CWU rugby star signs professional contract in the U.K.

Central Washington University women's rugby star Keia Mae Sagapolu is taking her game to the next level, signing a professional contract with the Leicester Tigers earlier this week.

Fresh off winning the MA Sorensen Award for the top female rugby player in the nation, Sagapolu will travel to the United Kingdom later this summer before starting 2023-24 season with the Tigers in September.

A reporter for the Tigers asked Sagapolu about the prospect of joining her first professional squad in an article on the team's official website:

"I am excited to be a part of a competitive environment and to grow as an athlete," she said. "It'll allow me to test myself over and over again. That way I'm constantly improving skills, IQ, fitness, scrummaging, etc."

The Leicester senior women's squad competed in the Women's Championship North 1 last year and will be in the Premier 15s for the 2023-24 season. The Premier 15s is the highest tier of English domestic women's rugby union competition that includes 10 teams from across England. The Tigers went 18-1 last season in the Women's Championship North 1, with their only loss coming in the championship match to the defending champions from Cheltenham.

Sagapolu is currently playing with the U.S. Women's Eagles team in the Pacific Four Series in Ottawa, Canada. The Women's Eagles will take on Australia on July 8 and then wrap up the series with a match against New Zealand on July 14.

Earlier this month, she captained the U.S. Women's U23 team-which featured fellow Wildcat Tessa Hann-helping them win the American Rugby Trophy with victories over senior national teams of Brazil and Colombia.

Two more CWU rugby standouts, Winnie Namosimalua and Kerena Tinoisamoa, have both been chosen to play with the United States U20 Women's Rugby team in Ottawa next month.

"Congrats to Winnie and Rena on their selection to the USA U20s," CWU women's rugby head coach Matthew Ramirez said in an article on WildcatSports.com. "There's no doubt they'll bring physicality and skill to the squad and represent the program well. A massive accomplishment by these two to wear the red, white and blue!"

A third Wildcat, Jessica Postle, was tabbed to the Canada U20 team last week and will face off against her CWU teammates in the Women's Pacific Four Series.

"What an honor, and well deserved," Ramirez said. "Jess had a massive first season for us in 15s as she was always hard-charging on defense and attack."

The New Zealand and Australia national women's rugby teams will compete against Canada and the U.S. squads at the event. The US Women's U20 team's first match will be July 4 against Wales.