For Immediate Release

January 27, 2009

U.S. Names its Men’s and Women’s Player Pools for Upcoming Sevens Events

 

BOULDER, Colo. – The U.S. Men’s and Women’s Sevens Teams named their respective player pools for their upcoming international tournaments, including the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai.

 

With 12 men’s players having trained in Denver for the past week, Caravelli brings in 10 additional players to the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center (OTC) this week for his training assembly leading up to the IRB Sevens World Series event in Wellington on February 6-7.

 

Among those training at the OTC are forwards Jarvis Albury (OMBAC), Mark Bokhoven (Denver Barbarians), Paul Emerick (Overmach Parma), Matthew Hawkins (OMBAC), Thretton Palamo (Biarritz), Rikus Pretorius (Unattached) Dan Power (NYAC) and James Gillenwater (Belmont Shore), who will also be playing scrum half. Valenese Malifa (Belmont Shore) will be playing scrum half and fly-half, while Shalom Suniula (Brisbane) and P.J. Komongan (NOVA) are battling it out at scrum half, as well. Dallen Stanford (Belmont Shore) shows his versatility, playing hooker, scrum half, fly-half and center.

 

Jone Naqica (Denver Barbarians) and Zach Pangelinan (OMBAC) are the other fly-halves at the camp. As for the backs, Caravelli will look to Roland Suniula (Pearl City) and Kevin Swiryn, of St. Mary’s, who also sees time at prop and hooker. Justin Boyd (Dallas) has been training at wing, while Kurt Weber (Cal State - Fullerton), Alex Ross (SDSU), Mike Hicks (SDSU) and Zach Test (Oregon State) are all college players brought in this week to show Coach Caravelli their fitness levels, skills and help create a more competitive camp.

 

“I am very pleased with the work ethic and intensity these guys have brought to camp,” Caravelli said. “The players brought in to Denver gave it their all, all week long. A big emphasis for their conditioning was to get everyone starting hard and finishing hard, with no lapses. It was very exciting to see these guys keep that level of intensity the whole time. Their skill levels have also improvement dramatically in just one week.”

 

Players who are usual staples on the sevens squads, but who won’t able to join the team in this assembly are Chris Wyles (Saracens), Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz) and Todd Clever (Xerox Lions). Wyles will join the team in New Zealand.

 

“It’s a bit disappointing to not have Taku and Todd with us for these next couple tournaments, but honestly with the likes of them at 11 and 12 on your roster, that’s not a bad place to be,” Caravelli added. “I really expect Paul Emerick to fill the gap nicely at prop and Wyles, Swiryn, Boyd and Malifa have already been quite impressive this year and they’ll only continue to improve.”

 

This is the best group of sevens players the U.S. has to offer. Our whole goal is to get these guys working in unison for the entire 14 minutes of play. In order to challenge the top-eight teams, we will have to work on all seven cylinders – meaning that all seven players will have to be playing their best for the whole match.”

 

On the women’s side, Coach Julie McCoy held a National Sevens training camp in mid-January and from that camp named 14 players to the Rugby World Cup player pool.

 

Those players include Kirsten Ahrendt (Keystone), Ida Bernstein (Keystone), Beth Black (NOVA), Amy Daniels (Beantown), Ellie Karvoski (Little Rock RFC), Phaidra Knight (NYRFC), Pam Kosanke (Chicago Northshore), Teena Mastrangelo (Chicago Northshore), Alison Price (NYRFC), Christy Ringgenberg (MN Valkyries), Ines Rodriguez (Keystone RFC), Jen Starkey (NOVA), Lindsey Stephenson (At Large) and Jess Watkins (Stanford University).

 

Ten of these players will compete for the USA Team at the Women’s International Invitational event in San Diego, while four of them will join Kitt Wagner, of Beantown, Jen Sinkler, of Keystone RFC, Lauren Hoeck, of NOVA, Haldre Rogers, of Seattle, Jen Flateman, of NYRFC, and Melissa McKibben, of the Kansas City Jazz, on the USA ‘A’ side at the San Diego Sevens event. 

 

“The pool has been concentrated down to 14 athletes after a long, competitive buildup that allowed most in the pool to gain international experience. The players will move to Arkansas at the end of this week for the residency program. Now that most of the selections have been made, I am hopeful that daily practices, team building opportunities, and examining video, will help us grow as a true international sevens team comprised of ‘Sevens Specialists’,” McCoy said. 

 

U.S. Men’s Sevens Player Pool

Jarvis Albury (OMBAC)

Mark Bokhoven (Denver Barbarians)

Justin Boyd (Dallas)

Todd Clever (Xerox Lions)

Paul Emerick (Overmach Parma)

James Gillenwater (Belmont Shore)

Matthew Hawkins (OMBAC)

P.J. Komongan (NOVA)
Valenese Malifa (Belmont Shore)

Jone Naqica (Denver Barbarians)

Takudzwa Ngwenya (Biarritz)

Thretton Palamo (Biarritz)

Zach Pangelinan (OMBAC)

Rikus Pretorius (Unattached)

Dan Power (NYAC)

Alex Ross (SDSU)

Dallen Stanford (Belmont Shore)

Roland Suniula (Pearl City)

Shalom Suniula (Brisbane)

Kevin Swiryn (St. Mary’s)

Zach Test (Oregon State)

Chris Wyles (Saracens)

 

U.S. Women’s Sevens Player Pool

 

Kirsten Ahrendt (Keystone)

Beth Black (NOVA)

Ida Bernstein (Keystone)

Amy Daniels (Beantown)

Jen Flateman (New York)

Lauren Hoeck (NOVA)

Ellie Karvoski (Little Rock)

Phaidra Knight (New York)

Pam Kosanke (Chicago Northshore)

Teena Mastrangelo (Chicago Northshore)

Melissa McKibben (Kansas City Jazz)

Alison Price (New York)

Christy Ringgenberg (Minnesota Valkyries)

Haldre Rogers (Seattle)

Ines Rodriguez (Keystone)

Jen Sinkler (Keystone)

Jen Starkey (NOVA)

Lindsey Stephenson (At Large)

Kitt Wagner (Beantown)

Jess Watkins (Stanford University)

 

For more information on the USA Sevens Teams, please visit www.usarugby.org. For more information on the IRB Sevens World Series events or the IRB Rugby World Cup Sevens, please visit www.irbsevens.com.

 

 

 

 

Inspiring America to fall in love with Rugby
Sara John | Director of Communications | USA Rugby
2500 Arapahoe Avenue, Suite 200 | Boulder CO 80302
W: 303.539.0300 x101 | C: 719.310.2606 | Fax: 303-539-0311