rugby players in the United States through high performance rugby opportunities."

 

The team is from several different programs around the country, and because of that, they have not played much together - although three are club teammates, two of those being sisters, so there is a small bit of familiarity.

 

"We will bring the group in to train on Friday and give them tools for their toolbox, like footwork/skills, attacking strategies, running lines, defensive patterns, and get them on the same page," Barth told Goff Rugby Report. "Then [we'll] let them put them into action on Saturday. I have worked with all but a couple of the players, and we will do a little over the internet before we go, too. Good group of players but obviously not as much time together as our opponents so should be fun challenge."

 

Sisters Leti Hingano (see video interview with her here) and Mata Hingano provide plenty of skill. Leti was with the Northern California select side at the Great Northwest Challenge, and Mata played in the Stars & Stripes game and was named to the USA U20 team. Emily Roskopf led Pleasanton to an outstanding season this year, while Ashlee Byrge (Herriman) and Fina Toetu'u (like the Hingano sisters, from Danville) are also on the USA U20 team.

 

The 12 players come from five states, with six from California (five North, one South), three from Colorado (only one from Barth's home club), and one each from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Utah.

 

APEX Girls Team for Serevi Cup

Kelly Albers - Highland Ranch Harlequins

Taylor Bohlender - Summit

Ashlee Byrge - Herriman

Ali DeCrane - St. Joseph's 

Fina Toetu'u - Danville

Leti Hingano - Danville

Mata Hingano - Danville

Tamarin Joubert - Highlands Ranch Harlequins

Diarr Lillie - ICEF

Emily Roskopf -Pleasanton

Kiana 'Coco' Saffings - Dixon

Carley Waters - Downington