CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Harvard Womens' Rugby Head Coach Mel Denham will serve as an assistant coach on the USA Rugby U23 team, as Crimson athletes Malia Isaacs and Tiahna Padilla have been selected to the team that will face Canada in a 'Border Battle' series next week in Quincy, Mass. 

Hosted by the Major League Rugby club and supported by the XV Foundation, the classic North American rivalry will take to home soil as a showcase for the best USA Rugby pathways prospects. The first match will kickoff July 26 at 7pm ET, with the second played on July 30 at 12pm ET.

Head Coach Katie Dowty and squad will look to continue their recent success at the Americas Rugby Trophy, taking home the tournament title against the Brazilian and Columbian senior national sides. As a mixture of collegiate, club and academy players, the U23s are a central squad of prospects on the doorstep of the USA National Team.

Padilla will be making her third appearance on a USA Rugby team this year, first competing on the U23 team in Brazil where Team USA won the Americas Rugby Trophy against Brazil and Columbia. She then took a spot on the roster in the U20 team that faced Canada and Wales in early July. Denham served as an assistant coach in Brazil as well. The upcoming Border Battle series will be Isaacs' first appearance on a USA Rugby team. 

The games against Canada will take place not far from home in Quincy, Mass., offering a great opportunity for fans of the sport to see an exciting match nearby. Tickets are available at the link above.