Sione Fukofuka announced his Eagles’ squad last month, but as the Pacific Four approaches (3-24 May). Let’s take a closer look.
The Squad
Hope Rogers, Maya Learned, Charli Jacoby, Keia Mae Sagapolu, Catie Benson, Alivia Leatherman, Kathryn Treder, Paige Stathopoulos, Saher Hamdan, Hallie Taufoou, Erica Jarrell, Rachel Ehrecke, Emerson Allen, Tahlia Brody, Rachel Johnson, Freda Tafuna, Kate Zackary, Georgie Perris-Redding, *Kapoina Bailey, Olivia Ortiz, Cassidy Bargell, McKenzie Hawkins, Kristin Bitter, Nicole Heavirland, Alev Kelter, Emily Henrich, Ilona Maher, Joanne Fa’avesi, Gabby Cantorna, *Erica Coulibaly, Cheta Emba, Tess Feury, Bulou Mataitoga, Sariah Ibarra, Lotte Sharp (37)
*uncapped
As usual it contains a lot of names familiar to European eyes; at the other extreme Fukofuka adds only two newcomers. That is an encouraging sign; all too often past squads have included rather too many youngsters unprepared for the level of excellence needed. Only 36 will remain after the Japan game.
Schedule
The Eagles have a match against the Sakura of Japan (26 April, Los Angeles) and the traditional Pacific Four contests:
2 May v Canada, Kansas City
17 May v Australia, Canberra
24 May v New Zealand, Auckland
The Outlook
Two encouraging detail: the LA fixture ties in neatly with the final round of the World Series SVNS, also in LA; and ticket sales for the Kansas match have already exceeded 7,500, beating the standing record. It’s only when we see the crowd itself that we’ll learn how much this is due to one name on the squad list. Let me run my eye up and down once more. Ah, Maher. Maybe we’ll see “We love Ilona” banners fluttering all around the arena.
Far more important for Fukofuka, his staff and the players is the performance against the Maple Leafs. The results have been as one-sided (in Canada’s favour) as in the England-France series. It’s high time that all those experienced Eagles showed the value of their presence in PWR matches in England.
That in turn will help advance the cause of the new WER league in the States. It needs all the public support it can get. It goes without saying that the Eagles could become the major force they were 34 years ago, when they carried all before them at the first ever World Cup in Cardiff. The more WER develops, the wider the player-pool the selectors can draw on with profit.
The optimism aroused by the new coaching team now seeks fulfilment. Both the men’s and the women’s Eagles matches are being given the Big Sell.
