Freda Tafuna: 'It's crazy, I was supposed to stop playing'

Freda Tafuna scored the winning try against Ireland last Saturday but that almost never came to pass as the USA Women’s Eagles international almost retired from the game after Pacific Four Series 2026 competition.

If it were not for the USA head coach Jack Hanratty, Tafuna would have hung up her boots because during Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 she was the most “drained physically and mentally” she had ever been.

The flanker performed brilliantly at the tournament held in England, being joint-second top try-scorer with six scores to her name. But off the pitch, it was a very different experience for the 23-year-old.

“It is kind of crazy, I was initially supposed to stop playing with the USA after PAC4,” she told RugbyPass. “I had spoken to Jack about it and I told him PAC4 would be my last tour with the USA because I just wasn’t loving the sport. If you know Jack, Jack can convince you and he convinced me [to stay]. I came into PAC4 and I fell in love with rugby again.

“The coaching staff, the team were amazing. I got that push that I want to go for another World Cup with this staff and roster.

“I was definitely mentally and physically drained during the World Cup. I would probably say that is the most drained I have ever been playing rugby. I had a lot of disagreements with not only myself but other things. That is when I made my decision that I will do one more tour and then I am done.

“Then the switch up with coaches happened [the coaching staff changed after Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025] and I had my meeting with Jack and meeting him, his personality is so funny.

“It is the best to be around because he just knows how to have fun and he brings so much joy to our squad. Props to Jack, if it wasn’t for him convincing me I probably wouldn’t be here right now.”

Tafuna adds it is strange to think she would not have been a part of the USA’s win over Ireland if she had taken the decision to retire after this year’s Pacific Four Series: “That is why I give so much props to Jack. If I wasn’t a part of this it would have definitely been something I missed out on. To be a part of it is the greatest feeling ever. To know we were able to do that.”

Tafuna was player of the match in the team’s 40-36 victory in Dublin where the USA executed a brilliant comeback win against Ireland last weekend. They were 12 points behind at the break but they bounced back and the win was Tafuna’s favourite moment in a USA shirt.

“It was a surreal moment,” she said. “I think everyone knew the USA were the underdog team and ‘the USA could never beat a top five team’ but we prepped so hard for this. We went at each other. We had so much film [study] on Ireland. To come out with the win was the most crazy moment I have ever been a part of with the USA.

“I think the moment I scored I was smiling because I thought ‘wow we can do this and come out of this game with a win’. It was definitely a sweet moment.

“[At half-time] we spoke on defence. No one was down, everyone was giving each other advice on what we needed to fix on our line and defence. I never speak up at half-time but I was so confident in this game that I actually said something, I spoke about little things we needed to fix and our energy was so up. Our coach’s energy was so up and I think it all just carried on into that second half.”

Tafuna adds that the team’s ambition is to come away with two wins from two matches in Europe and they could do just that if they beat Wales this Saturday.

“Beating Ireland has given us confidence but I think we know we have to stay humble,” Tafuna says. “Even though we beat Ireland we haven’t proved that we deserve to be in the top six. We want to come off with a two game win in Europe and I think if we come away with that our confidence will definitely be boosted.”

Tafuna has only been playing rugby for the last seven years with her first time on a pitch competing in sevens. She has only played in that one sevens tournament but could she be tempted to switch codes to try and bid for a spot on the team for the LA Games in 2028?

She says: “It was something [I was going to entertain] at first but I think my focus will be on the next World Cup.”

Her future for now is in XVs and up until now she has played at a collegiate level for Lindenwood University. She graduated this summer with a diploma in health and wellness and is going to take the NCTRC [National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification] exam in January, stating that she wants to eventually create a senior living home for elderly people.

Tafuna, who also added she would love to play rugby league at some point in her career, is also continuing her career on the pitch but was non-committal about her club rugby future which is currently up in the air.

“That is still on the table,” she says. “I am not too sure where I will be so I can’t give an answer on that.”