Unapologetically Bella: Meet the USA Women' Eagles newest emerging superstar

Seven minutes into her international debut, Bella Vogel found herself in a position dreaded by most out-halves.

Mererangi Paul, the Black Ferns flier, was haring into the backfield thanks to an overlap out wide. One-on-one with Vogel, the last defender, a deft chip and chase took her past the young 10 and over the line.

“That was definitely my moment of welcome to the big leagues,” Vogel remembered. “I didn’t expect it as that [kick] doesn’t happen at the lower level. This is the start.”

In a similar situation later in the match, Vogel found herself in a similar position. “It happened again but I was able to catch the ball.”

Learning. Growth. Development. Vogel and this USA Women’s Eagles side as a whole is at the start of a journey, one that is looking in part at the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Australia. The true destination, though, is a home global bonanza in 2033.

That’s partly why new head coach Jack Hanratty felt comfortable throwing in not only a 19-year-old debutant at 10 against the Black Ferns back in April, but someone who played most of her recent rugby at 12 for Life University.

On the pitch, Vogel is not your typical 10. She’s young first of all, with just four caps to her name, lacking the experience some coaches desire in their on-field general. Yet given her background at centre, she relishes contact. No need to hide her in the defensive line.

Off the field, Vogel is a personality that many will find easy to support. Dreadlocks fly in all directions as she lines up tackles. Her social media reveals a passion for animals and religion. Her family home in Pennsylvania – where she was homeschooled before heading to Life – is full of rescue animals.

Bella is unapologetically Bella. Playing number 10, the sport’s most high-profile position, it’s easy to see her becoming one of the faces of this Eagles journey as they seek to become a true competitor in time for 2033.

When Hanratty summoned players into camp ahead of the Pacific Four Series series during the spring, he had a decision to make. A young centre from Life impressed with her ability to kick off both feet. One of the areas the Eagles need to develop to catch up to international rivals is in the kicking game. Does he take a risk and pick the two-footed but uncapped Vogel to lead that project at 10, or instead an experienced alternative?

He chose option A. In all of Hanratty’s four games in charge so far, Vogel has started in the 10 shirt. Results have been mixed, the USA beat Australia but have lost to New Zealand, Canada and South Africa. But the plan is in place and it likely will be given every chance to grow into success. For the first time this weekend, against South Africa at Loftus Versfeld, Vogel will start at inside centre.

“Leading up into the practice week, I was being put there [at 10] a lot so it wasn’t as much as a surprise but I was beyond grateful,” Vogel said of the moment she learned of her debut. “It was incredible to hear that and to be able to tell my parents, they were ecstatic.

“I played soccer for about 10 years before I started playing rugby. It was a little bit easier for me to kick because of that. Then my Life University coach, who I played with on a select high school team, he’d always tell me to practice with both feet, it’s something that isn’t common.

“Off the tee, I go with the right foot. For drop-kicks, it’s either. Punting I can do both, probably get it a little bit further and more accurate with my left. Conversion kicking I haven’t mastered with my left yet.”

Then there is the contact side of things, the part of the game that first drew Vogel to rugby after initially playing soccer as a child.

“I definitely think being able to use your feet, your hands, rugby requires every part of your body, that’s something that is really interesting,” Vogel said.

“No matter how good you are there’s something you could be better at because there are so many parts to it. But I definitely love the physical part of rugby. I used to always get in trouble in soccer, hitting people, I think that was the big reason my mom put me in because she knew I loved contact.

“I’ve definitely noticed that about a lot of 10s in other countries, they’re kind of standoff-ish. I will pick the biggest player, I do not care, I will enjoy it so much.”

It’s not as simple as saying as Vogel’s fortunes go during the Hanratty era, so do those of the USA. One player does not a team make. Yet she is still a symbol of the youthful ambition of a long-term project in its infancy. One that was recently exposed to a more prevalent rugby culture in the loss to South Africa at Ellis Park last weekend.

“It’s been amazing to walk into a store and the first thing you see is rugby,” Vogel said of her time in South Africa. “The rugby players are on billboards, it’s definitely something to look forward to eventually in the US.

“It’s been an incredible experience. Playing in Ellis Park was unbelievable. There weren’t as many fans for our game but seeing people at the South Africa men’s game [against England], I was like ‘Wow’. This is something I would love for the US.

“There is definitely something sparking here. It was definitely a frustrating finish on Saturday but I think towards the end, we kind of showed what we were able to give, and even then, we still were making mistakes.

“We definitely want to win. We don’t want to be content with not winning anymore, that is a big part of this team.”