Interim Women’s Eagles Head Coach Rich Ashfield has named a squad of 30 players for two upcoming tests in Madrid. The USA will play against Spain for the first time on March 25, followed by Canada on April 1 in what will double as the first match of the Pacific Four series.
Included are 21 of the 32 players that traveled to New Zealand for the World Cup last fall. Exeter Chiefs star Kate Zackary continues as captain, and there is a recall for Alycia Washington. The veteran lock missed out on the tournament due to injury.
There are 20 named who currently ply their trade in England. Among them is uncapped loose forward Tahlia Brody. The 28-year-old is originally from New York but spent recent years playing in New Zealand for Bay of Plenty and the Tasman Mako.
Nine uncapped players in all are named, including World Cup squad hooker Jett Hayward. The others are props Tiara Aa’u and Mae Sagapolu, second row Megan Neyen, flanker Sophia Haley, flyhalf Kristin Bitter, and outside backs Autumn Czaplicki and Summer Harris-Jones. The latter pair are currently on the Eagles Sevens squad, while Haley and Bitter both play for Dartmouth College.
Also named is a six-player reserve list, which includes World Cup trio Charli Jacoby, Erica Jarrell, and Katana Howard. Star backfielder Alev Kelter will not be making the trip, instead opting to make a return to the World Sevens Series in Vancouver.
PROP
Tiara A’au (Rhino Academy)
Catie Benson (Sale Sharks, UK)
Maya Learned (Gloucester-Hartpury, UK)
Hope Rogers (Exeter Chiefs, UK)
Mae Sagapolu (Central Washington)
HOOKER
Jett Hayward (Life West)
Joanna Kitlinski (Sale Sharks, UK)
Kathryn Treder (Darlington Mowden Park, UK)
SECOND ROW
Evi Ashenbrucker (San Diego Surfers)
Jenny Kronish (Harlequins, UK)
Megan Neyen (Beantown)
Alycia Washington (Sale Sharks, UK)
BACK ROW
Tahlia Brody (Cheltenham Tigers, UK)
Rachel Ehrecke (Darlington Mowden Park, UK)
Sophia Haley (Dartmouth)
Rachel Johnson (Exeter Chiefs, UK)
Georgie Perris-Redding (Sale Sharks, UK)
Kate Zackary (capt., Exeter Chiefs, UK)
SCRUMHALF
Olivia Ortiz (Darlington Mowden Park, UK)
Carly Waters (Sale Sharks, UK)
FLYHALF
Kristin Bitter (Dartmouth)
McKenzie Hawkins (Colorado Grey Wolves)
MIDFIELD
Meya Bizer (Darlington Mowden Park, UK)
Gabby Cantorna (Exeter Chiefs, UK)
Eti Haungatau (Sale Sharks, UK)
OUTSIDE BACKS
Lotte Clapp (Saracens, UK)
Autumn Czaplicki (Eagles Sevens)
Tess Feury (Darlington Mowden Park, UK)
Summer Harris-Jones (Eagles Sevens)
Bulou Mataitoga (Loughborough Lightning, UK)
NON-TRAVELING RESERVES
Paige Stathopoulos (London Irish, UK) hooker
Charli Jacoby (Exeter Chiefs, UK) prop
Erica Jarrell (Beantown) prop
Emerson Allen (Railway Union, IR) lock
Sophie Pyrz (Rhino Academy) scrumhalf
Katana Howard (Sale Sharks, UK) flyhalf/center
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