England Tour Roster Announced

England Tour Roster Announced

11.2.07 – US Women’s National Coach Kathy Flores announced her traveling squad of players for a three match tour in England in December. Flores said, “This tour is the beginning of the new World Cup cycle. As a few players from the last cycle wanted to take time to pursue other interests, it has become an opportunity to work with different athletes, many who have come through our programs. .

We have selected players we believe are coachable, mentally tough and are willing to do their part for the team. These are the things we cannot teach and are so important to a team coming together and performing at their best. Coaches Bryn Chivers (U20, previously U19) and Barb Fugate (USA A, previously U23) have done excellent work preparing these athletes to enter into the Senior program and for the first time, we are seeing a player that has participated in all three programs in one year, Kati McCormack. This will be the first taste of Senior level rugby for more than a few players and it’s important to test ourselves against the best early in our cycle.”

Flores noted that, “we will be playing a very ambitious schedule of 3 matches in 11 days and I expect the learning curve to be very fast if we are to fare well. Most of all, it is a chance for us to see where we stand one year after World Cup 2006 with a young, fairly inexperienced, yet talented, squad.”

England Tour Roster

* Stacey Baker, Prop (Philadelphia)
* Emilie Bydwell, Center (Brown Univ)
* Jamie Burke, Prop (Berkeley)
* Lisa Butts, Hooker (Berkeley)
* Meg Crapster–Pregont, Flyhalf (Cornell Univ)
* Liz Dilley, Number Eight (DC Furies)
* Farrah Douglas, Prop (Chicago North Shore)
* Carrie DuBray, Prop (New York)
* Ashley English, Fullback (Berkeley)
* Blair Groefsema, Fl/No. 8 (Berkeley)
* Heather Jennings, Prop (Seattle)
* Mel Kanuk, Center (Maryland Stingers)
* Ashley Kmiecik, Fullback (Emerald City Mudhens)
* Lynell Kugler, Center (Glendale)
* Jaime Lange, Lock (Glendale)
* Kim Magrini, Scrumhalf (Keystone)
* Nathalie Marchino, Wing (Berkeley)
* Kati McCormick, Lock
* Vanesha, McGee, Wing (Philadelphia)
* Sara Merritt, Number 8 (San Diego Surfers)
* San Juanita Moreno, Center (ORSU)
* Jillion Potter, Number 8 (New Mexico Univ)
* Beckett Royce, FL/Lock (ORSU)
* Melissa Smit, Center/Fullback (Stanford Univ)
* Jossy Tseng, Flyhalf (Stanford Univ.)
* Shaina Turley, Flanker (San Diego Surfers)
* Mari Wallace, Hooker (Berkeley)
* Rose Whitmore, Scrumhalf (Berkeley)
* Kristin Zdanczewicz, Flanker (Minnesota Valkyries)

Reserves

* Mel Denham, Flanker (Beantown)
* Allyson Hemstreet, Flanker (Berkeley)
* Katy Hertel, Scrumhalf (Minnesota Valkyries)
* Jenny Kuchar, Wing
* Sara Leary, Fullback (Cleveland)
* Rachel Muir, Wing/Fullback (Keystone)
* Kitt Wagner, Flanker (Beantown)
* Maura Weikman, Fullback/Wing (New York)
* Sheara Williamson, Wing (Philadelphia)
* Wendy Young, Scrumhalf (Austin Valkyries)

**I tried to update all the players teams, but couldn’t find some of them…feel free to leave it in the comments.

This trip is costing each player over $1500, to make a donation directly to the team, go here and specify Women’s National Team.