Following a history making summer at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the USA Women’s Sevens and Olympic bronze medalists will begin their build toward LA 2028 with a thrilling matchup against Premier Rugby Sevens on November 17 at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon.
Head Coach Emilie Bydwell leads the team, composed of four Olympians and new and returning residency players, with Alena Olsen and Kayla Canett named co-captains. The 2024 PR7s All Star Tournament will feature the USA Men’s and Women’s Sevens competing against all-star sides from PR7s clubs; with match schedules and details to be confirmed shortly. All can be seen live on PR7s YouTube, while international viewers can stream the action live on RugbyPass TV.
| Name | HSBC SVNS Tournaments | Olympics |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ariana Ramsey | 7 | Tokyo 2020; Paris 2024 |
| 3. Kayla Canett | 29 | Tokyo 2020; Paris 2024 |
| 6. Alena Olsen | 24 | Paris 2024 |
| 15. Rachel Strasdas | 1 | |
| 19. Kaylen Thomas | 2 | |
| 20. Autie LoCicero | Yet to Debut | |
| 28. Sariah Ibarra | Yet to Debut | |
| 29. Hann Humphreys | Yet to Debut | |
| 32. Alyssa Porter | Yet to Debut | |
| 33. Nia Toliver | Yet to Debut | Tokyo 2020 |
| 99. Autumn Czaplicki | Yet to Debut |
Emilie Bydwell | Head Coach
Zack Test | Assistant Coach
Trey Ford | Head of Athletic Performance
Nicole Titmas | Athletic Trainer
Liz Strohecker | Head of Operations - Sevens
Bydwell said on prep for the new season,
“It’s hard to believe that we are wrapping up our first preseason of the LA 2028 campaign! After achieving our goal of podium in Paris we have had significant turnover as a team and we have spent the fall welcoming the next generation of USA Women’s Sevens players. We see this first year of the quad being focused around building the foundation required to build through the next 4 years. Preseason has emphasized the development of physical capacity, tolerance, and developing the technical skills required to play the way that we want to. Beyond that we have been working on how to help our new residents understand how to thrive in a professional, full time environment and instill the culture and values of our program.”
Bydwell added, “The PR7s competition is perfectly timed prior to Dubai to give us an opportunity to instill and rehearse our processes, build awareness and connection as we start to form a new team, and most importantly provide the players the space to explore their strengths against external competition so we can identify areas that we want to enhance and augment through the early stages of the season. We have some exciting new talent that brings unique super powers to the game, so we will use this competition to encourage them to express themselves while they also learn to play together and how to get the most out of each other.”
The PR7s All Star tournament is a first of its kind, bringing the best rugby sevens talent in the United States all onto one pitch. The Paris 2024 Olympics were a record-breaking experience, creating a wave of excitement around rugby which PR7s and USA Rugby are thrilled to build on in Portland. Four of the 12 players named to the women’s squad are Olympians, three of whom won the bronze medal in Paris this summer. 2020 Olympian Nia Toliver returns to the sevens fold with sights set on the next four years. Sariah Ibarra comes into sevens residency following earning her first cap with the 15s side. Alyssa Porter, Autie LoCicero, and Hann Humphreys look to make their mark with the USA Sevens after earning an invite to residency following the September High Performance Camp.
The 2024 PR7s All Star Tournament will feature the USA Men’s and Women’s Sevens competing against all-star sides from PR7s clubs; all can be seen live on FS2 and PR7s YouTube, while international viewers can stream the action live on RugbyPass TV.
