CHULA VISTA, CA. - Women's Eagles Sevens' Ryan Carlyle has officially retired from international sevens, USA Rugby confirmed today.
A two-time Rugby World Cup Sevens athlete (2013, 2018), Carlyle is also a 2016 Rio Olympian who owns 23 appearances with the senior national team including 16 in the HSBC World Rugby Women's Sevens Series alone.
Since making her national team debut in 2011 at the World Rugby (then called IRB) Women's Sevens Challenge Cup in Hong Kong, Carlyle has helped the Women's Sevens achieve many feats.
Some of these include a bronze medal finish at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 in Moscow, a fourth-place finish at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018; and most recently, two medal-winning performances at the Dubai 2017 and Langford 2018 sevens tournaments. The two medals marked the first time the USA women have medaled twice in one season.
Competing in the first-ever HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in 2013, Carlyle commends the program's growth over the years and relishes in her journey with Women's Eagles Sevens.
"I'm incredibly humbled to have been a part of the conception of this program and amazed at how far it's come,' said Carlyle. "I want to thank USA Rugby for giving me the opportunity to pursue the greatest dream a young athlete can have-to represent their nation at the highest level. Nothing will come close to giving me the same feeling of pride and honor as wearing the USA jersey did for me the past eight years.'
As Carlyle's time with international sevens comes to a close, the athlete further expresses her gratitude for all those who paved the way for not only her success, but for the growth of women's rugby sevens across the nation.
"I want to thank my teammates for positively contributing to the strength of women's rugby worldwide,' she said. "I am extremely confident that they will not only sustain this effort, but move mountains with it.
"There are so many people at the United States Olympic Committee who I would like to thank and who I am incredibly grateful for. It is because of them I am able to retire happy and healthy. I am going to miss them all.
"The end of my rugby sevens career is just the beginning for me. I look forward to exploring and discovering what's next.'
With Carlyle now embarking on the next part of her rugby journey, General Manager for Women's High Performance Emilie Bydwell notes how the athlete's dedication to the sport has been an inspiration to current and future players worldwide.
"On behalf of USA rugby I want to thank Ryan for her contribution to the Women's Sevens program over the past eight years,' said Bydwell. "As a member of the program that paved the way into the Olympic and full-time era, Ryan exemplified the meaning of professionalism and set a standard for excellence within the program.
"Her relentless work ethic, attention to detail and competitiveness was admired by the staff and her teammates and will leave a lasting impact for years to come. We wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.'
