“Having the same size pitch, and the same rules as the men, along with the feeling of complete parity, drew me to rugby,” Gustaitis said.
“I grew up playing basketball, and the three-point line for women was closer than in the men’s game. It was so frustrating, I always felt, ‘Do [administrators] not think I am capable?’
“I came into rugby and immediately appreciated the full-contact aspect of the sport, and the ability to take ownership of what we were doing. It felt like, ‘Anything [men] can do, I can do, too.’”
Men’s and women’s competitions coexist in the elite HSBC SVNS Series, and in the second-rung Challenger Series in which Hong Kong compete.
“It was so cool to see my former teammates running out onto the pitch in Hong Kong, and the crowd equally excited for the men’s and women’s games,” Gustaitis said. “There was no sense of, ‘The women are playing, let’s take a break.’ All eyes are continuously on the pitch.”
Gustaitis’ USA team finished second in the 2018-19 world series and reached the semi-finals of the previous year’s Rugby World Cup Sevens. But for its goals of entering the broader public consciousness and attracting investment, USA Rugby leans heavily on the Olympics, to be staged in Los Angeles in 2028.
“[Olympic inclusion] helped our programme become full-time, because we received funding and support from the United States Olympic Committee,” Gustaitis said.
“The Olympics are a massive draw and, for Americans, the pinnacle of sport. They have brought a lot of light to sevens.”
The US has yet to reach an Olympic podium since the sport’s 2016 debut, but its women were runners-up in Hong Kong this year, while the men finished seventh. They are fourth and eighth respectively in the series standings.
Gustaitis says her compatriots are “right there” as contenders for Paris, before LA provides an opportunity to transform sevens stateside.
USA Rugby has already established Premier Rugby Sevens, featuring men’s and women’s leagues, and broke the mould in North America by awarding professional contracts to women.
“There will be a huge focus on rugby sevens, and the girls are already excited,” Gustaitis said. “I coach at the Naval Academy [in Maryland]; it is a bunch of 18-year-olds … and they have set their eyes on 2028.
“It will be here before we know it, so let’s go after it. Having it on home soil will heighten the experience, and drive the athletes vying for spots.”
