The Penn State Women's rugby program has announced a Recruiting Weekend for the weekend of October 18th. Penn State is the most successful women’s collegiate program in the country with nine National Titles and appearances in the last 18 of 20 National Championship games.

 

“Penn State is ideal for players that want to play at a high level,” said Kate Daley, USA Captain and interim Head Coach at Penn State. “You are surrounded by all the resources of an elite, division 1 sports school, plus other athletes who have the same goals as you.”  Daley, a 4-time All-American at Penn State, used these resources to not only make the World Cup squad this summer, but to also be the Captain of the Eagles.

 

Recruit Weekend is for high school students currently in the fall of their senior year. Interested recruits will have the option to attend a class of their choice with a current player during the day on Friday followed by the team walk-through and team dinner Friday Evening. They are able to stay on campus for the night before a breakfast meeting with the coaching staff, along with parents, who will give them an introduction to the University and the Rugby program and a tour of the Rugby Hall of Honor. They will then get a tour of campus and will get to see Penn State play against Big 10 rival Ohio State.

 

Penn State offers both a world class education and a place where players can maximize their potential. This summer Penn State had 2 current players and 3 alumni represent the Eagles at the World Cup along with numerous representatives through the USA Age Grade programs. Penn Staters captained the Eagles, The USA Junior All-Americans and Team USA at the Youth Olympic Games.

 

“Penn State is unique in both the support the University provides and the ability for rugby players to focus on their education,” said Head Coach Pete Steinberg (currently on sabbatical). “The school offers over 160 majors and has a tremendous academic reputation. There are very few schools that offer the combined academics and the elite athlete support.”

 

The Rugby program sits in the Athletic Department and is designated a “Team Sport”. This status means the program has access to many of the resources of other Varsity programs but can still keep the culture of rugby. This includes the benefit of varsity athlete health insurance giving all players access to world class medical care.

 

The team also boasts multiple members of the coaching staff with international experience. This year is the second year with USA Strength and Conditioning Coach Ian Jones, an Ireland native, who brings his knowledge and experience working with professional rugby in the UK.