Kathy Flores joins US Hall of Fame

Kathy Flores was the first captain of the US Women’s rugby team, leading her side in their first test against Canada in 1987 and to triumph in the first World Cup four years later.

These days Kathy is coach of the women’s team at Brown University, who will begin a three game tour of central Europe next week, taking on Switzerland and the Czech Republic.

She was one of eight new members who will be inducted on 4thJune at the Hall of Fame Dinner in Philadelphia.Flores started out at Florida State where she captained and coached the team to four National Championship titles. She led theWiverns tourto England and France in 1985 before helping establish the first USA Women's National Rugby Team, remaining a part of it until 1994. She then went to coach the team for eight years, taking them to fifth place at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. Flores has also coached Berkeley University to 15 National Championship titles while playing in two of them. She has also coached other clubs including the San Francisco Fog men’s team, the University of San Francisco women’s team, and the Pacific Coast All Star National Title winners in 2012.Previous honours have included 2000 US Coach of the Year from the Women's Sports Foundation, 2003 IRB Women's Personality of the Year and the USA Rugby 2014 Coach of the Year.

At Brown University, Flores took over the women's club program in August 2013 and led the university team into its first competitive season from September 2014. In that first season Brown squad won nine out of ten matches, including a perfect 100% record against other Ivy League opponents.

Kathy is the third woman (out of 47 members in all) to join the US Rugby Hall of Fame after Anne Barry in 2014 and Patty Jervy (who is also a member of the World Rugby Hall of Fame) in 2015. The Hall first opened in 2011.

As well as Patty Jervy there are currently four other members of World Rugby's Hall of Fame: Anna Richards (NZL), Carol Isherwood (ENG), Gill Burns (ENG) and Nathalie Amiel (FRA).