Following a successful outing in Chicago, last year around the 2022 Women’s Premier League Championship, USA High Performance Pathways and partner organizations will again host the Women’s U23 All Star tournament with eight teams traveling to Des Moines, IA for a three-day competition, workshop, and Talent ID Camp at the fields of host Des Moines Rugby Club.
Semifinals will play out on Friday, June 23, seeding the Championship brackets for Sunday, June 25. Saturday will feature a training and rest day for the competing teams with a regional High Performance Pathways Talent ID Camp, Coaching Development Workshops and non-contact rugby clinic presented by the Des Moines Rugby Foundation.
Score updates from the All Star tournament will be posted to @usarugby channels, with full match replays available on USA Rugby YouTube following the games. Admission is free to those looking to attend each match in person.
| Friday, June 23 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:30a | Match 1 (Tier 2) | #1 Mid-Atlantic U23s | #4 Rocky Mountain Peaks |
| 11:30a | Match 2 (Tier 2) | #2 New England Independents | #3 Central South Mustangs |
| 1:30p | Match 1 (Tier 1) | #1 U3 Southeast Selects | #4 Pacific South Griffins |
| 3:30p | Match 2 (Tier 1) | #2 Midwest Thunderbirds U23s | #3 Pacific Coast Grizzlies |
| Friday, June 23 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00a | Tier 1 Consolation Match | ||
| 11:00a | Tier 2 Championship Match | ||
| 1:00p | Tier 1 Consolation Match | ||
| 3:00p | Tier 1 Championship Match | ||
USA Rugby Women’s High Performance Pathways Manager, Martha Daines said on the pinnacle event, “
Through the U23 All-Star competition, pathway coaches and scouts are able to see talented players we might have previously missed or overlooked because they play for a club team or college team that doesn’t compete at the national level. The regional All Star teams give these promising players a chance to develop their skills and test themselves in a more robust, more challenging competition than they might otherwise experience. Our pathway teams can only benefit as a result.
A special thank you to Doug Loots, Des Moines Rugby Foundation President and West Des Moines City Council member, for all of his work to make this event successful.”
A second year running, the U23 All Star Tournament offers a premier opportunity for the top under 23 players in women’s rugby to compete alongside the best talent and find the radar of USA High Performance Pathways, looking to develop a strong talent pool across multiple regions. With the generous support of the regional programs, Des Moines Rugby Club and the City of Des Moines, the next generation of USA Eagles will all gather for an all-intensive weekend of competition.
Adding to the progression, USA Women’s U23s Head Coach Katie Dowty and USA Women’s U20s Head Coach Joel Bonnaud will host developmental coaching workshops across defense and kicking, alongside a High Performance Pathways Talent ID combine in search of new talent.
