Women’s rugby in the USA is set for a hectic few months as 2012 looks to kick off with a number of high profile activities. An elite camp for 120 of the country’s top players is set to be held next week in Florida which includes the senior women’s national 15s and 7s side as well as the top US college players.

USA Rugby has announced that it will offer fulltime professional 7s contracts to eight women’s rugby players from January 2012. The players will live near and have fulltime access to the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California alongside 15 fulltime male athletes.

USA women’s rugby 7s coach Ric Suggitt has included American soccer star and Olympic gold medalist, Natasha Kai in his squad of 14 players to travel to Dubai in early December. The group will train together this weekend at the Olympic Training Center in California to prepare for the tournament..

USA women's rugby coach Peter Steinberg has signed a contract extention with the natonal 15s team, keeping him in the role until 2013. Steinberg was appointed on a shorter term basis earlier this year as a replacement for Kathy Flores, and prepared the team for the build-up to the Nations Cup, where his side recorded a 1-3 win loss record.

The USA women’s rugby side avenged their defeat to South Africa in the group stages to beat the same opposition by 20 clear points to finish third in the Nations Cup. USA won 29-9 in their only win of the tournament. Tries from Laura Miller and Samantha Pankey and a brace from Vanessa McGee secured a win after South Africa had gone 6-0 ahead.