Head Coach Emilie Bydwell announced today the 12 athletes representing Team USA in Rugby Sevens at the 2023 PanAmerican Games.
The team will join a US delegation comprised of 60 sports featured in the Games, taking place October 20 to November 5 in Santiago, Chile. Rugby Sevens kicks off Friday, November 3, live on the PanAm Sports Channel.
Having clinched the silver medal in 2019, the USA Women’s Sevens team will look to improve on its results. The program has selected an experienced team from their elite 7s residency squad athletes they eye the team’s first-ever gold medal in Santiago and begin to focus on cultivating the habits of winning early on in a crucial Olympic year.
The USA will face Canada, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico, and Paraguay as they pursue gold.
Head Coach Emilie Bydwell on roster selection and goals for Santiago:
“The PanAmerican Games is an important tournament for us. We are able to use this competition to look at different combinations off the back of the Fiji Invitational in late September, train behaviors that we have been developing throughout the preseason but most importantly cultivate the habits of winning that we need to refine throughout the season. This is a long year, but we will be treating every competition as an opportunity to win a gold medal and find our best with the players we have selected for that event. Further, being present in the moment enables us to maximize both our on field development and our culture; we are looking forward to seizing the opportunity to do this in Santiago.”
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| 1. Cheta Emba | Prop/Hooker |
| 2. Ilona Maher | Center |
| 4. Nicole Heavirland | Hooker/Scrumhalf |
| 6. Alena Olsen | Scrumhalf |
| 7. Naya Tapper (C) | Wing |
| 9. Nana Fa’avesi | Hooker/Prop |
| 10. Steph Rovetti | Flyhalf/Wing |
| 12. Kristi Kirshe | Prop/Hooker |
| 17. Alex "Spiff" Sedrick | Center |
| 21. Ariana Ramsey | Scrumhalf/Wing |
| 22. Sammy Sullivan | Prop/Wing |
| 23. Lauren Doyle (C) | Wing |
Head Coach | Emilie Bydwell
Assistant Coach | Zack Test
Strength & Conditioning | Trey Ford
Athletic Trainer | Nicole Titmas
Team Manager | Liz Strohecker
Friday, November 3
Pool A
v. Jamaica | 9 a.m. ET
v. Colombia | 2 p.m. ET
v. Paraguay | 5:20 p.m. ET
Saturday, November 4
Knockouts begin at 9 a.m. ET
