CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – USA Rugby has officially kicked off its Rugby World Cup Identification Camp in Chula Vista, with two current Harvard student-athletes and five alumni selected to participate.

Harvard juniors Tiahna Padilla and Nafi Fitesemanu are among those in attendance, alongside alumni Cheta Emba '15, Maya Learned '18, Caitlyn Weigel '19, Jenny Kronish '19, and Cassidy Bargell '22. Emba competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on the USA national team. Kronish played in the 2021 World Cup, scoring a try against Italy. Bargell was a key contributor to the Crimson's 2019 NIRA National Championship victory.

This six-day training camp marks the beginning of the USA Women's Rugby season, supporting selections for the upcoming test match schedule as well as the 2025 Rugby World Cup.

Head Coach Sione Fukofuka expressed excitement about the year ahead, saying, "2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for the Women's National Team, with the Pacific Four Series and Rugby World Cup on the horizon. The Chula Vista camp serves as the launchpad for our 2025 campaign, bringing together High Performance squad members, wider training squad players, and emerging talent from the U20 and U23 pathways. We'll be assessing the players' physical capacities through rigorous testing protocols, evaluating their core skills and decision-making abilities in both closed and open activities. We'll wrap up the camp with a 'possibles vs. probables' game, providing valuable insight into player performance" (USA Rugby, 2025).

"This camp offers crucial performance data that will help our coaching staff refine the depth chart and assess talent across the broader player pool. It also gives us the opportunity to work closely with younger players on the development pathway, alongside athletes identified throughout 2024 who may feature in the senior USA team over the coming year" (USA Rugby, 2025).