Head Coach Sione Fukofuka announced today the 30-player squad selected to travel to WXV 1 in British Columbia. The team heads to Vancouver for their three-match series, where they will play England, France, and Ireland.
Captained by Kate Zackary, the squad includes returning legend Hope Rogers, who rejoins the squad for the first time since their Pacific Four Series win against Australia in May. Alev Kelter comes into the 15s squad for the first time since the Rugby World Cup 2022. Following a bronze medal win at the Paris Olympics, Kelter begins working toward a berth at the Rugby World Cup 2025.
Several athletes from the USA Women’s Sevens program also join the Eagles traveling roster. Kris Thomas joins after returning from Paris as a traveling reserve for the Olympic team. Cheta Emba, Atumata Hingano, Joanne “Nana’ Fa’avesi, and Summer Harris-Jones join Thomas from the sevens team.
Newly capped Eagles Sophie Pyrz, Tessa Hann, and Emerson Allen head to Canada as well, each having earned their first international test cap in Japan last month for a two-match warmup series for WXV.
The Eagles will convene this month in Bellingham, Wa at the de Wilde Rugby & Polo Fields for a preparation camp ahead of their first WXV 1 test against England on Sunday, September 29, kicking off 3:30pm ET on Peacock.
“The squad was selected on the basis that WXV is a performance tournament for us, and we wanted to select the strongest squad we had available. The players selected from their Pacific Four Series and Japan form have demonstrated development in their physical, technical, and tactical ability, and we are excited to test them in WXV 1. Kris, Cheta, and Alev join us from the Sevens program ready to make their mark back in the fifteens game after a successful time with the sevens program. We also welcome back the experience and on field presence of Kate, Rachel, and Hope, excited with the leadership that provides the team.
Results are obviously important but we are also looking to continue to build key elements of our game and compete with the best teams in the world. We want to challenge ourselves to create a platform off our set piece and our ability to win collisions, and we want to keep expressing that Eagles DNA that the team wants to be known for.”
| NAME | CLUB | EAGLES CAPS |
|---|---|---|
| Alev Kelter | Loughborough Lightning | 23 |
| Alivia Leatherman | Life West | 5 |
| Atumata Hingano | USA Sevens | 6 |
| Bulou Mataitoga | Loughborough Lightning | 18 |
| Cassidy Bargell | Beantown RFC | 2 |
| Catie Benson | Sale Sharks | 45 |
| Charli Jacoby | Exeter Chiefs | 29 |
| Cheta Emba | USA Sevens | 9 |
| Emerson Allen | Life West / Rhinos | 1 |
| Emily Henrich | Leicester Tigers | 18 |
| Erica Jarrell | Sale Sharks | 10 |
| Gabby Cantorna | Exeter Chiefs | 30 |
| Hallie Taufoou | Loughborough Lightning | 19 |
| Hope Rogers | Exeter Chiefs | 47 |
| Joanne "Nana" Fa'avesi | USA Sevens | 7 |
| Kate Zackary | Ealing Trailfinders | 37 |
| Kathryn Treder | Loughborough Lightning | 22 |
| Keia Mae Sagapolu | Leicester Tigers | 11 |
| Kris Thomas | USA Sevens | 11 |
| Maya Learned | Colorado Gray Wolves | 13 |
| McKenzie Hawkins | Colorado Gray Wolves | 17 |
| Paige Stathopoulos | Beantown RFC | 10 |
| Rachel Ehrecke | Colorado Gray Wolves | 15 |
| Rachel Johnson | Exeter Chiefs | 29 |
| Sophie Pyrz | Life West / Rhinos | 2 |
| Summer Harris-Jones | USA Sevens | 4 |
| Tahlia Brody | Leicester Tigers | 12 |
| Taina Tukuafu | Berkeley All Blues | 10 |
| Tess Feury | Leicester Tigers | 28 |
| Tessa Hann | Colorado Gray Wolves | 1 |
Head Coach | Sione Fukofuka
Assistant Coach | Mel Bosman
Assistant Coach | Sarah Chobot
Team Doctor | Rebecca Rodriguez (Week 1)
Team Doctor | Marvin Valencia (Week 2&3)
Lead Physiotherapist | Emily Lauer
Physiotherapist | Sam Malette
Head of Athletic Performance | Charles Dudley
Performance Recovery Coach | Sylvia Braaten
Lead Analyst | Caitlin Singletary
Team Manager | Lindsay Wilson
USA v England
Sunday, September 29, 2024 | 3:30pm ET
Live on Peacock
USA v France
Saturday, October 5, 2024 | 3:30pm ET
Live on Peacock
USA v Ireland
Friday, October 11, 2024 | 3:30pm ET
Live on Peacock
