USA Women’s Pathways Manager, Martha Daines today confirmed a busy summer for the USA Junior National Teams, with two international tours scheduled for the U18s and U20s in July and the return of the U23s All Star Competition in June, in partnership with the New England Free Jacks of Major League Rugby.
USA Rugby High Performance managers organized an extraordinary amount of Junior National Team activity in 2023, with more focused plans and partnerships in line for this year. Continuing to identify new talent and cultivate a core group year-in year-out, Daines and company look forward to the program’s progression toward pinnacle home events in the LA28 Olympics and Rugby World Cup 2033.
“We realize these current U18s and U20s player groups will be the backbone of our major events at home in 2028 and 2033, so understanding the landscape of talent we have now is critical to that long-term success. The competitions and assemblies we hope to organize with the support of donors, will help introduce these young athletes to a global level of rugby and new styles of play that are fundamental in developing a USA Eagle.”
“Fundraising is integral to the program’s success and the life-changing experiences these young players work so hard for. Right now, we partially rely on a pay-to-play model, where donations and gifts can help to relieve that pressure and break down barriers for all deserving talent to participate and grow. Donations of any amount support the coaches and players on so many levels, from travel and accommodations to the right equipment and facilities to help each focus on their rugby and fall more in love with the game.”
Supporters can donate directly to the USA Women’s Junior National Teams by selecting a one-time or monthly donation to the programs.
DONATE TO THE U18s » | DONATE TO THE U20s »
The Women’s U20s will first head off to Cardiff, WAL for the TransAtlantic Quad Series, facing off with Canada, Wales and England from July 14th - 24th. The U18s will follow with a trio of matches against international sides in a festival style competition from July 20-28, also in Cardiff. The focus for this event will be early development with joint training sessions, a festival style mid-week competition, and full matches to end the week.
Match dates, times and live stream information is still coming together and will be shared on USA Rugby channels when available.
“There is a really exciting summer of activities to leverage around these competitions, we’ll again host two regional camps for the U18s, bringing together the top 40 players from east and west regions of the country. This is a productive opportunity for us to verify the talent we have already worked with or identified through community events.”
“For the U20s, we’re excited to expand the preparation time for the program with the support of Mount Saint Mary’s as camp hosts, giving the coaches 12 days of training and alignment ahead of the three-match series overseas. Our goal is to continue building the amount of contact time we have with these young prospects, to help them develop the high performance habits they need to have to compete on the world stage.”
DONATE TO THE U18s » | DONATE TO THE U20s »
In 2023, USA Rugby and the New England Free Jacks partnered to host a Border Battle match between the USA and Canada U23s programs. Both organizations are pleased to again join forces on this year’s U23 All Stars Championship in June.
All eight regional teams from the 2023 competition will return for this year's competition at Veterans Stadium in Quincy, MA on June 28 and 30. The tournament is hosted by the New England Free Jacks and supported in part by Major League Rugby. The All Star Championship will act as a selection venue for a Women’s U23 Top 40 Camp aimed at bringing together the most promising 15s and sevens players later in the summer. More information on match schedule, times and teams soon to come.
