Your Scrumhalf Connection - Women's Rugby Blog

from USA Rugby:

BOULDER, Colo. - USA Rugby has announced the selection process for the 2009 Women’s All-American Program and for the first time will officially field a Women’s All-American team at the USA Rugby Women’s Club National All-Star Championships, in Little Rock, Ark., on May 29-31.

“The formation of the Women’s All-American Team will give the best collegiate players an opportunity to play at the highest level,” said Nigel Melville, USA Rugby’s President of Rugby and CEO. “This also allows the Women’s National Team staff the opportunity to see the next generation of players and perhaps find some depth for the 2010 Rugby World Cup.”

The All-American team will follow a similar selection process to last year. Selectors will attend USA Rugby’s National Guard Collegiate Playoffs in Sanford, Fla., on April 17-19, and the USA Rugby National Guard Collegiate Championships at Stanford University on May 1-2.

Players who are not participating in these national events can be selected by coach’s recommendation and video submission. Video submissions should be addressed to Alex Williams and must be received at the National Office by April 24th. The panel will select a first and second team for Division I, and a first team for Division II.

USA Rugby has retained the All-American selection committee from 2008, as their work was highly regarded. The selection committee includes Keenya Warner, a former center and captain for the USA Eagles; Chris Ryan, the attack coach for the USA Women’s Sevens Team at the recent World Cup; and Sue Whitwell, the forwards coach for the USA Developmental team.

“The selection committee has a broad range of experience in both college and senior rugby,” Melville said. “They worked well with each other last year, and no doubt will do their best again to select the top collegiate players for this year.”

The All-American Team will play at the Women’s National All-Star Championships (NASC) and will be coached by Peter Steinberg, of Penn State, and Jonathon Griffin, of Stanford.

“Peter and Griff are obvious choices to coach the first Women’s All-American Team,” said Alex Williams, USA Rugby Women’s High Performance Manager. “They have taken their respective teams to the National Championships for the last four years, and understand how to coach the college-age player.”

The honorary Women’s All-American Team will be announced on May 4, and the selections for the team that will play at the NASC will follow shortly.

For more information on the Women’s All-American Program, please visit www.usarugby.org/goto/womens_selections or contact Alex Williams.