Kelly Griffin 🇺🇸 | Episode 32

Rugby Hive

Hosts Dallen Stanford & Robin MacDowell are joined by legend Kelly Griffin for #RugbyHive Episode 32.

Griffin signed a full-time training contract in 2011 with USA Rugby, and along with 7 other teammates to became the first group of professional women’s rugby players in the United States. She played on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series from 2011 to 2016, leading the country in tournament appearances, and was the only athlete of the "original eight" to have remained in residency throughout the four-year in the build-up to the 2016 Olympics.

Griffin was part of the USA team that medaled at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens, going undefeated in pool play, and claiming the Bronze Medal by beating Spain in sudden death overtime. She also competed as part of Team USA at the Pan American Games claiming a Bronze Medal. Griffin made history by captaining the USA Women's Olympic rugby team, which competed in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, the inaugural Olympiad to include women's rugby.

She has transitioned to a successful coaching career at the University of Santa Barbara, and also the Premier 7s Women’s Loonies in 2021/2022, leading them to the Inaugural Championship title in Memphis, Tennessee! In this episode we talk about the development of the women’s game in the USA, the Olympic Games, and various dream team players that Griffin played alongside and against. We also look at the Premier Rugby 7s in North America, coaching the game to newer players, and that famous rugby tattoo!

The Rugby Hive Podcast is brought to you by Gilbert Rugby Canada, Bru’s Biltong, Biltong Canada and EnduroSport.

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