'Every game the competition is getting tougher': Kate Zackary on WXV

With a maiden appearance in the top level of WXV on the horizon, USA Eagles captain Kate Zackary reflected on the learnings made during the Pacific Four Series, and described what the next year now looks like for the team.

"Pac 4 is a really good opportunity for us every year,” she explained. “We've been doing it now for the last couple of years, it's a great opportunity for us to keep playing more games.

“We always go back and forth with our placement and with Australia and things like that, so even going to this year knowing that it was really going to come down to that last game, we were always going to struggle against New Zealand and Canada.

“We had markers of things we wanted to get out of those games, whether it was our set piece, our attack, our defence, but by the time we hit Australia, we wanted to be fully ready for that match and have all of our ducks in a row as a team.”

After two opening losses against Canada and New Zealand, the USA’s fate for the next year hung in the balance until the final stages of the tournament.

Their 32-25 win against Australia eventually sealed the all-important third place for the Eagles, securing Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 and WXV 1 qualification as Australia subsequently lost to New Zealand in the final round.

“For us, finally winning that game and kind of just that culmination of all of that hard work, which again I'm sure Australia felt the same way, that they've put in a lot of great work under Jo Yapp,” Zackary said.

“We had two teams with two new coaches, all vying for the same spot. To come out on the top end of that obviously, we were really chuffed about and happy to get.

“More importantly, looking ahead, it just means our Fall is a lot different as a team. We can prepare for a World Cup next year. Now that we're qualified for that, now that we're in WXV 1, we can attack the next 15 months a little bit differently. A little bit more confidently, but also really to work on a few things that we need to tend to before then.”

2023 saw the USA compete in WXV 2 in South Africa, but this year the intensity will ramp up once again as they face world number one side England, number four France, and Ireland, who are currently ranked tenth, in Vancouver.

The addition of WXV to the women’s calendar provides a vital increase in international competition, which Zackary hopes will contribute to the development of less experienced players ahead of a big year for the Eagles with their place at RWC 2025 now confirmed.

"More and more every game, the competition is getting tougher and tougher. Even being in WXV 2 last year, playing against Italy, Scotland, South Africa, Samoa, Japan, you could see the quality is getting better and better. Now even moving a tier above to playing the top four countries in the world who have been in those positions now for years will be massive for us.

“I think more importantly, it's about thinking about our depth. We've got a lot of players, including myself, who have now got 30 plus caps. We're experienced, we've played a lot of big matches against big teams. Then you look at the rest of our team and they're 15 caps or fewer, and they haven't played as many top-tier teams,” the USA captain said.

“Thinking ahead to the experience and what they'll get going to WXV and playing England and France and some of those times, we now play them and we front some of those nerves. They'll get over those nerves of playing the likes of England, and France, ahead of a World Cup, preparing them to be ready for any task at hand.”

Zackary currently calls West London home as she plies her trade at Trailfinders in the Premiership Women’s Rugby league, and expressed desires to continue to grow the game in her homeland while recognising their landscape as a multi-sport nation.

"One difference in the US is honestly leaning on the fact that we're a multi-sport country. Don't get me wrong, obviously, England is too, right now they're balancing netball and so many other sports, but across America, we're balancing so much with soccer, football as the English like to call it of course,” she explained with a laugh.

“It's also leaning into the fact that we are different, but it's also just another opportunity to perfect your skills for another sport. Multi-sport athletes, I think particularly in America, is what our future is for rugby. I crossed over from playing soccer for 20-plus years. Half of my teammates crossed over from basketball, track and field, things like that.

“We pick up rugby a lot later, but I think that's also what makes us uniquely special. That's one thing we definitely have to lean into. Let players continue playing the sports they love, they'll find their way to rugby. It will always be tough, you're combating sports, but don't be discouraged."

Alongside playing for the PWR side, Zackary is also heavily involved in grassroots rugby development at the club and spoke fondly of the incremental changes she has seen in girls’ participation in her year in Ealing.

“For instance here this year we only had one girl coming to our Monday night sessions. On Mondays, we still only have four, but on Fridays, we have 12," she said with pride.

“We had a half-term camp and we had 13, whereas at our last half-term camp we had five. Over the course of even realistically six months of a few camps, small growth matters. Going to a lot of schools and getting two players from each school, it matters. It's getting there."

In a similar vein, she also spoke with excitement about the prospect of the next few years for rugby in the USA.

“We've seen the quality of rugby change so much in the last decade in America both men's and women's. It's just stressing that even in just ten years time when we host the World Cup, it will be amazing to see how many people are involved in rugby by that point."

This past season also provided the unique opportunity for Zackary to represent the Stars and Stripes at her English club ground when the USA played South Africa at Trailfinders Sports Ground in March.

"It was kind of a nice little surprise when it all came together. It was cool to come here, and Lindelwa [Gwala] was also playing for South Africa, so it was a nice little match with two Trailfinders playing in their home country jerseys,” she said with a beaming smile.

“I don't think that really happens at too many fields. Besides that, there were so many fans in the crowd. What it will hopefully do in the long term is continue to bolster the support.

“Look at the athletes we have on our women's team, now look at them in the exact same place, you don't even have to go further than you normally would on a Saturday to watch this high-level rugby, it's happening in your own backyard. That was a pretty unique experience for some of the Trailfinders fans as well.”