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Rugby

USA Rugby Sets Women’s Attendance Record in Kansas City

May 7, 2025 by Tara S

The USA Rugby women’s 15s shattered the sport’s US attendance record on Friday, welcoming 10,518 fans to Kansas City’s CPKC Stadium for the Eagles’ matchup against Canada.

Though the world No. 9 ranked US fell short in their come-from-behind push, falling 26-14 to No. 2 Canada in the opening game of the 2025 Pacific Four Series, Friday’s crowd gave the players a massive off-field victory.

“To see the crowd be over 10,500 like that was absolutely fantastic in this women’s purposely built stadium, and to debut rugby here in that stadium as well,” said USA captain Kate Zackary after the game.

Even Canada’s athletes lauded the significance of the record-setting crowd, despite the overwhelmingly US cheers from the home fans.

“Being here in North America and having 10,000 people coming to watch women’s sports was so amazing,” remarked Canada’s Sarah-Maude Lachance.

USA rugby star Ilona Maher carries the ball during a game against Canada.
Stars like Ilona Maher are helping grow rugby in the US. (Nick Tre. Smith/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Rugby’s rise spurs exponential growth

After the Eagles secured Olympic bronze in rugby sevens last summer, the sport gained significant momentum.

The national attention captured by 2024 Olympians like superstar Ilona Maher earned USA Rugby a multimillion-dollar investment, helped fuel a new domestic league, and minted fresh fans en route to Friday’s attendance record.

In the long-term, that growth could turn the US-hosted 2033 Rugby World Cup into a marquee national event.

For the rugby faithful, however, the biggest win is seeing those new to the sport become lifelong fans.

“Everyone I talked to after [Friday’s] game who didn’t know what rugby was, [I hope] has fallen in love with it,” said Zachary.

How to attend the next USA Rugby game

The Eagles will take aim at breaking Friday’s attendance record in Washington, DC, on July 19th, when they’ll face No. 16 Fiji in a send-off game before August’s 2025 Rugby World Cup in England.

Tickets to the Audi Field doubleheader, which also includes the US men’s side against England, are available online now.

Filed Under: Rugby, Women's Sports

Rugby-US women’s grassroots flourishes after Olympic sevens heroics

March 6, 2025 by Tara S

by Georgina McCartney | MSN

HOUSTON (Reuters) – Grassroots women’s rugby has blossomed in popularity in the U.S. as thousands of new players lace up their boots after being inspired by the country’s stellar performance at the Paris Olympics last year.

Membership of women’s rugby clubs is already at 95% of last year’s total, according to USA Rugby, with a vast number more expected with the spring and summer seasons yet to fully kick off.

Membership is set to exceed previous seasons by a good margin after women and girls watched in awe as the U.S. women won the country’s first Olympic sevens medal, stunning former champions Australia in the final seconds of their playoff to claim bronze.

“Watching Team USA smash through those girls, it was just amazing,” said Jazzmin Jones, 28, who has signed up for her first season after watching the Paris Olympics.

“The way my body is built, you don’t see a lot of that in women’s sports, but watching Team USA, I saw that they look like me, they’re strong, and I’m strong too,” said the proud new member of Houston Athletic Rugby Club.

ILONA MAHER EFFECT

“When I was growing up, there were really no contact sports for girls, I feel like I lived in a rugby desert for my whole upbringing,” said former U.S. international, Alycia Washington, who started playing rugby at

“I am in awe of the growth of the game,” said Washington, now retired from international rugby and playing at Stade Bordelais in Bordeaux, France.

One woman in particular has helped boost that growth, rising to international stardom after Paris. With more than eight million followers on Instagram and TikTok, Ilona Maher is the biggest social media star in the game – men or women.

“The Ilona Maher effect is a real thing,” Washington said of the player whose arrival at English club Bristol this year has sparked record crowds.

Whether she is scattering opponents on the pitch, wearing a sparkling dress on Dancing with the Stars or flexing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Olympic medallist Maher is a force to be reckoned with, on and off the field.

“Ilona is creating so much momentum for the sport but it’s not going to sustain itself,” Washington said.

Wendy Young, editor of Your Scrum Connection and involved in grassroots U.S. rugby for the last 24 years, said: “There are thousands of youth players headed for college and club level rugby hot off the heels of Paris 2024, but with teams few and far between in many states there is work to be done.”

ALL EYES ON LA 2028

“It is a day-in, day-out fight to grow the game here in the U.S., but we’re seeing growth and we have a lot of great support across the country,” said USA Rugby CEO Bill Goren.

The U.S. will host the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2031, and the women’s in 2033, sparking more investment in the country from the sport’s governing body World Rugby.

“You’re going to see more athletes getting into the game of rugby and competing at a world-class level,” said Goren.

They will be helped by the establishment of a new professional league, Women’s Elite Rugby (WER).

Starting in March and funded by small independent investors, it consists of six new teams based in California, Massachusetts, Chicago, New York, Minnesota and Colorado.

“When fans look at the WER players, the point is to see their sisters, neighbours, their gutsy best friends and everything in between in those athletes,” said Katherine Aversano, acting Vice President of the WER.

“The Olympics drew back the curtain to show people we’re here, we are accessible, authentic and raw,” Aversano said.

The trailblazers of the Paris Olympics helped to mainstream women’s rugby in the U.S., and from new players to veterans, the community is nurturing that momentum.

“If you have a ball and a patch of grass, you could start playing some rugby,” Washington said.

“The high schoolers of today will be playing in the World Cup of 2033, and we need to develop those athletes now to really push for the podium.”

Filed Under: Rugby

Women’s Elite Rugby prepares for lift off

January 30, 2025 by Tara S

Women’s Elite Rugby​ (WER) — the first-ever semi-pro US women’s rugby league — dropped its inaugural team branding yesterday ahead of its March 2025 kick-off.

  • The Bay Breakers, Boston Banshees, Chicago Tempest, Denver Onyx, New York Exiles, and Twin Cities Gemini headline the six-team, 180-player league.
  • “Rugby, its athletes, and fans are not one thing — each is multifaceted,” said WER co-founder and VP Katherine Aversano. “Our six team identities resonate with that modern complexity but are visually rooted in the bold American sports landscape.”

Big picture: With the goal of full professionalization, WER aims to both capitalize on the hype generated by Team USA’s Olympic bronze-medal run and to grow the sport domestically prior to the US-hosted 2033 Rugby World Cup.

  • “For 15 years, women’s rugby players in the Women’s Premier League have played in an amateur, pay-to-play, cross-country league and the consensus is this model is no longer sustainable,” WER president Dr. Jessica Hammond-Graf said. “The mission of the WER is to be the defining standard of rugby in the United States.”

Filed Under: Rugby

World Rugby to expand female coach development programme

March 28, 2024 by Tara S

The Gallagher High Performance Academy will improve the pathway for women at elite levels of the sport and increase the prominence of female coaches and other high performance roles at the top level.

The original programme, designed in partnership with Gallagher – an official partner of women’s rugby, WXV 2023 & 2024, and Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 – was launched in 2023 ahead of the inaugural WXV 15s tournament as part of a strategic plan to accelerate the development of women’s rugby, and increase the competitiveness of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in England.

Following the success of the initial programme, World Rugby is rolling out the scheme to all formats of the women’s game, with 10 Sevens coaches to be inaugurated into the Gallagher High Performance Academy, in 2024.

World Rugby Chief of Women’s Rugby, Sally Horrox said: “As we celebrate the second year of the Gallagher High Performance Academy by extending the reach of programme to encompass all formats of the women’s game, we are not just shaping coaches; we are sculpting the future of women’s rugby.

“Together with Gallagher, we continue to champion diversity, excellence, and inclusivity on and off the field. 

“The Academy enables a clear pathway for aspiring female coaches and provides vitally important coaching opportunities as we strive towards our ambitious target of 40% female high performance coaching roles at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. 

“We are already starting to see the fruits of our labour as coaches progress into full time roles around the world.”

With a focus on talent identification, professional support and championing the next generation of international coaches, the Gallagher High Performance Academy develops existing coaching talent, and identifies opportunities for new coaches and other high performance roles.

Sixteen women, from 16 different nations, took part in the first Academy in 2023. Each of the participants were fully embedded with their respective nations, before and during WXV, providing them with meaningful professional development opportunities, as well as the opportunity to gain valuable experience of working in a high-performance sporting environment.

Off the field, participants received mentor support and took part in a series of online and in-person workshops, hosted by World Rugby and Gallagher. 

Workshops were tailored to cover a variety of topics, ranging from game planning, tactics and skill development, to relationships, communication and creating the right culture; as well as relevant, best practice learnings from Gallagher, sharing transferable skills.

All 10 newly inaugurated coaches took part in a rugby coaching masterclass at Dignity Health Sports Park, in Los Angeles.

The inductees staged a series of live coaching sessions, putting into practice the skills that they have been learning through the Academy and the in game live experience they have gained from being embedded in their respective teams for the HSBC World SVNS Series. 

They were joined by players and coaches from grassroots clubs within the local community, who benefitted from being coached by some of the most inspirational women in world rugby.

“We are proud of and excited for the extension of the Gallagher High Performance Academy into all formats of women’s rugby,” added Chris Mead, chief marketing officer for Gallagher.

“The growth of the programme is testament to its success and impact in its inaugural year, providing meaningful career development. Expanding the programme to make it more inclusive will further accelerate the growth of women’s rugby around the world and continue to raise opportunities for women both on and off the field.”

Filed Under: Rugby, Women in Sports

10 BREAKOUT PERFORMANCES BY TEAM USA ATHLETES IN SUMMER SPORTS IN 2023

December 22, 2023 by Tara S

BY CHRÖS MCDOUGALL | Team USA

New stars emerge every four years at the Olympics and Paralympics. If you were paying attention in 2023, though, you might have caught a preview of what’s to come next summer.

The year before the Olympic and Paralympic Games Paris 2024 saw several breakout performances from Team USA athletes, results that included world championships, world records and drought-busting finishes.

Fans can follow along throughout the year at TeamUSA.com, but as we look ahead to the Olympic and Paralympic year in 2024, here are 10 athletes who showed in 2023 that they could be names to watch for in Paris:

Minna Stess, Skateboarding

Currently ranked 5th in the world, Minna Stess made history this year by placing third at the WST Park World Championship 2023 in Rome Ostia. In addition to securing crucial points for the Road to Paris 2024, Stess became the first U.S. woman ever to podium at an Olympic qualifier or Worlds event. At just 17 years old, she is considered the top U.S. female athlete in park skateboarding.

Sarah Adam of USA Wheelchair Rugby on the podium at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

Mark Reis: Team USA

Sarah Adam, Wheelchair Rugby

Long a mixed-gender sport in name only, wheelchair rugby in the United States now has a female star. Adam broke through to become the first U.S. woman to compete at the world championships in 2022, and in 2023 she established herself as a go-to scorer on a team with Paralympic gold-medal aspirations. Adam, who when not playing is a professor of occupational therapy at St. Louis University, played key roles for Team USA in two major tournaments this year, including the Parapan American Games in November in Santiago, Chile. A victory there made Adam the first woman to win Parapan Ams gold in the sport and secured Team USA’s spot in Paris next year. Only Chuck Aoki, a three-time Paralympic medalist, scored more points than Adam.

Hannah Chadwick of US Para Cycling walks with her guide Skylar Espinoza at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

Team USA

Hannah Chadwick guide Skyler Espinoza, Para-Cycling

Chadwick and her visual guide Espinoza didn’t plan to race the track sprint event at August’s world championships in Scotland. Yet in their first sprint race together, the new tandem won a bronze medal. Later, at the Parapan American Games, they opened with another unexpected win in the 3,000-meter individual pursuit. One day later they were back at their preferred 1,000-meter distance, and back atop the podium, this time in the time trial. The winning time also set a new Parapan Ams record for the event. In Paris, Chadwick, of El Cerrito, California, and Freeport, Maine, native Espinoza will aim to win Team USA’s first Paralympic medal in a visually impaired cycling event since 2008.

Cj. Nickolas smiling at the camera and holding up his gold medal

Mark Reis

CJ Nickolas, Taekwondo

The 21-year-old Nickolas put U.S. men’s taekwondo back on the map in May when he finished as runner-up in the men’s 80 kg. class at the world championships in Azerbaijan. Nickolas, of Brentwood, California, defeated the reigning Olympic bronze medalist in the semifinals before falling to the division’s top-ranked athlete in the final. In doing so, he became the first U.S. man to win a world championships medal in the sport since 2009. After no U.S. men qualified for the Olympics in taekwondo in 2021 — the first time that had happened — Nickolas should be in position to not only qualify for Paris but maybe even contend for a medal.

noelle malkamaki

Noelle Malkamaki, Para Track & Field

Breaking a world record is so fun Malkamaki decided to do it three times this summer. The 22-year-old from Decatur, Illinois, first established a new global mark in the women’s shot put F46 at the U.S. championships in May. In July, she did it twice more at the world championships in Paris. Her final throw of 13.32 meters secured both the world title and her second world record of the day. Malkamaki, who throws collegiately for DePaul, only recently began throwing in Para competitions, and already she’s a favorite for a Paralympic medal next year in Paris.

Bronze medalist Frederick Richard of Team United States celebrates during the medal ceremony for the Men's All Around Final on Day Six of the 2023 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at Antwerp Sportpaleis on October 05, 2023 in Antwerp, Belgium.

Getty Images

Fred Richard, Gymnastics

Richard arrived on the scene in 2022 eager to draw attention to his sport , both through TikTok and his performances. It’s safe to say he’s succeeded in both. In April, the 19-year-old wrapped up his freshman season at Michigan by winning the all-around and two event titles at the NCAA championships. Six months later, in Belgium, he broke through on a higher level. Richard left the world championships with a pair of bronze medals — in the team and the all-around. Those marked the first medals for U.S. men in those events at a global championship since 2014 and 2012, respectively. And Richard’s high-flying ways aren’t limited to his stunning floor exercise and high bar routines. His creative gymnastics challenge videos have earned him a following of 645,000 and counting on TikTok.

(L-R0 Valarie Allman and Laulauga Tausaga-Collins pose with their U.S. flags.

Laulauga Tausaga-Collins, Track & Field

Talk about owning the moment. Tausaga-Collins unleashed the biggest throw of her life — by far — to become the first U.S. woman to win a discus world title. The Hawaii-born, California-raised thrower missed the Tokyo Olympics and finished 12th of 12 in the final of last year’s world championships, both while battling back injuries. At this year’s worlds in August in Hungary, Tausaga-Collins sat in fifth place with two throws to go. That’s when she broke out for a 69.49-meter throw, beating her personal best by nearly four meters. Her U.S. teammate and the defending Olympic champ, Valarie Allman, was just behind Tausaga-Collins in second (69.23 m).

Sam Watson celebrating and putting his arms up in the air

Joe Kusumoto

Sam Watson, Climbing

Speed climbing will debut as an Olympic medal event in Paris after being rolled into a combined event in 2021 in Tokyo. That’s good news for Watson, who at 17 is already one of the fastest in the history of the sport. In April, Watson, of Southlake, Texas, scaled the 15-meter wall in 5.02 seconds to establish a new U.S. record. The only thing missing for Watson was a climb like that when it counts most, in a final. He finally put everything together at the Pan American Games in October in Santiago, where he not only won the gold medal but also clinched his first Olympic berth.

Joscelyn Roberson of Team United States competes on Floor Exercise during Women's Qualifications on Day Two of the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships at the Antwerp Sportpaleis on October 01, 2023 in Antwerp, Belgium.

Getty Images

Joscelyn Roberson, Gymnastics

The world championships didn’t end quite how Roberson had hoped — a “freak injury” in warmups kept her out of the team and vault finals. But just about everything prior in 2023 was a dream for the 17-year-old from Texarkana, Texas. Following a switch to Simone Biles’ gym last year, Roberson enjoyed a breakthrough winter racking up medals at competitions in Germany, Egypt and Colombia. The powerful tumbler is particularly strong on floor and vault, the latter of which she won at the U.S. championships. In only in her second year at the senior elite level, Roberson showed she can hang with the best in the world.

Jeromie Meyer throws the ball during the Men's Wheelchair Basketball final at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

Joe Kusumoto Team USA

Jeromie Meyer, Wheelchair Basketball

Make no mistake, the U.S. men’s wheelchair basketball team is still a veteran-led group. If the team is to win a third consecutive Paralympic gold medal next year, though, it’ll need key contributions from players like Meyer, of Woodbine, Iowa, who proved to be a key contributor off the bench this year. Meyer closed out his first senior tournament with Team USA by dropping in five points in a 67–66 win over Great Britain to secure the world title in June in Dubai, UAE. He was the only bench player to record a point. Meyer was at it again at the Parapan Am Games, scoring seven points and grabbing three rebounds in the final as Team USA thumped Colombia to secure the gold medal and a spot in the Paris Games.

Chrös McDougall has covered the Olympic and Paralympic Movement for TeamUSA.org since 2009 on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc. He is based in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Filed Under: Athlete Spotlight, Climbing, Gymnastics, Martial Arts, Olympics, Para-Cycling, Paralympics, Rugby, Skateboarding, Track and Field

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