Seventy-nine young talents convene at Women’s U18 East and West Camps

Dozens of high school talents joined USA Rugby High Performance Pathways for Women’s U18 East and West camps.

Held at Mt. Saint Mary’s University in Maryland (East) and Utah State University in Utah (West), 79 prospective athletes were introduced to a high performance skills academy on the field, while helping to deepen their understanding on how to grow the game for upcoming generations of American rugby players. 

The players invited to the camps, which were held mid-July, were identified during the coast to coast Talent ID Camps tour through the spring of this year, scouted at regional tournaments, and referred by coaches. 

While in camp, the athletes focused on taking initiative. USA Women’s High Performance Pathway Manager, Martha Daines noted that on the field, that translated into taking control of the opposition on both attack and defense, as well as dictating the pace of play. This was done through small-sided games, technical skill sessions, and classroom sessions where players could work with teammates to discuss strategies. 

Daines also said, “We hope the U18s camps gave players new perspectives on how the game could be played, broader understanding of possible roles they might take on the field depending on their strengths, reinforcement or development of skills specific to the point of contact, and attacking in a marked up situation. 

“There’s been considerable growth and development of players over the last year as we’ve had another year of rugby post-COVID. We’re seeing more athletic players who are more resilient and more skilled, which bodes well for future national teams.” 

Alongside the benefits of the young players experiencing a USA Rugby high performance environment, the pool of prospective players for USA Rugby Pathways to keep an eye on and support continues to expand nationwide.