USA Women’s Pathways Head Coach Irene Gardner announced the 12 players set to compete with the Falcons at the Emirates Dubai 7s Invitational, held alongside the Emirates Dubai SVNS series.
In their first-ever appearance at the invitational, the women’s Falcons have a unique opportunity to play on the world’s biggest stage as they kick off just one day before the HSBC SVNS 2024 season begins on Saturday at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai. Real-time score updates and stats will be available on the Emirates Dubai 7s app, with final results posted to @usarugby.
Co-captains Sarah Levy and Autumn LoCicero lead a squad of residency players and newcomer athletes. Levy and Atumata Hingano both have experience on the SVNS series, while Autumn Czaplicki, Jessica Lu, and Kaylen Thomas join the squad from full-time residency with the USA Sevens. The invitational will give them critical playing time on an international stage to further develop the USA Sevens program as a whole. LoCicero and Alex Wantlin were named to the Falcons team following a successful summer with the U23s program, while Ashley Cowdrey joins off a summer with the U20s.
Competing against select sides from other top nations including Australia, South Africa and Ireland, this year’s invitations is a true building block for these prospects looking to put their hand up for the SVNS series going forward.
“We are looking forward to competitive match ups in the Dubai International Invitational. The Falcons squad is comprised of Pathway Academy players in combination with full-time resident players.
We expect high-paced, physical play and are excited to showcase USA Pathways at an international tournament alongside a SVNS event. The opportunity for our pathway players to experience the international tour is critical for their development and the future of the USA Women’s Sevens program. We are grateful for generous donors who have made this a reality for our developing players.``
Real-time score updates and stats will be available on the Emirates Dubai 7s app, with final results posted to @usarugby.
| Name | Club |
|---|---|
| Alex Wantlin | Life University |
| Ashley Cowdrey | Davenport University |
| Atumata Hingano | USA Sevens / Golden State Retrievers PR7s |
| Autumn Czaplicki | USA Sevens / Steeltoes PR7s |
| Autumn LoCicero (C) | Life University / Golden State Retrievers PR7s |
| Jessica Lu | USA Sevens / Rhinos Loggerheads PR7s |
| Karina Gauto | Leprechaun Tigers RFC / Rhinos Loggerheads PR7s |
| Kaylen Thomas | USA Sevens |
| Makell Edwards | Golden State Retrievers PR7s |
| Natalie Bjorklund | Rhinos Academy / Rhinos Loggerheads PR7s |
| Sarah Levy (C) | USA Sevens |
| Sydney Copeland | Western Washington University |
Friday, Dec. 1
v. Ireland Invitational | 6:20 am ET
v. Rhino Stompers | 8:40 am ET
v. France Militaire Sevens | 10:20 am ET
Saturday, Dec. 2
v. Kenya Lionesses | 10:00 am ET
Sunday, Dec. 3
Knockouts begin 5:00 am ET
