USA Touch has announced 40 athletes to the new Women’s High-Performance Squad. The Squad serves as the top tier of women’s players that will be considered for representative honors and will be updated after USA Touch tournaments and high-performance camps. The women’s program also includes an Extended Squad to provide more high-performance resources to emerging players and encourage development and competition for places in the High-Performance Squad.
The players within these squads will receive resources and support from USA Touch coaches and the squad is intended to encourage earlier and more frequent participation, drive forward competition and skills development, and foster the development of local women’s touch programs.
The High Performance Squad features 24 players from the 2019 World Cup in Malaysia, 8 players from the 2018 Junior World Cup, and 8 players identified from the recent USA Touch Nationals tournament and post-tournament development camp.
USA Touch Women’s Program Director Adrian Witte said: “The squad gives us an opportunity to engage more frequently with our core player group and is not only important for the next World Cup cycle, but also for strengthening our local women’s programs. We hope that the tiered structure of the squad motivates healthy competition, provides players with transparency on where they stand in the program, and allows them to better and earlier prepare for the physical, technical, and financial commitments of a World Cup campaign. I am really excited by the squads we’ve selected and the competition that is emerging for places in the squad.”
USA Rugby National High Performance Development Manager JD Stephenson said: "The pathway of player identification and development is non-linear and of course not perfect. Touch is facilitating a whole new player pool, with players playing with more freedom and getting more touches under pressure.'
The next opportunity for players to push for selection in the High-Performance Squad will be a women’s specific tournament to be held in April 2020 in Phoenix in concert with USA Touch’s referee development weekend.
USA Touch Women's High Performance Squad
| PLAYER NAME | CLUB |
| Anna Lee | Chicago |
| Ashley Brownsberger | Unaffiliated |
| Bethany Bergholm | Portland Hunters |
| Brooke McConaghy | Unaffiliated |
| Carly Bindon | LA Royals |
| Claire Lundy | Portland Hunters |
| Danielle Miano | Galaxy San Diego |
| Erika Farias | Portland Hunters |
| Hannah Harper | Portland Hunters |
| Irene Wu | New York |
| Jazmin Zage | Singapore |
| Josie Ziluca | Galaxy San Diego |
| Justine Wypych | Portland Hunters |
| Kahurangi Stone | Tumeke |
| Kaitlin Sigado | Portland Hunters |
| Karissa Postula | Portland Hunters |
| Katerina Sicat | New York |
| Kiana Miller | San Francisco |
| Kyla Letoi | Galaxy San Diego |
| Laura Milanez | San Francisco |
| Leila Shokat | San Francisco |
| Leslie Griffin | LA Royals |
| Lisa Finnegan | LA Royals |
| Lizzie Widder | Portland Hunters |
| Lorraine Lin | LA Royals |
| Madeline O’Dwyer | Seattle |
| Maggie Lee | LA Royals |
| Melissa Orellana | LA Royals |
| Molly Luft | Portland Hunters |
| Saphia Petard | New York |
| Selene Sheerin | LA Royals |
| Shizuka Tei | LA Royals |
| Sierra Lee | San Francisco |
| Skylar Smith | Caymans |
| Sophia Olson | Unaffiliated |
| Tara Menon | New York |
| Thani Greco | New York |
| Tina Veale | New York |
| Zarima Greco | New York |
| Zeynep Ucak | New York |
USA Touch Women's Extended Squad
| PLAYER NAME | CLUB |
| Ainsley Wang | New York |
| Alison Taylor | LA Royals |
| Amelia Breyre | San Francisco |
| Annie Morton | New York |
| Austyn Byassee | Portland Hunters |
| Bui Baravilala | Galaxy San Diego |
| Christine Hsieh | LA Royals |
| Coco Corbett | Portland |
| Emilie Flanagan | New York |
| Emily Logan | New York |
| Hannah Bliss | Galaxy DC |
| Hunter Griendling | San Diego |
| Ines Petard | New York |
| Jackie Elkazhem | Chicago |
| Jessica Rollason | Austin |
| Kaira Martin | Galaxy San Diego |
| Karina McLauchlin | LA Royals |
| Kate Benedit | Seattle |
| Kelly Dean | San Diego |
| Kyah Watters | Unaffiliated |
| Kye Doran | Portland Hunters |
| Lauren Brisbin | Galaxy San Diego |
| Lauren Moran | New York |
| Liz Strohecker | San Diego |
| Loren Samuelson | Galaxy San Diego |
| Lorna Campbell | Houston |
| Mara Kiernan | Chicago |
| Melody Lee | LA Royals |
| Monica McDonald | Chicago |
| Phoenix Woods | San Francisco |
| Rachel Johnson | Portland Hunters |
| Robin Woods | San Francisco |
| San Juanita Fetuuaho | Portland |
| Sara Toynbee | Austin |
| Tia Blythe | Galaxy San Diego |
| Valeska Hoath | Portland Hunters |
| Victoria Folayan | Seattle |
In January 2019, USA Rugby and USA Touch Rugby announced a strategic partnership between the two organizations to increase opportunity for non-contact rugby across the United States. Click here for more information.
