Kate Zackary: ‘No Excuses’ as USA target England in World Cup opener

For most rugby players, just making it to one Rugby World Cup is a career-defining achievement. For USA Eagles captain Kate Zackary, 2025 will mark her third.

After semi-final and quarter-final appearances in 2017 and 2021, the 36-year-old is preparing to lead her country into another global campaign, this time starting with a blockbuster opener against hosts and tournament favourites, England.

“It hasn’t really sunk in that it’s my third,” Zackary admits with a laugh. “People have been bringing it up a lot the last couple of weeks. Hope (Rogers) is on her fourth, so it’s not even the biggest number in camp. But honestly, this has been my lifestyle for the last few years. I just roll from one season to the next.”

‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

‘This Energy Never Stops’ – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025

That lifestyle has been intense. After wrapping up her club season with Ealing, Zackary has been in Eagles camp non-stop since early July, a sprint of training sessions, scrimmages, and travel. “The last six weeks have been hard camp,” she says. “You’re just focused on the work in front of you.”

This cycle feels different for the Eagles. Zackary points to two significant changes: financial support and expanded staffing.

“We’re now on short-term contracts instead of just stipends, which is amazing,” she explains. “From April to September, everyone’s been funded, even in June when we weren’t together, you were still looked after. Before, if you weren’t in camp, you weren’t paid. That takes away a lot of stress and lets you prepare properly.”

Off the field, the backroom has never been stronger. “We’ve got multiple physios, rotating doctors, three coaches, a full-time team manager, an assistant manager, all paid, all dedicated. People often forget the role of support staff in performance. You need a good game plan, but you also need people looking after the players so you can actually execute it.”

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Head coach Sione Fukofuka has been central to that shift. Zackary describes him as “balanced”, a coach who can lighten the mood, but who came in with high expectations and worked to back them up with tangible resources.

“He didn’t just say, ‘This is how it’s going to run.’ He fought with USA Rugby to get us mental skills coaches, sports psychs, all the things we needed,” Zackary says. “Now there’s no excuse for poor performance. He can come to me and say, ‘I’ve delivered, you guys aren’t, so I need you to drive the results.’”

That directness is something Zackary values. “You’d rather a coach be upfront. We’ve built a consistent leadership group, so I don’t carry the load alone. We all push the team forward.”

The World Cup draw couldn’t be more daunting: a Friday night opener against England, at home, in front of 40,000.

“Our goal is to reach the semi-finals, and it starts with that opening game,” says Zackary. “Of course, we want to win; any team should. But we also know it’s about walking away with confidence.”

Preparation has gone beyond set-piece drills. “Today we had speakers blasting during the forwards’ block to simulate the noise England will bring. You have to be ready for the non-rugby stuff, the distractions, the atmosphere.”

On the tactical side, Zackary is clear: “England love to maul. We’ve got to step up our maul defence and force them to find other ways to score. They’ve got threats across the park, but so do we. Match for match, it’s going to be good.”

Zackary’s leadership has evolved over her eight years as captain. “I speak less on tactics now; we’ve got attack and defence game drivers who lead that. My role is advocacy, making sure everyone has what they need and holding standards when needed.”

She balances that with a willingness to let players grow into the role. “You have to let people make mistakes in smaller tournaments during the year, so they’re ready now. And we’ve even made recovery competitive; there’s a points system for things like sleep, stretching, and pool sessions. It’s about making good habits fun.”

Before rugby, Zackary was a collegiate soccer player. Her parents encouraged her to try multiple sports, and she credits this variety with her durability and skill set.

“Basketball helped my handling, softball taught patience and hand-eye coordination, and soccer gave me aerobic capacity. I’ve played a lot of full matches in both sports, so I can run and change direction for a long time,” she says.

That multi-sport path is something she advocates for young athletes, especially in the US, “Scholarships in sports like soccer are harder to get now. Rugby scholarships are growing. Worst case, you try it and go back to your sport, it might even make you better. And the community you find in rugby is special.”

One of Zackary’s favourite stories this cycle has been the transformation of fly-half Mackenzie Hawkins.

“The last World Cup, Mac had a really tough role; she never rostered,” Zackary recalls. “But she didn’t quit. She worked on her craft, became one of the best kickers at the Pacific Four Series, and now she’s our starting 10.

“She’s massively intelligent, can see two or three phases ahead, and she’s added that vocal, hype energy to her calm leadership style. It’s one of the biggest turnarounds I’ve seen.”

At 36, Zackary is realistic about the future. “I’m not using the ‘r’ (retired) word yet. The body feels good, I’m going back to Ealing for another season. After that, I’ll see. My wife and I want to start a family, so there’s that balance too.”

She’s also preparing for life after her playing career, “I’m level 300 certified in the US, close to finishing my advanced coaching certificate in England, and working with a university partnered with Ealing. Coaching is the plan; if I’m good at it, I’ll keep going. If not, I’ll find something else. Life’s a mystery like that.”

For now, all focus is on Sunderland, on England, and on setting the tone for the tournament.

“I want players to know that whoever gets a jersey has earned it, from coaches and teammates. When you have that respect, there’s no reason to be nervous. Just compete for 80 minutes.”

Three World Cups in, Zackary’s drive is undiminished. Whether it’s shutting down England’s power game, holding standards in camp, or advocating for her players, she remains the heartbeat of the Eagles.

And maybe, just maybe, she and her teammates will blow this tournament wide open on the very first night.