Former CWU rugby team leader now training with U.S. national team

One of the most influential leaders in CWU rugby program history is taking her career to the next level after being selected for USA Rugby’s Olympic training program.

Tessa Hann (’24) moved to Chula Vista, California, last month to join the Women’s Eagles Sevens camp for the next year as the program rebuilds for the next Olympic Games in 2028.

The former CWU team captain and two-time All-American has played for the under-23 national team for the past two years. She also earned an international cap with the Eagles 15s team this summer, but being chosen for the Eagles Sevens development program ranks as the highlight of her budding rugby career.

“I’ve poured a lot of time into rugby since I was in high school, and it’s a huge honor to be invited to play at the highest level,” said Hann, a native of Denver, Colorado, who earned dual degrees in psychology and sociology last spring. “It’s such a growing sport, especially for women, and I’m really looking forward to following these opportunities wherever they take me.”

Hann was one of eight players selected from an elite pool of 22 after a series of training camps this summer. She explained that the invitation to Chula Vista does not mean she has officially been chosen for the Olympic team, but it represents an important first step.

“Nine players retired after the Olympics, so they are starting to rebuild,” she said. “Eight of us were invited to live and train with the team over the next year and have a possibility of being selected, but there are no guarantees.”

Hann already knows a number of her new teammates from the national team selection pool and from playing in the Division I Elite college circuit with CWU. She also has a strong rapport with the national team coaching staff, including Eagles Sevens head coach Emily Bydwell.

“I’ve had a lot of conversations about the mental aspects of the game with my U-23 Falcons coaches, and they’ve gotten to know me on a deeper level,” Hann said of Kelly Griff and Irene Gardner. “I’ve also met with the head coach, and we have talked about how important it is to continually push ourselves to our limits.”

Hann, who recently turned 23, believes she was able to stand out this summer due to the intense work ethic she honed at CWU during the past four years. She credited Wildcats coach Matthew Ramirez and his staff for helping her develop the mental game required to compete at the highest level.

“We talk a lot about grit and perseverance at this level, and I think I bring a lot of that to the table,” she said. “You can coach players to pass better and tackle better, but it’s a lot harder to teach the mental mindset. I think that part of my game helped put me over the top.”

After playing flanker for the Wildcats — who field the traditional 15 players in competition — Hann will transition to being a prop for the Eagles Sevens program, meaning she will be in the scrum.

The biggest difference in the seven-a-side game, she noted, is the pace.

“Sevens is more about speed and how far you can stretch the defense,” Hann said. “It’s a race to the try, whereas the 15s game is more about building a strategy, kind of like chess. Sevens comes down to fitness and grit — you’re always trying to score.”

Between now and next summer, Hann will be immersing herself in all things rugby, hoping to eventually realize the ultimate prize of making the U.S. Olympic team.

She expects to be in the gym or on the field about six or seven hours a day, with meetings and physical therapy sessions in between, but she will also have plenty of time to hang out with her new teammates and explore Southern California.

All things considered, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime for an aspiring rugby professional.

“I still have a lot to learn, and I know it’s going to be hard at times,” Hann said. “But those experiences will only make me stronger, and that will help me grow and get better. This is just the beginning for me, and I’m excited to see how the process plays out.”