An American Century: USA’s 100th test

The United States first test match ?? and the first test match played outside Europe ?? took place in Victoria, British Columbia on 14th November 1987. The US team?˜

The day finished with a comprehensive five-try 22-3 win for the Americans (tries were still worth four points in 1987) ?? but for many of the team it wasn??t their first taste of international rugby. Two years before they had taken part in a ground-breaking overseas tour. Playing as the ??Wiverns?? they had played most of the best teams in United Kingdom and France ?? and beaten them all.

Competitive women??s rugby in the USA?˜was already?˜some 15 years old, with the first three teams being created at Colorado State University Hookers at Fort Collins; the University of Colorado, at Boulder; and the University of Illinois, at Champaign. The game spread to other universities and, as players graduated, clubs began to be formed in major cities. This gave rugby in the US a signficant head start over much of the rest of the world.

Initially the team were not allowed to be called the ??Eagles?? nor were they allowed to wear the Eagles logo, but this was still a golden age for United States women's rugby. Several of the 1987 team went to New Zealand in 1990 to play in the first inter-continental tournament, alongside Russia, Netherlands and the hosts. The US also warmed up by playing (and beating) several leading New Zealand club teams without conceding a point. The tournament came down to the final game against New Zealand, but the United States lost a by 9-3 ?? the only points they conceded on the tour.

Eight months later the US got their revenge in the semi-final of the first World Cup in Wales, beating New Zealand 7-0 thanks to a try from Barb Bond, before beating England 19-6 in the final two days later. The World Cup winners in Cardiff on 14th April 1991, were:

Eight of the same team were to play in another world cup final three years later where ?? uniquely ?? they won two games by over 100 points in a week, beating Sweden 111-0 before going on to beat Japan 121-0 (still their largest ever win) four days later.?˜However this time they were to lose in the final for the first time, going down 28-23 to England. Some of the 1991 team would go on to play in a third final in 1998, where this time they lost to New Zealand 44-12.

By now the rest of the world were catching up with the United States and a year after their third world cup final they lost to their great rivals, Canada, for the first time.

However the USA have remained one of the world??s leading teams. In 2002 they still managed 5th place at the World Cup in Barcelona, losing only to France, and travelled to the UK and Ireland twice in 2004 and 2006 without losing a test, winning their 50th test against Scotland in Gala on the second tour.

The 2006 World Cup was a few months later, and the US retained their 5th place losing only to England. In 2008, along with England and Canada, they began the summer Nations Cup series and in 2009 they were runners-up in a five-team tournament, finishing ahead of France, Canada and South Africa.

At the 2010 World Cup the United States played their 75th match on their way to another 5th place?˜since and ?? despite their rise of sevens ?? they have maintained their test programme, including a tour to Italy and France in 2012, and hosting France for?˜a three-test series in 2013, with France narrowly winning the series 2-1.

And so to the current World Cup, where for their 100th the United States are again competing to 5th place ?? this time against New Zealand.

Overall, in just under 27 years the United States have won 55 of their 99 games, with one draw. They will be the 10th team to play 100 test matches after England (216), France (190), Wales (161), Scotland (160), Ireland (130), Italy (115), Netherlands (110), Spain (109), and Canada (107).

1 14/11/1987 Canada ?˜3-22 United States (Victoria, British Columbia) (Friendly)2 08/08/1988 United States ?˜26-10 Canada (Saranac Lake, NY) (Friendly)3 03/09/1989 Canada ?˜3-28 United States (Edmonton) (Friendly)4 29/08/1990 Netherlands ?˜0-38 United States (Christchurch) (RugbyFest)5 30/08/1990 New Zealand ?˜9-3 United States (Christchurch) (RugbyFest)6 31/08/1990 United States ?˜32-0 USSR (Christchurch) (RugbyFest)7 06/04/1991 Netherlands ?˜0-7 United States (Pontypool) (World Cup)8 10/04/1991 United States ?˜46-0 USSR (Glamorgan Wanderers) (World Cup)9 12/04/1991 New Zealand ?˜0-7 United States (Cardiff Arms Park) (World Cup)10 14/04/1991 England ?˜6-19 United States (Cardiff) (World Cup)11 13/09/1992 United States ?˜13-12 Canada (Blaine, Minnesota) (Friendly)12 08/06/1993 England ?˜17-6 United States (Fletcher??s Fields, Toronto) (Canada Cup)13 10/06/1993 United States ?˜26-0 Wales (Fletcher??s Fields, Toronto) (Canada Cup)14 12/06/1993 Canada ?˜3-60 United States (Markham, Ontario) (Canada Cup)15 11/04/1994 Sweden ?˜0-111 United States (Melrose) (World Cup)16 15/04/1994 Japan ?˜0-121 United States (Melrose) (World Cup)17 17/04/1994 United States ?˜76-0 Ireland (Boroughmuir) (World Cup)18 20/04/1994 United States ?˜56-15 Wales (Gala) (World Cup)19 24/04/1994 England ?˜38-23 United States (Edinburgh Academicals RFC) (World Cup)20 08/09/1996 France ?˜16-39 United States (Edmonton) (Canada Cup)21 11/09/1996 New Zealand ?˜88-8 United States (Edmonton) (Canada Cup)22 14/09/1996 Canada ?˜14-22 United States (Edmonton) (Canada Cup)23 06/07/1997 Canada ?˜12-21 United States (Ajax, Ontario) (Friendly)24 02/08/1997 Australia ?˜24-28 United States (Brisbane) (Friendly)25 02/05/1998 Russia ?˜0-84 United States (Amsterdam) (World Cup)26 05/05/1998 Spain ?˜16-38 United States (Amsterdam) (World Cup)27 09/05/1998 Scotland ?˜10-25 United States (Amsterdam) (World Cup)28 12/05/1998 Canada ?˜6-46 United States (Amsterdam) (World Cup)29 16/05/1998 New Zealand ?˜44-12 United States (Amsterdam) (World Cup)30 08/08/1999 United States ?˜16-11 Canada (Saranac Lake, NY) (Friendly)31 13/10/1999 Canada ?˜18-15 United States (Palmerston North, New Zealand) (Triangular ??99)32 19/10/1999 New Zealand ?˜65-5 United States (Palmerston North, New Zealand) (Triangular ??99)33 06/06/2000 United States ?˜10-17 Canada (New York) (Friendly)34 23/09/2000 England ?˜31-7 United States (Winnipeg) (Canada Cup)35 27/09/2000 New Zealand ?˜45-0 United States (Winnipeg) (Canada Cup)36 30/09/2000 Canada ?˜9-15 United States (Winnipeg) (Canada Cup)37 07/07/2001 Canada ?˜23-3 United States (Twin Elm Park, Ottawa, Ontario,) (Friendly)38 05/08/2001 United States ?˜22-21 Canada (Saranac Lake, NY) (Friendly)39 18/11/2001 Wales ?˜17-20 United States (Ebbw Vale) (Friendly)40 24/11/2001 Scotland ?˜22-3 United States (Inverleith) (Friendly)41 13/05/2002 United States ?˜87-0 Netherlands (Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona) (World Cup)42 18/05/2002 France ?˜21-9 United States (Girona, Barcelona) (World Cup)43 21/05/2002 Australia ?˜0-18 United States (Girona, Barcelona) (World Cup)44 25/05/2002 Spain ?˜5-23 United States (Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona) (World Cup)45 18/06/2003 England ?˜15-8 United States (Thunderbird Stadium, Vancouver) (Churchill Cup)46 20/06/2003 Canada ?˜18-13 United States (Thunderbird Stadium, Vancouver) (Churchill Cup)47 13/06/2004 New Zealand ?˜35-0 United States (Calgary Rugby Park) (Churchill Cup)48 19/06/2004 Canada ?˜10-29 United States (Edmonton) (Churchill Cup)49 27/11/2004 Scotland ?˜6-12 United States (Murrayfield, Edinburgh) (Friendly)50 21/01/2006 Scotland ?˜6-13 United States (Netherdale, Gala) (Friendly)51 25/01/2006 Ireland 5-23 United States (Limerick) (Friendly)52 10/06/2006 United States ?˜25-10 Canada (Boulder, Colorado) (Friendly)53 13/06/2006 United States ?˜18-20 Canada (Boulder, Colorado) (Friendly)54 31/08/2006 England ?˜18-0 United States (St. Albert Rugby Park, St. Albert) (World Cup)55 04/09/2006 Ireland 11-24 United States (Ellerslie Rugby Park, Edmonton) (World Cup)56 08/09/2006 Australia ?˜6-10 United States (Ellerslie Rugby Park, Edmonton) (World Cup)57 12/09/2006 United States ?˜29-12 Australia (St. Albert Rugby Park, St. Albert) (World Cup)58 17/09/2006 Scotland ?˜0-24 United States (Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton) (World Cup)59 27/08/2007 United States ?˜5-18 Canada (Blaine, Minnesota) (Friendly)60 29/08/2007 United States ?˜7-45 Canada (Blaine, Minnesota) (Friendly)61 15/12/2007 England ?˜34-0 United States (London Irish) (Friendly)62 19/08/2008 England ?˜50-3 United States (Esher) (Friendly)63 22/08/2008 England ?˜17-14 United States (Esher, England) (Nations Cup)64 26/08/2008 Canada ?˜15-0 United States (Esher, England) (Nations Cup)65 27/06/2009 United States ?˜17-25 Canada (Infinity Park, Glendale, Colorado) (Friendly)66 10/08/2009 England ?˜36-7 United States (Appleby College, Oakville, Ontario) (Nations Cup)67 16/08/2009 South Africa ?˜0-39 United States (Appleby College, Oakville, Ontario) (Nations Cup)68 19/08/2009 Canada ?˜10-15 United States (Appleby College, Oakville, Ontario) (Nations Cup)69 22/08/2009 France ?˜15-15 United States (Fletcher??s Fields, Toronto) (Nations Cup)70 12/01/2010 United States ?˜8-18 Canada (Lakeland, Florida) (Atlantic cup)71 16/01/2010 United States ?˜11-10 Canada (Lakeland, Florida) (Atlantic cup)72 14/06/2010 Canada ?˜14-8 United States (Shawnigan Lake) (CanAm)73 18/06/2010 Canada ?˜34-22 United States (Bear Mountain Stadium, Langford) (CanAm)74 20/08/2010 Kazakhstan ?˜0-51 United States (Surrey Sports Park, Guildford) (World Cup)75 24/08/2010 Ireland 22-12 United States (Surrey Sports Park, Guildford) (World Cup)76 28/08/2010 England ?˜37-10 United States (Surrey Sports Park, Guildford) (World Cup)77 01/09/2010 Ireland 3-40 United States (Surrey Sports Park, Guildford) (World Cup)78 05/09/2010 Canada ?˜20-23 United States (Surrey Sports Park, Guildford) (World Cup)79 02/08/2011 England ?˜15-11 United States (Appleby College, Oakville, Ontario) (Nations Cup)80 05/08/2011 Canada ?˜35-17 United States (Chatham-Kent, Ontario) (Nations Cup)81 09/08/2011 United States ?˜23-26 South Africa (Appleby College, Oakville, Ontario) (Nations Cup)82 13/08/2011 United States ?˜29-9 South Africa (Appleby College, Oakville, Ontario) (Nations Cup)83 18/11/2012 Italy ?˜20-34 United States (Centro Sportivo di Roma ) (Friendly)84 21/11/2012 France ?˜13-0 United States (Stade Marcel Garcin, Orl??ans) (Friendly)85 24/11/2012 France ?˜27-3 United States (Stade de France, Paris) (Friendly)86 07/06/2013 United States ?˜13-10 France (Oxnard College) (Friendly)87 11/06/2013 United States ?˜25-27 France (Oxnard College) (Friendly)88 14/06/2013 United States ?˜12-18 France (Home Depot Center Campus, Carson) (Friendly)89 30/07/2013 United States ?˜32-22 South Africa (University of?˜ Northern Colorado) (Nations Cup)90 04/08/2013 United States ?˜29-17 Canada (University of?˜ Northern Colorado) (Nations Cup)91 07/08/2013 United States ?˜21-36 England (University of?˜ Northern Colorado) (Nations Cup)92 10/08/2013 United States ?˜61-5 South Africa (Infinity Park, Glendale, Colorado) (Nations Cup)93 15/04/2014 Canada ?˜51-7 United States (Langford, BC) (CanAm)94 19/04/2014 Canada ?˜14-10 United States (Shawnigan Lake) (CanAm)95 28/06/2014 Wales 7-10 United States (Cross Keys) (Friendly)96 01/08/2014 United States 17-23 Ireland (Marcoussis) (World Cup)97 05/08/2014 United States 47-7 Kazakhstan (Marcoussis) (World Cup)98 09/08/2014 New Zealand 34-3 United States (Marcoussis) (World Cup)99 13/08/2014 Australia 20-23 United States (Marcoussis) (World Cup)100 17/08/2014 United States -?˜New Zealand (Jean Bouin, Paris) (World Cup)