Congratulations to Old Glory DC Academy Coach Alex Schaefer and former Old Glory Academy Player Takunda Rusike for being selected for The U.S. Women’s Rugby Foundation’s 2021 15 Under 30 Award. USWRF created this annual award to highlight those who exemplify the best qualities of rugby and bring those qualities to the field, to their teams, to the sport, and to local and global communities.

The goal of the annual award is to recognize, celebrate and support players, coaches, administrators, journalists, and referees, as a means to advance the sport of rugby for girls and women and to celebrate the power of sport as a means for social change.

Alex Schaefer joined Old Glory’s U19 Academy coaching staff in the Summer of 2021 and has overseen the development of the girl’s squad for the last several months. She led the girl’s squad to a recent victory against a North Carolina U19 Select Squad this past October with a resounding 66-12 win at the Naval Academy Rugby Complex in Annapolis, Maryland. Read more about Alex

Takunda Rusike joined Old Glory’s inaugural U19 Academy in the Fall of 2020. Since graduating from the academy program, she’s gone on to spearhead the effort to bring women’s rugby to Howard University. She is the founder of the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) women’s rugby program. Read more about Tukanda

Congratulations to both Alex and Tukanda!