Richie Walker has made three changes to his Women’s Eagles squad for the upcoming Sydney Sevens. World Cup stars Cheta Emba and Hope Rogers join the squad with Natalie Kosko called up for just her second senior tournament. Dropping out are Megan Foster, Sara Parsons, and Kelsi Stockert.
It’s the second leg of five on the the 2017-18 HSBC Women’s Sevens Series. The USA had a great start to the new season as they made the Cup Final in Dubai last month, falling short to Olympic champions Australia. Maintaining that momentum will be a challenge in Sydney with all teams fresh and organized after several weeks of training.
The Women’s Eagles have been drawn in Pool B for the Sydney tournament along with England, Japan, and Series champions New Zealand. The three-day competition begins on Friday, January 26 (Thursday, January 25 in North America) with live streams provided by The Rugby Channel (free) and World Rugby.
WOMEN’S EAGLES
Tia Blythe, Sarah Buonopane, Ryan Carlyle, Cheta Emba, Jordan Gray, Abby Gustaitis, Nicole Heavirland (capt.), Alev Kelter, Natalie Kosko, Kiki Morgan, Hope Rogers, Naya Tapper
DAY ONE FIXTURES
Thurs, Jan 25 – 15:44 PT / 18:44 ET – vs England
Thurs, Jan 25 – 18:28 PT / 21:28 ET – vs Japan
Thurs, Jan 25 – 21:12 PT / 00:12 ET – vs New Zealand