Rob Cain has announced 31 names of players to undertake four test autumn matches.
They are:
Catherine Benson (Sale)
Amy Talei Bonte (Gloucester-Hartpury)
Elizabeth Cairns (Life West Gladiatrix)
Kayla Canett (USA Sevens)
Gabby Cantorna (Exeter)
Jennine Detiveaux (Exeter)
Rachel Ehrecke* (Colorado Gray Wolves)
Joanne Nana Fa’avesi (USA Sevens)
Tess Feury (New York Rugby)
Megan Foster (San Diego Surfers)
Saher Hamdan* (Life University)
McKenzie Hawkins (Colorado Gray Wolves)
Katana Howard (Sale)
Charli Jacoby (Loughborough)
Nick James (Sale)
Kathryn Johnson (Twin City Amazons)
Rachel Johnson (Exeter)
Alev Kelter (USA Sevens)
Kristi Kirshe* (USA Sevens)
Joanna Kitlinski (Colorado Gray Wolves)
Jenny Kronish* (Beantown RFC)
Maya Learned (Gloucester-Hartpury)
Sara Levy (USA Sevens)
Bulou Mataitoga (Berkeley All Blues)
Olivia Ortiz (Davenport & Chicago North Shore)
Hope Rogers (Life West Gladiatrix)
Kristine Sommer (Gloucester-Hartpury)
Hallie Taufoou* (Colorado Gray Wolves)
Alycia Washington (Worcester)
Carly Waters (Saracens)
Kate Zackary (Exeter)
*uncapped
A large number of this party will be familiar to British eyes. Thirteen belong to Allianz Premier 15s clubs, though not all of them yet figure regularly in the first teams.
There are six USA Sevens players listed; five were 2020 Olympians, and Fa’avesi and Johnson represented their country in 2016 too.
It may well be a promising feature for the squad that Cain introduces only five uncapped players. This indicates a degree of stability that the Americans have sorely needed, and contrasts sharply with the squads announced by England (11 newcomers) and New Zealand (12).
Like other nations they have had no international experience for two years, and training together has proved difficult to achieve.
They are heartened by the announcement of the Pac-Four section of the coming WXV, which will set them regularly against Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Their autumn schedule:
November 1, 2021
v Canada
Glendale, Colorado
November 5, 2021
v Canada
Glendale, Colorado
November 12, 2021
vs Ireland
Donnybrook, Dublin
November 21, 2021
v England
Sixways, Worcester
