American Rugby Pro Training Center to Host Women’s All Services Military 7s Camp

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., The American Rugby Pro Training Center announced today that it will be hosting an All Services Military Women’s Sevens CampJuly 24-27, 2015. The camp is open to all female service members, active, guard, and reserve, and will serve as one of the selection vehicles for the first Elite Armed Forces Women’s Sevens Rugby Team.

“We at ARPTC are honored to have been selected to assist our sisters in uniform as they assemble here for a weekend of development and competition,” said Julie McCoy, ARPTC Founder and Head Coach.

The goal of the camp is multipurpose:

1. Expose female military rugby players to a high performance rugby sevens environment in order to build the skills and knowledge of the military rugby community
2.   Identify players for selection to an Elite Armed Forces Women’s Rugby Sevens Team, who will be competing in the Elite City 7s Tournament in Philadelphia, Pa,in late August.
3. Improve the visibility and performance profile of female military rugby players, to promote and encourage development of individual service rugby programs.

As the largest USA Rugby Olympic Development Academy, with strong ties to the military community, ARPTC is set to provide international quality coaching and top-level facilities. Talent identification will be led by Lisa Rosen, ARPTC Technical Coach and former USA Rugby Collegiate All-American Coach, with Koma Gandy Fischbein, USCS Women’s Rugby Program Director, also making selections. CPT Andrew Locke of the U.S. Army’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) will be serving as the Head Coach of the Elite Armed Forces Women’s Rugby Team once formed. Locke is currently an Assistant Coach to the Men’s Eagles Sevens team.

“I am extremely excited to be part of the first Elite Armed Forces Women’s Sevens Rugby Team that will take part in the Elite City 7s in August,” said Locke. “The camp at ARPTC this summer is designed to introduce them to an elite sevens rugby environment, which will be completely new for most. It will be the first of many steps to give female military athletes high-level exposure and competition. I look forward to this developing and the team selected being competitive at the Elite City 7s.”

Selection to the Elite Armed Forces Women’s Rugby Team is not dependent on participation at the camp and players with a complete rugby sevens resume are welcome to apply for the squad directly by emailing CPT Andrew Locke – andrew.w.locke@gmail.com.  Players interested in attending the camp may apply here.

This optional selection camp will provide visibility and sevens specific development to potential world-class military players who are interested in pursuing rugby at the highest level. It reflects a turning point in the development of the Women’s side of the United States Combined Services Rugby Program.

“This is an exciting time for women’s rugby in the Armed Forces community,” said Fischbein. “A lot of effort has been put in by many female military athletes over the years to support growth of the game, and this camp represents a fantastic learning experience along with the opportunity to elevate the profile of women’s rugby in the Armed Forces.”

For assistance with TDY and command letters, contact Koma Gandy Fischbein at Kbgandy@gmail.com.

Apprentice coaches applications are also being accepted for this camp. Please contact Julie McCoy at jules.mccoy@americanrugbypro.com for more information.