The USA Women’s Sevens have officially landed in Los Angeles after a drive up I-5 from Chula Vista, ready to compete in the 2025 HSBC SVNS World Championship on home soil.
Head Coach Emilie Bydwell and staff have selected the traveling roster, including an Eagles debut for Ashley Cowdrey. The Los Angeles stop will be an exciting finish for the USA, wrapping up a foundational of a new players, new direction and new optimism ahead of the LA2028 Olympics, set to compete in the same venue as this weekend, Dignity Health Sports Park. The HSBC SVNS World Championship kicks off Saturday, 1pm ET live on RugbyPass TV. Tickets and experiences still available with Dignity Health Sports Park windows open for walk up patrons.
Head Coach Emilie Bydwell said on the team’s energy at home, “With this being both the final tournament of the season and our home stop, we’ve spent the past few weeks zeroing in on our team identity, the Highwomen. That identity is rooted in alignment around a common purpose, and we’re drawing inspiration from the opportunity to inspire the communities we represent. Our goal is to embody the values of the USA Women’s Sevens program and deliver performances that reflect who we are. Performances that we, and our supporters, can be proud of.”
Reflecting on the year and goals for the season finale, Bydwell added, “This is the first year of a new cycle and the beginning of building something special with this team. We’ve experienced both highs and lows, but what matters most is finishing the season by playing the way we want to play - with courage, work ethic, and resilience. To do that, we’re focused on staying present, taking it one game at a time, and celebrating every win, big and small, along the way.”
The USA have an action-packed Pool B schedule against France, Australia and Fiji. France and Australia sit in the top three ranks while Fiji have been an exciting match up with the USA this year. Two championship pools will feed right into Championship Semifinals on Sunday, so the USA will need to come away with at least two wins to stay in the podium chase.
Ashley Cowdrey will excitingly debut in front of a home crowd. The Michigan native and 2023 USA Club Rugby 7s Championship MVP first hit the USA Rugby radar with Davenport and the Chicago Lions, before climbing the ranks to an invite with the USA Sevens national side.
Kristi Kirshe steps in as Captain, also earning her 30th tournament selection since first debuting in 2019. Kayla Canett, recently celebrating a birthday on arrival to Los Angeles, is named Vice Captain. In injury news, veteran Spiff Sedrick will sit out the 2025 finale after a knee injury in Hong Kong on the last tour.
| Name | HSBC Tournaments |
|---|---|
| 1. Ariana Ramsey | 13 |
| 3. Kayla Canett (VC) | 35 |
| 6. Alena Olsen | 30 |
| 12. Kristi Kirshe (C) | 29 |
| 13. Sarah Levy | 13 |
| 16. Jess Lu | 4 |
| 20. Autumn LoCicero | 6 |
| 22. Sammy Sullivan | 16 |
| 24. Su Adegoke | 6 |
| 26. Ashley Cowdrey* | Debut |
| 30. Tessa Hann | 2 |
| 33. Nia Toliver | 5 |
Emilie Bydwell | Head Coach
Zack Test | Assistant Coach
Trey Ford | Head of Athletic Performance
Nicole Titmas | Manager of Medical Services; Head Athletic Trainer
Peter Haberl | Sport Psychologist
Liz Strohecker | Head of Operations – Sevens
Sat, May 3
USA vs France | 2:28pm ET
USA vs Australia | 5:51pm ET
USA vs Fiji | 9:02pm ET
Playoff rounds begin Sun, May 4 at 2:50pm ET.
