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Team USA women’s rugby had a stranglehold on the nation in the opening week of the Paris Olympics. The group achieved historic success while landing a new wave of supporters.
Superfan Jason Kelce headlined that group, but he was far from the only viewer cheering on the bronze medal winners. And it seems that incredible run to the podium will only strengthen the future of the program!
Team USA’s unprecedented path to bronze included wins over Australia, Brazil, and Japan. That final victory came in dramatic fashion on Tuesday.
Trailing 12-7 in the final seconds of play, Alex Sedrick took off 94 meters for the winning try as time expired from the clock. The score solidified the US’s third-place spot, making the 2024 Paris Games the first Olympic competition in which the team medaled.
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History!
Everyone was tuned into that bronze-medal game, including star player Ilona Maher’s college coaches from Quinnipiac.
They lost it seeing Sedrick race towards the goal line on that final play. They were fully invested!
@qurugby #usarugby #ilonamaher #qurugby #olympics #rugby7s #fypage #paris2024 #bronzemedal ♬ original sound – Quinnipiac Rugby
Ilona Maher was a key part of Team USA’s newfound fame, not only through her play on the pitch, but for her incredible personality away from it.
It was awesome to see her old school tuning in to support! They were far from the only ones, though.
Team USA women’s rugby received a $4 million donation for future success.
Shortly after the historic win, investor Michele Kang pledged $4 million to be spread across the next four years to help both sustain and build on this success.
The USA Rugby today announced an unprecedented donation from Michele Kang, owner of the Washington Spirit, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin and London City Lionesses women’s soccer clubs. Kang, who is dedicated to the advancement of women’s sports through Kynisca Sports International, the first global, female-owned, multi-club organization in women’s football, will gift $4 million over the course of four years to the USA Women’s Rugby Sevens team as it looks to grow the sport and provide improved resources to its players and coaching staff in anticipation of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
There has now been a commitment made towards the future of Team USA women’s rugby. When the Olympic Games return to American soil in 2028, the squad will be ready!