Going into the USA 7s in Las Vegas this week, the USA Women’s 7s program is finally feeling the confidence of some good news.

The Eagles finished 2nd in the Sydney 7s and then followed that up with a tournament victory for the USA Falcons at the Okinawa 7s. It was that win in Okinawa that perhaps harbingers good things for the future, as a relatively young group overcame travel problems, a last-minute unavailability for Bulou Mataitoga, and much unfamiliarity to go 4-0-2 and beat Australia in the final.

For Falcons Coach Andy Locke, it was perhaps some proof that the former West Point All American knows what he’s doing, which is good news is the USA is to continue to develop young coaches.

“Some of the players were brought in through the 15s/7s hybrid residency program, and they’d played 7s but they hadn’t played in an elite international tournament,” explained Locke. “So for a couple of them it was ‘let’s just see how they perform at this level.’ And also we had some players who might play at a certain position with their club team, but that’s not where they project in the [Women’s Sevens World] Series. So our job was to see where will their strength and athleticism allow them to express themselves.”

Locke mixed combinations and tested players, but the absence of Mataitoga meant that some of those player movements had to take a back seat to filling in for her. Regardless, the players came together quickly and showed no issues with being attached to any particular position. They put the team first, which obviously led to the success, but they were also bolstered by a pleasant tournament experience and a strong US fan contingent. 

“The entire experience was great, we loved it,” said Locke. “It was a truly impressive tournament. The hotel, the beach, and the stadium were all within a five-minute walk of each other.”

And with the strong US military presence on the island, the were USA fans. 

“It felt like a home tournament,” said Locke. “We had 75 to 100 service members at every game.”

A group of US military rugby players attended the captain’s run, as well, to provide some defense and meet the players.

That was a special moment for the players, and also a small look at what’s to come when Las Vegas plays host to a Women’s World Series event for the first time. The USA women have played in Vegas before, but mostly on the outside fields. This time,  there will be more than just the one or two games in the stadium.

And also importantly, for all of the players involved - those playing in the World Series event in the Stadium, and those playing for the Falcons in the Women’s Elite 7s, some buildup success does wonders.

Las Vegas Invitational Women's Elite 7s Teams:

USA 7s Women's Schedule: