The USA Women’s Falcons will return to South America next month, competing in a two-match series against Brazil.
The annual tour serves as an opportunity for the broader Women’s Eagles player pool to gain international match minutes, with a roster comprised of familiar senior squad names and up and coming future stars. USA Rugby High Performance Pathways Head Coach Orlando Pulou will step into the leading role for this tour, with 28 athletes ready to compete. The Brazil tour will excitingly be opened with a first of its kind exhibition match against CRAA National Champion Life University from Marietta, GA on August 3rd at 6pm ET. Fans can attend the match with tickets listed at usa.rugby/tickets or watch live on USA Rugby YouTube.
Pulou said on the program’s objectives ahead of tour, "The overall objective of this prep camp is to establish clear standards and processes that will drive our development as we prepare for Brazil. Specifically, we aim to set high expectations for our style of play, create consistent processes for players to learn, review, improve and bring clarity around roles for both players and staff. This will help us build strong cohesion and develop a style, speed and intensity of play that we’ll be excited about."
USA Women’s Falcons Tour Schedule
| Date | Match |
|---|---|
| 3-Aug | USA Falcons vs Life University |
| 8-Aug | USA Falcons vs Brazil |
| 12-Aug | USA Falcons vs Brazil |
The 28 traveling players consist of collegiate, club, Women’s Elite Rugby and USA Sevens residency players, where selections were made hand-in-hand with USA Women’s Eagles Head Coach Jack Hanratty; based on performance in the early-year domestic camp, club play and select development goals.
Speaking to the marquee match against Life University, Pulou added, “The match against Life will present several key challenges and benefits for our squad. The immediate challenge will be adapting to the hot and humid summer conditions in Atlanta, which some of our players may not be accustomed to. On the positive side, Life University has a well-established, high-performance program and will not make things easy for us. We expect a tough, competitive match that will challenge and disrupt our play.”
In a unique moment, Life Running Eagles Bella Vogel, Lissa Salisbury and Nina Mason have been selected to the Falcons and will compete for the opportunity to suit up against their own National Championship winning collegiate side.
USA Women’s Falcons Traveling Squad
| Name | Current Club |
|---|---|
| Abigail Paton | Matatu |
| Alopa Nau | Davenport University |
| Bella Vogel | Life University |
| Chloe Hill-Huse | Sunnybank Union Club |
| Cindy Taulava | Dartmouth College |
| Courtney Taylor | Harvard University |
| Hehea Pulotu | Dartmouth College |
| Jordynn LeBeau | Dartmouth College |
| Karina Gauto | USA 7s |
| Katelyn Walker | Dartmouth College |
| Kennedy Feasby | Denver Onyx |
| Lauryn Carlton | Boston Banshees |
| Lissa Salisbury | Life University |
| Maddie Hubbell | Harvard University |
| Makayla Wilkins | Denver Onyx |
| Malia Isaacs | WER Boston Banshees |
| Molly McAlevey | Boston Banshees |
| Morgan Freeman | Saracens / Beckenham RFC |
| Nina Mason | Life University |
| Reece Woods | Sacred Heart University |
| Reece Moody | Dartmouth College |
| Sadie Schier | Denver Onyx |
| Sam Brackett | Twin Cities Gemini |
| Sayler Russell | Long Island University |
| Tahlia Brody | Denver Onyx |
| Telesi Uhatafe | Southern Nazarene Univ |
| Tessa Hann | USA 7s |
| Tiahna Padilla | Twin Cities Gemini |
USA Women’s Falcons Traveling Squad
Head Coach | Orlando Pulou
Assistant (Defense) | Mel Denham
Assistant (Forwards) | Lissa Jackson
Assistant (Backs/Transition Play) | Jack Hanratty
Strength & Conditioning | Nick Gallagher
Team Medical | Anna Unnasch
Team Medical | Mia Pelton
Team Manager | Louise Stewart
