USA Rugby High Performance today confirmed two upcoming international tours for the Women’s U18s and U20s.
Both occurring in Wales as hosted by the Welsh Rugby Union, the U20s will follow last year’s adventures in Ottawa with an all-new rugby experience in one of World Rugby’s top nations. Both squads will gather at Mount Saint Mary’s University for a pre-tour camp before departing for Cardiff. All three matches for the Women’s U20s will be broadcast live on RugbyPass TV.
As the programs rely heavily on the support of donors, USA Rugby certified National Development Program and supporter, Rhinos Rugby will excitingly Fuel the Future with a direct donation and match all public donations up to $15,000 through its global competition organization, Rugby Tens, , all in the lead up and through both U20 and U18 tours. The XV Foundation has again generously donated funds to bring both programs together for this elevated assembly across the USA Women’s High Performance Pathways. Live stream details are yet to be confirmed but will be shared on USA Rugby channels when known.
The Women’s U20s will start the tour activities with an 11-day camp on the campus of Mount Saint Mary’s University in Maryland, before heading off to Cardiff on July 12 for the TransAtlantic Quad Series. Fixtures will kick off July 14 with three matches planned against Canada, England and Wales U20s.
USA Women’s U20s Head Coach Joel Bonnaud said on the tour, “Similar to previous years, this tour is critical to our athletes’ development in the Pathway, as it teaches them to form an efficient team quickly and compete against opponents who will challenge them tactically, technically, physically and mentally for 80mn non-stop. However, this year provides an amazing growth opportunity, as we will have nine days to form a team instead of three. As a result, the group will be able to dig much deeper in the human relationships and brand of rugby we want to display.”
| Matchup | Date/Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| USA vs Canada | July 14th | 12:30pm ET | Cardiff Metropolitan University |
| USA vs Wales | July 19th | 2:30pm ET | Cardiff Arms |
| USA vs England | July 24th | 12:30pm ET | Cardiff Arms |
| Name | Club |
|---|---|
| Sofia Fernandez | Life University |
| Elizabeth Cook | Charlotte Cardinals/Cardiff Met |
| Erica Kissinger | Cardiff Met |
| Lauren DiPasquale | Central Washington University |
| Courtney Taylor | Harvard University |
| Charlotte Dauser | Davenport University |
| Rebekah “Lissa” Salisbury | Life University |
| Cindy Taulava | Dartmouth College |
| Ashley Torres-Brown | Sacred Heart University |
| Lennox London | Harvard University |
| Carrie Coyer-Westerberg | Davenport University |
| Emma AJ Haughey | Life University |
| Kendall Cunningham | Brown University |
| Reece Woods | Sacred Heart University |
| Ava Reuter | Lindenwood University |
| Kate Muldoon | Brown University |
| Taylor Sadek | Dartmouth College |
| Alissa Eisenhart | United States Military Academy |
| Julia Murray | Brown University |
| Hehea Pulotu | Dartmouth College |
| Avery Morgan | BYU/Life University |
| Lionala Mayorga | Davenport University |
| Alopa Nau | Davenport University |
| Paola Arredondo Almeida | Dartmouth College |
| Skylar Jordan | Harvard University |
| Ashley Cowdrey | Davenport University |
| Non-traveling Reserves | |
| Malia Tuli | Kent Crusaders/Penn State University |
| Neasa McLaughlin | Harvard University |
| Akil Dougherty | Chiefs RFC / Brown University |
| Rachel Wilkie | Davenport University |
| Sereana Vulaono | University of New Haven |
Joel Bonnaud | Head Coach
Kitt Wagner Ruiz | Assistant Coach
Kristin ”Ham” Zdanczewicz | Strength & Conditioning Coach
Janie Kluempers | Athletic Trainer
Kjrsten “Kj” Abel Ruch | Team Manager
Rugby Tens is a global organization offering a complete pathway of competitions, training, academics and career programs promoting Equality in Sport at every level for Men and Women, Boys and Girls. Franchises made of men, women, boys and girls teams participate in Invitationals, Series and Championship events competing to win Division Cups and the coveted annual Franchise Trophy, as well as Prizes.
Rhinos Rugby was founded in 2014 in Southern California with the vision of providing high-performance rugby training and competition for boys, girls, and, later on, men and women in the US. Over the last few years, Rhinos has grown to a global brand, providing athletes a clear and competitive rugby pathway from junior age, to college and professional level, as well as being a proud National Development Program for USA Rugby National Teams.
