The USA Women’s Eagles arrived in Japan this week for a two-test series against the hosts, as Tess Feury captains the squad into their first test match against Japan since Rugby World Cup 2021 (played in 2022).
Head Coach Sione Fukofuka announced the squad of 23, with new and returning players given an opportunity ahead of WXV selections. Alivia Leatherman starts as the loosehead prop, with vice captain Kathryn Treder and Charli Jacoby joining in on the front row. McKenzie Hawkins starts as flyhalf as she steps into a vice captain role for the Japan tour. Summer Harris-Jones also returns to USA residency and her first starting position since 2024 Pacific Four Series last spring.
On bench, Maya Learned returns to an Eagles roster for the first time since the 2023 Pacific Four Series over a year ago. Emerson Allen, Sophie Pyrz, and Sariah Ibarra have an opportunity to earn their first Eagles cap coming off bench. Ibarra first jumped on the USA Rugby radar with the U18s in 2022, while Allen and Pyrz have been in the pathway and competing with the Rhinos Rugby Academy, a USA Rugby National Development Program.
Having played Japan only twice in program history, both during the Rugby World Cup, the 11th ranked Japanese team should be a great series of fixtures ahead of the first venture into WXV1 for the United States. The tour will be a two-match series, with matches on August 11 and the second August 17, both streaming live in the US on RugbyPass TV.
“The team has settled in well and has adjusted well to the short prep and heat here in Fukuoka. We have had two on-field sessions where we have worked hard at connecting after being apart since PAC4, and aligning our standards across the squad with a number of new faces coming in.
The roster for Japan was based on combinations in key positions as well as selecting players that put in the work across the remote program and we feel will allow us to play to our strengths and pressure Japan.
It's exciting to be able to provide the opportunity for the new faces in the roster to add their value to the jersey. I’m happy to see the hard work that Emerson Allen and Sophie Pyrz have put in over the past six months has paid off. It’s great to see Maya Learned and Summer Harris-Jones back in the USA match day roster and we are excited to see Sariah Ibarrah express herself on the field. Building depth and competition across the squad is a key focus and this series against a very good Japan team is a great opportunity to provide that opportunity.”
| Name | Club | Caps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Alivia Leatherman | Life West | 3 |
| 2. Kathryn Treder (VC) | Loughborough Lightning | 20 |
| 3. Charli Jacoby | Exeter Chiefs | 28 |
| 4. Erica Jarrell | Sale Sharks | 9 |
| 5. Hallie Taufoou | Loughborough Lightning | 17 |
| 6. Rachel Ehrecke | Colorado Gray Wolves | 13 |
| 7. Tahlia Brody | Leicester Tigers | 10 |
| 8. Freda Tafuna | Lindenwood University | 8 |
| 9. Olivia Ortiz | Exeter Chiefs | 20 |
| 10. McKenzie Hawkins (VC) | Colorado Gray Wolves | 15 |
| 11. Summer Harris-Jones | USA Sevens | 3 |
| 12. Gabby Cantorna | Exeter Chiefs | 28 |
| 13. Atumata Hingano | USA Sevens | 2 |
| 14. Bulou Mataitoga | Loughborough Lightning | 17 |
| 15. Tess Feury (C) | Leicester Tigers | 26 |
| 16. Paige Stathopoulos | Beantown RFC | 8 |
| 17. Catie Benson | Sale Sharks | 43 |
| 18. Maya Learned | Colorado Gray Wolves | 11 |
| 19. Emerson Allen | Life West / Rhinos | Yet to Debut |
| 20. Keia Mae Sagapolu | Leicester Tigers | 9 |
| 21. Sophie Pyrz | Life West / Rhinos | Yet to Debut |
| 22. Emily Henrich | Leicester Tigers | 16 |
| 23. Sariah Ibarra | USA Sevens | Yet to Debut |
Head Coach | Sione Fukofuka
Assistant Coach | Mel Bosman
Assistant Coach | Sarah Chobot
Team Doctor | Derek Hatfield
Head Athletic Trainer | Emily Lauer
ATC | Sam Malette
Lead Physical Performance Coach | Sylvia Braaten
Analyst | Caitlin Singletary
Team Manager | Lindsay Wilson
USA vs Japan | Sunday, August 11 | 5am ET
Mikuni World Stadium | Kitakyushu, JPN
Watch live on RugbyPass TV
USA vs Japan | Saturday, August 17 | 5am ET
ECOPA Stadium | Shizuoka, JPN
Watch live on RugbyPass TV
