Leading the Highwomen: Emilie Bydwell making history with USA Sevens

Madonna, Whitney Houston, the Staples Sisters, an eye-catching display of album covers hang on an office wall of USA women's Sevens coach Emilie Bydwell.

“Highwomen” is the label Bydwell has for these outstanding artists and “Highwomen” is a mantra by which the Olympic bronze medallists aspire to.

In Paris, Bydwell became the first female rugby coach to win an Olympic medal when the USA stunned Australia 14-12 in the playoff for third. The USA had lost a semi-final to eventual gold medallists New Zealand.

In the battle for bronze Maddison Levi scored her record 14th try of the Olympics to put Australia ahead 12-7 with a minute remaining.

The USA secured the kickoff and a couple of phases later Alex ‘Spiff’ Sedrick broke 80 meters to score a try that not only created history but proved to be worth a surprise $4 million.

“That scoreline and timeline might look like a reason to panic but I wasn’t thinking it was done,” Bydwell told RugbyPass.

“If we did our job and got the kickoff receipt, Australia wasn't going to get another opportunity. I thought we might have to work harder for it. Maybe get a penalty to get upfield.

“The match followed the pattern of recent tussles. They beat us by golden point in Vancouver and had another close win in LA. We had a tight win in Toulouse.

“That try wasn’t a fluke moment. It was a culmination of years of hard work, trusting the process, and making sacrifices.

“It’s hotter in San Diego than it is in Paris. Still, our players spent half an hour in a sauna in 30-degree heat after training.

“The team made a decision not to go to the opening ceremony. We wanted nothing to distract us from our goal of a medal.

“Spiff is a next-level athlete. We’ve put a lot of investment into her. She’d be one of the top five fastest players on the World Sevens circuit and one of the best defenders I’ve worked with.

“The day after we won. some of the players had 50 interviews. It was wild to see them articulate proudly who we are and what we stand for and that’s Highwomen.”

Highwomen are brave, resilient, selfless, confident and successful women with integrity and a strong sense of identity. Ilona Maher is not only an influential USA player but the most-followed rugby player in the world on social media.

Each player spent time on their own thinking about the women in their lives who motivate them and inspire them to show up every day, then presented that list to their teammates. Every time they step out on the pitch, they remember who they’re representing.

Michele Kang, a Korean-American businesswoman who made her fortune as the founder and CEO of Cognosante, a medical technology company, and Congonosante Ventures, a venture capital firm, is a Highwoman.

A majority owner of the Washington Spirit football team and a shareholder in several other sports franchises, billionaire Kang was so impressed by the USA she donated $4 million to USA rugby to “grow the sport and provide more resources ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.”

Each US player received a $15,000 bonus for their bronze medal.

“It’s wild. I haven’t even spoken to Michele,” Bydwell said.

“Michele is an ultra-successful businesswoman, a trailblazer in the women’s sports space, the very definition of a Highwoman.

"There’s a synergy with Highwomen. It takes one to know one. Investment leads to more investment. Her support is an absolute game changer.”

Support for women’s rugby in the USA isn't easy to come by. When Bydwell, a three-time All-American at Brown University, first made the national XV's side in 2008 she was told she would have to pay her way to London for a Test against England. She attained her first credit card and made enough of an impression on the trip to establish a foothold.

In 2010 she was on the US roster for the Rugby World Cup where the Americans finished fifth.

A maths teacher in Boston, she moved to San Diego in 2011 to train with the emerging USA Rugby Sevens Residency program. In 2012, Bydwell won a senior club 7s national title with the San Diego Surfers, and was named tournament MVP.

In 2013 she represented the USA Sevens team that finished third at the World Cup in Russia. Bydwell formed a life-changing relationship with late coach Ric Suggitt.

“Ric saw strengths in people they didn’t see themselves. He was the first person to tell me I could be a coach. He encouraged me to pursue that pathway. I quit my job and moved from one side of America to the other to chase my dream.

“He taught me that you have to act with integrity. We’re coaching to such a high level every day, that you’re not always going to get it right. Owning mistakes, collaborating with the group, and being open to grow as a person are all hallmarks of a great coach.”

Bydwell has been married to former England international Michaela [Staniford] since 2015 and they have two daughters. Michaela played 60 tests for England and captained the Sevens, and is a big soundboard for Bydwell.

She coached three consecutive USA Rugby Club 7s National Championship teams with Atavus Academy in 2017 and the San Diego Surfers in 2018 and 2019.

From 2018-2021, Bydwell served as the USA Rugby Director of Women’s High Performance. Bydwell was named the head coach of the USA Sevens team in November 2021.

“The last three years have been enormously rewarding and challenging. We had a good 2022-23 finishing third in the World Series and forging our identity. It was really positive but there was always this anxious feeling in your stomach about what might happen at the Olympics,” Bydwell said.

“If we didn’t medal in Paris all of that might not have mattered. The future of the program would have been a lot less certain.

“The next chapter is exciting and initially about rebuilding. We were a mature squad in Paris. About half of the squad has retired but that opens up opportunities.

“When I select players for next season, I won’t be just looking at the here and now. I’ll be asking, what their celling is in four to eight years.”

The most significant retirement is that of Naya Tapper who during her time on the World Sevens series became the first American woman to score 100 career and is currently the all-time leading try scorer for the USA with 129 tries. Tapper’s chase-down try-saving tackle against Ireland in Dubai Sevens 2021 was named the #1 play on ESPN’s SportsCenter Top 10 Plays.

Meanwhile, Bydwell is hopeful her success will lead to more females in head coaching positions.

“When you’re the only person in a space not normally occupied by women there is an added sense of pressure to be successful.

“You don’t want to be that woman whose team went to the Olympics and finished ninth. There should be more women coaching but if you get classified as a token that’s not helpful and the biggest inspiration to work one more hour."