With the next World Cup just over a year away, this year’s Super Series begins on Friday bringing together the top three teams from France in 2014, plus the first World Champions United States.
World Champions England and Six Nations Champions France have travelled to North America to meet World Cup runners-up Canada and hosts United States in what promises to be a fascinating week of interational rugbynext week.
The series will be vital preparation for all four countries with Ireland 2017 kicking off in only 13 months’ time. This will also be the final tournament where each country’s sevens stars will be missing. There is going to be massive competition for places in national squads after August, so this will be a time for the many young players in all of the squads to show why they deserve to keep their places.
We have already looked at the Canadian, English and French squads, and the United States Eagles selection has now been named.
Pete Steinberg have included seven uncapped players in his party: Megan Foster, Saskia Morgan, Christiane Pheil, Jamila Reinhardt, Asinate Serevi, Nicole Strasko and Naya Tapper.
Foster, along with Catherine Benson and Jennifer Sever, won the Division II National Championships with Life West earlier this month, and are three of 12 players selected from college and club National Champion teams.
The final squad was (with the exception of players from the US Sevens squad) were chosen from a long list of 53 who took part in a “National All-Star Competition” at University of Northern Colorado earlier this year. "This was by far the most competitive camp I have had in my five years as the head coach of the Eagles," Steinberg said. "Not only do we have 26 players that I am confident can step out in an international competition and compete, but we have several players in the non-traveling reserves. The unified pathway has really helped us get the best player into camp."
Nineteen of the 26 players competed in last year's Super Series, including Eagles Sevens' Cheta Emba and Jane Paar. Megan Foster and Nicole Strasko from the Collegiate All-American squad (roughly the equivalent of U23s) step up to the senior level for the first senior time.
The collaboration between Steinberg's 15s program and Richie Walker's sevens team out of the OTC has also been “a work in progress”.
"The selection for the Super Series demonstrates better coordination with the sevens program and we have players moving back and forth between the two programs based on what is best for the team and player," Steinberg said.
United States Squad: Kathryn Augustyn (Berkeley All Blues); Catherine Benson (Life West WRFC); Sylvia Braaten (Twin Cities Amazons); Stacey Bridges (Scion Sirens); Elizabeth Cairns (Pennsylvania State University); Cheta Emba (Women's Eagles Sevens); Tiffany Faaee (New York Rugby Club); Megan Foster* (Life West WRFC); Jordan Gray (Brigham Young University); Molly Kinsella (Glendale Raptors); Joanna Kitlinski (Glendale Raptors); Jennifer Lui (Glendale Raptors); Saskia Morgan* (Brown University); Deven Owsiany (San Diego Surfers); Jane Paar (Women's Eagles Sevens); Samantha Pankey (Washington Furies); Christiane Pheil* (Chicago North Shore); Jamila Reinhardt* (Augusta WRFC); Hope Rogers (Pennsylvania State University); Kimberly Rozier (Washington Furies); Asinate Serevi* (Central Washington University); Jennifer Sever (Life West WRFC); Nicole Strasko* (Life University); Naya Tapper* (University of North Carolina); Alycia Washington (Hartford Wild Roses); Jessica Wooden (American Rugby Pro Training Center); *indicates non-capped player
*Uncapped
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The opening games on Friday evening will see England playing Canada first (10pm BST) followed by the United States versus France (midnight BST).
None of the teams have announced their starting XVs but England have a significantly more experienced squad, with just two new caps compared to Canada’s eight, so – dependent on selection – should start as favourites in the opening game. England narrowly beat Canada 15-14 last year after a very disappointing Six Nations so their performance in this opening fixture will be an interesting measure of how much the runners-up in this year’s Six Nations the have improved in the past 12 months.
The playing conditions may a significant factor. Expected to be peaking at 33˚C at kick off, with little wind or cloud, added to an altitude of over 1200m. It's a combination somewhat different to what can be expected in Dublin next year and significantly different to what the Europeans are used to. Fitness and stamina will be thoroughly tested.
The conditions will be little changed two hours later when France meet their hosts. With almost their entire Six Nations winning team available France would seem to begin as favourites, particularly as the USA have not played since last year’s Super Series where they finished third behind New Zealand and England.
All six matches across the three match days of the Women's Rugby Super Series - July 1, July 5, and July 9 - will be broadcast live for free on The Rugby Channel with French games also appearing on France 4.