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from USA Rugby:

BOULDER, Colo. – USA Rugby has appointed former Eagles Captain Alexandra Williams as its first Women’s High Performance Manager.

“This is a great step forward in women’s rugby,” CEO and President of Operations Nigel Melville said. “We want both our men’s and women’s programs to embrace our high performance plan and Ms. Williams not only has a lot of experience in HP Rugby, but also has a lot of contacts across the board that will help in bringing the program forward.”

The Women’s High Performance Manager’s responsibilities include the administration of all Women’s High Performance Programs, with the ultimate goal of improving USA Rugby’s international success and standing in the sport of rugby. This role includes finalizing and implementing the Women’s High Performance Plan and developing additional initiatives and programs deemed necessary to achieve the primary goal.

“I think the development of this position was very important to USA Rugby for several reasons,” Williams said. “Not only does it demonstrate a commitment to game in general, but I will make sure it proves to build the game for women on all levels, which will, in turn, pay off at the National level. The Women’s National Team has a long and successful history, it is a flagship program for USA Rugby and this is their sign of visible support.”

Williams has experience playing for the Women’s National Team for 10 years, during which time she was a captain and is the fourth most capped USA woman in team history. She also has played for the Berkeley All-Blues and Beantown over the years and not only has led her teams to four National Championships, but received several MVP awards along the way. She is also just one of the few women’s players to have had the honor of representing the U.S. in three Rugby World Cups (1994, 1998 and 2002.) She is also working as the Women’s National Team assistant coach (forwards) and is the Head Coach of the Berkeley All-Blues, who have won 11 of the last 14 National Championship titles and the Head Coach of the Pacific Coast All-Stars.

Williams is a member of USA Rugby’s Rugby Committee and Congress as well as being a WNT volunteer administrator. She formerly worked as a Senior Analyst at Arthur D. Little and as Lead Carpenter at Kim Cobb Construction, where she managed all aspects of major remodeling projects. Besides getting her degree from Harvard University, Williams has also taken a 35-hour course on the principles and techniques of fundraising.

“I think an important aspect of this job will be bringing everyone together,” Williams adds. “The Women’s National Team has already worked this hard and gotten this far and now our job is to open it up and bring it to the next level. I will be working with everyone, from the volunteers to USA Rugby staff, and the coaches to the athletes. It is essential that we all be on the same page.”

Williams first day in the office is August 4 and her first major priority is to finalize the Women’s HP Plan, which was started in May. Following the completion of the plan, starts the actual implementation, building a solid and competitive schedule for the Women’s National Team, developing an integrated Women’s High Performance structure and organizing, and meeting volunteers at every level of the game.

For more information on Women’s High Performance, contact Alex.