'Take risks': Eagles ready to cause disruption on SVNS Series

Ahead of HSBC SVNS Series stops in Singapore and Perth the USA Women’s Eagles Sevens have been implored to take more risks.

In their squad announcement ahead of the upcoming weekends of action, head coach Emilie Bydwell spoke about how she had concentrated on “transferring ownership of decision making to the players” in the weeks since Dubai and Cape Town.

While in its early days it is an adjustment that has yielded results as the Eagles posted a Dubai victory over the Black Fern Sevens.

So far as Bydwell is concerned, this adaptation is just another step as the team progress towards a home Olympic Games in 2028.

“With the profile of players that we have, who’ve been playing rugby in elementary and middle school – risk taking is a little bit more inherent for them,” Bydwell said.

“When I took over the team for the Paris campaign, what was required of me and of the team was a real clarity around specific roles and what we were trying to achieve.

“The way we were looking to play got us the result we were after – but knowing that we’re not just trying to achieve that result again, we’re trying to beat New Zealand and Australia consistently.

“There is an element of disruption that’s required that really can’t be done if you are not willing to take risks. We’ve explored that as a team and figured out how we want to do that.”

Kristi Kirshe is in many ways the perfect example of this transition. For much of the captain’s 32 tournaments to date she has played in a stricter game-plan, whereas now spontaneity and out the box thinking is encouraged.

“I am historically less willing to take risks,” Kirshe said. “I’ve always prided myself on consistency – not necessarily being somebody who’s going to make a risky decision, but I’ve always had to be vulnerable and push myself into that position.

“There are things that I can do that I might have used to think as risky but are part of our game plan now and actually supported by the team.

“I think it’s about finding that balance. But I think for me, and maybe some of the other players who have been around for a few years, we’ve had to break free from that more conservative style of play and push ourselves to take some risks and explore a little bit more.”

For upcoming rounds in Singapore and Perth, Bydwell has been able to recall Olympic silver medallist Sammy Sullivan who returns from leave with the military, while Sarah Levy has missed out due to injury.

Off the back of two rounds of action the Eagles sit fourth in the overall standings. A fifth-place finish in Dubai and fourth in Cape Town have provided a solid foundation for Kirshe and her teammates to build on across the next fortnight.

“The first two tournaments were really good learning experience for us,” Kirshe said. “We have so many people who are playing on the Series for the first time.

“They’re learning what it feels like to win on the Series. They’re learning what it feels like to lose on the Series.

“I think we built really well through those two tournaments, but we actually ended in a great position where we felt like we did a lot well, but we left with a lot to work on.

“I feel like that’s been present through every day of our training since we’ve been back. The inner squad competition that we have out here has been amazing.

“We’ve been pushing each other harder and harder than I think we have in the last few years. That’s really exciting for the group.”