Record-breaking Rogers still chasing greatness at 69 caps for USA Eagles

Hope Rogers has rewritten the USA Women’s Eagles record books, surpassing Jamie Burke’s previous mark of 51 caps in May 2025 and extending her tally to 69 — the most by any player in the programme’s history. Her latest appearance came in a 55-12 defeat to England at Sports Illustrated Stadium, a result that ended a five-match unbeaten run for the Eagles, their most sustained winning sequence in two decades.

The loosehead prop arrives at that milestone in remarkable form. Rogers is just four points away from becoming the Eagles’ all-time leading points scorer, and she remains the only USA player ever named in the World Rugby Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year. The defeat to England followed a WXV Global Series campaign in which the Eagles beat Italy twice, as well as Wales and Ireland.

Head coach Jack Hanratty, who took charge of the programme for the first time this year, has been struck by Rogers’ relentless standards. “She wants to be the best in the world every single day,” Hanratty said. “Her poach technique is unbelievable. She wants to be a playmaker because she gets to make carry metres. She’s an incredibly skilful athlete. She takes enormous pride in the scrum.”

Hanratty was equally emphatic about Rogers’ character and her fit within his system. “She’s articulate. She’s got emotional intelligence. She really cares about the team. She wants to win games. That was clear from my first phone call with her. Here’s an athlete who some might describe as being towards the latter stages of her career, but she still wants to get better. She wants what is best for the programme.”

Rogers herself shows no sign of stepping back. “I love it,” she told reporters at Sports Illustrated Stadium. “We’ve come leaps and bounds in terms of how we are performing — a lot of our training is harder than the games. We have a genuine love for each other as teammates. I’m absolutely loving being an Eagle and I am glad that my body is holding on so that I can keep going. Another World Cup would be fantastic.”

Rogers was named 19th in the RugbyPass Top 50 rankings, recognition of a career that has made her the defining figure of women’s rugby in the United States.