women
international women
It wasn’t that long ago that Freda Tafuna was thinking about quitting rugby altogether.
Fast forward a few months and USA Female Eagles No. 8 comes out of a WXV Global Series campaign in which she starred.
In a RugbyPass September interviewsaid the 23-year-old after Ženski Rugby World Cup In 2025, she was “physically and mentally exhausted.”
It was time for a reset. Something that new Eagles head coach Jack Hanratty provided.
A star at the collegiate level, Tafuna became the first player to win the MA Sorensen Award twice during her time at Lindenwood University. She was also one of the prominent performers in the USA Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, despite the Eagles going out in the group stage.
Tafuna was declared the 44th place RugbyPass Top 50 fresh from her WXV Global Series exploits. Over the course of two months, the Eagles won four of their five fall games.
In those five matches – played against Ireland, Wales, Italy (two matches) and England – Tafuna scored seven tries, made 113 carries for 342 meters and beat 39 defenders.
“It’s outcome dependent,” Hanratty said RugbyPass. “If you go back and watch the games, whenever she scores, she shines. When she makes a huge shot, she shines. When she runs over people, she shines. When she gets a free kick or a penalty, she loves it.
“It’s not a mind game – she genuinely likes to produce the best possible outcome. The more I realized that, the easier it was to train her. I think she probably learns quite similarly to me, she’s a ‘see and do’ type of person.”
“She’s a modern No. 8. Every team we’ve played has a plan for her and she’s still managed to get those carries and get bodies on the ground.
“At the World Cup, I think people recognized that she was a very good player, but maybe they saw her as a good player in a good team. Now that we’ve been winning against Six Nations teams look at her differently.
“She’s not just a good player on a team that loses by 60 points or someone on a team that wins by a big margin against Samoa. She’s a real difference maker in games. That’s an amazing thing.”
Hanratty admitted it was a “weird” first phone call with Tafuna as he told her about his involvement with the Eagles in 2026.
For him, she is the type of player who could be in contention for the World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year and Dream Team of the Year awards in the near future.
Her reputation in the US was established long before her recent international exploits. Eagles midfielder Bella Vogel recalled facing Tafuna at the collegiate level, admitting that the prospect of facing Lindenwood’s back row ‘terrified’ her.
As she has completed her studies at Lindenwood University, attention will also turn to where Tafuna continues her club career.
For now, at least, the USA can be content knowing that one of the most talented forwards in world rugby resides in their back row.
“I’m really excited about the next few years, provided she continues to enjoy her rugby and be involved in what we’re building,” Hanratty said. “I read on RugbyPass that she’s committed to the next World Cup, so thanks for posting! I didn’t want to ask her.”
“What blows my mind is that she’s an incredibly skilled player. If we needed five shots for points, Freda would probably be one of them. I don’t think people realize how much ability she has.”
“I asked her today about basketball, and she said, ‘How did you know I played basketball?’
“I hope she gets more and more recognition. As teams try to take away her physical dominance, those skills and tricks will become more and more important. It’s something that’s really underrated right now.”