July 22, 2024
Headed towards retirement, the US women’s rugby standout is aiming for gold in the 2024 Olympics, leading a second year as Sevens co-captain.
Women’s rugby star Naya Tapper, a former West Mecklenburg High School track standout, has been appointed co-captain of the U.S. Sevens team for the upcoming Olympics.
As she approaches her retirement after the 2024 Olympics, this leadership role in women’s rugby holds profound significance for the athlete. “For people that look like me, that play the sport I play, that grew up where I grew up, to be able to see me in a leadership role and on a national team getting ready to prepare for an Olympics,” Tapper said, according to WCNC Charlotte. “That’s, in my opinion, very inspiring.”
This will be Tapper’s second Olympics as co-captain, USA Rugby noted with the athlete’s retirement announcement. “These past couple of months have been a whirlwind of trying to make sure I enjoy these last moments with my team while also juggling the importance of performing to a gold medal standard at the Olympics and making sure I have a job after all this, to put it as simply as possible,” the Charlotte, North Carolina native stated.
Her journey in women’s rugby began at the University of North Carolina in 2012, following an All-American track and field career in high school, as stated in her USA Rugby players profile. Tapper’s ascent in Sevens was marked by her debut at the 2016 Sao Paulo Sevens tournament. That same year, she earned her first international XVs cap with the USA Women’s National Team. She further demanded attention on the field with her skills during the Rugby World Cup 2017, where she contributed to the team’s semifinal appearance.
Describing her playing style, Tapper told WCNC, “I’m really known for my stiff arm and my speed around the corner…I’ve developed to become a lethal weapon on defense as well, being able to get the ball back so that we can play attack off the field.” Her agility stems back to her childhood. “I was a very energetic, aggressive, contact-filled child growing up…I was playing football in the backyard with all the boys in the neighborhood.” Tapper’s mother, Juanita Nater-Tapper, proudly observes her daughter’s rise in women’s rugby, stating, “She was always a leader in school…I don’t like to see her get hit. But I love to see her hit. She’s a wonderful player. She shows her strength and how powerful she is.”
One of the best to ever do it 🏉 Congratulations on a fantastic career with @usarugby, @Nayatapper 👏 We can’t wait to cheer you on in Paris 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/fvXElIfVGc
As the women’s rugby Sevens tournament approaches in the 2024 Olympics, Tapper is eager for redemption in Paris, having participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where the Sevens team finished sixth. “We want to get that gold medal,” she declared, emphasizing the team’s collective ambition for the upcoming Olympics.
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