WOMEN'S RUGBY AT THE PAN AM GAMES

The U.S. Women's Sevens squad qualified for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at the tail-end of their 2023 World Rugby Sevens Series in Hong Kong. Finishing with the most tournament medals ever earned for the team, including a bronze medal for the series, the Eagles earned a much-deserved rest for the summer offseason. Their success throughout last year has instilled confidence and focus heading into the Olympic season.

Fresh off a warmup tournament in Fiji with Australia, Fiji, France and New Zealand, the Pan American Games Santiago 2023 will be another opportunity for the team to build on their strategy as they head into their Olympic season. Santiago is an early season tournament where the team is sending their best players to Chile. It is an opportunity to test new positions to help define their playing style for the rest of the season. While the main goal in during the 2023 Pan American Games is building team cohesion and defining strategy, the Eagles will be vying for their first ever gold medal at the Pan Am Games.

The ultimate goal for the season is a gold medal in Paris. So, every chance to play this year helps the players get the confidence and determination needed to achieve that.

• The U.S. Women's Coach — Last year, U.S. Women’s Sevens head coach Emilie Bydwell was the onlyfemale head coach on the World Rugby Sevens Series circuit. This should remain true this year
  
• Ilona Maher's Comeback — Ilona Maher, a top player who broke onto the scene in Tokyo 2020, sat out half of last season with a major injury, and missed out on the qualifying Hong Kong tournament. She returned to the playing pitch for the first time in Fiji, and will be at the 2023 Pan American Games. If she earns a spot for Paris 2024, it will be the ultimate comeback story.
  
• A Potential First Medal Since 1924 — If either team medals at Paris 2024, it will be Team USA's first Olympic rugby medal since securing back-to-back gold medals in 1920 and 1924.

• Ilona Maher — Maher is a powerhouse on the field. Returning to the pitch after a serious injury, fans can expect to see her be a force. Off the pitch, Maher has become well known for her creative and honest social media content, amassing 1 million followers on TikTok.
  
• Sammy Sullivan — Sammy Sullivan debuted last year and has already made a statement on theinternational stage. She’s a force on the wing and can evade and push through defenses withincrediblepower. Sullivan earned the Prusmack Award in 2019, honoring the top collegiatesevens athlete in the nation each year. Sullivan is also an active member of the U.S. Army.Sullivan played for West Point and is looking to return to military service after rugby