Form USA Sevens Captain Abby Gustaitis Joins Naval Academy Staff
Form USA Sevens Captain Abby Gustaitis Joins Naval Academy Staff
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Navy women’s rugby head coach Murph McCarthy announced the addition of former USA Women’s 7s captain Abby Gustaitis to his staff as an assistant coach.
Gustaitis has been involved in the sport of rugby for over 13 years as a player, coach, and TV analyst.
“I’m thrilled for Abby Gustaitis to be coming aboard at Navy,” said head coach Murph McCarthy. “Her enthusiasm for the game is apparent when you watch her play or listen to her from the broadcast booth. She will be a great addition to our team.”
Gustaitis began playing rugby while attending the University of Maryland and immediately caught the attention of the national team. She was invited to train full time with the USA National Team in 2015 and made her debut later that year for the 15s Eagles. In 2016, she earned a roster spot with the Scion Rugby Academy in Washington, D.C. In her first season with Scion, she captained the team to the National Clubs 7s Championship.
Gustaitis played for the USA 15s team in the 2017 Rugby World Cup in Dublin, Ireland, helping the Eagles to a 4th-place finish.
Switching primarily to 7s after that, Gustaitis played for the USA team that took 4th at the 2018 7s Rugby World Cup, and also played in the 2019 Pan-Am Games, where they took silver behind Canada. By the she was an established 7s Eagle, dominating restarts and emerging as a key leader. She was an important part of the USA winning the World Rugby Sevens World Series tournament in Biaaritz, France in June of 2019, and then their win in Glendale to kick off what became an abbreviated season in 2019-2020.
Gistaitis captained the USA in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (played in 2021), where they finished 6th. After that she has worked as a TV reporter and analyst for World Rugby and NBC.
Along with coaching, she continues to play professional rugby for the Southern Headliners in Premier Rugby 7s. Gustaitis led the Headliners to the 2022 PR 7s championship and thw 2023 East Division title, and during the 2023 season she was named MVP.
A native of Baltimore, MD., Gustaitis attended the University of Maryland and graduated with a degree in physiology and neurobiology in 2013.
“I’m excited to be part of such a great program and Academy with such a strong history in sport. The team is filled with promising young women and a lot of opportunity for growth,” said Gustaitis. “Women’s rugby is very much on the rise and I can’t wait to work with coach McCarthy and see where we can take this team. I am grateful for rugby and the community in so many ways, but especially for this new opportunity. I hope to be able to give back to these women who are already going above and beyond for our country.”
Navy begins its season against Queens University of Charlotte on Saturday at 10 a.m. in Greenwood, SC.