Meet The Team CC7s Edition: Deven Oswiany

Deven Owsiany is one of the most recognizable and decorated names on our  Stars Rugby 7s women's roster. She's won collegiate national titles, was the MVP of the 2010 national championship, earned First Team All American recognition in 2010 and 2011, and has since kitted up for the USA Women's National Team for both 7s and 15s (check out her USA Rugby profile here).


She competed for the Eagles in the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup in France, and is one of a few players that also donned the red, white and blue for the USA Women's 7s team that finished 3rd at the 2013 IRB Rugby World Cup Sevens  in Moscow, Russia. She additionally captained the Eagles 7s side on the 2012 iRB 7s circuit.

 
Deven and I had been connected via facebook where she commented on an early post from CC7s asking about this new USA women's program. Discussions developed further when I reached out to USA 7s Women's Coach Ric Suggitt regarding our roster; she was one of 4 players he immediately recommended to come on tour. Deven and I continued chatting while she was in France and worked out the logistics for her to join us on a one way ticket to Sydney - there are some higher rugby forces at work here as she'll be moving to Australia for a year for more of a rugby adventure. Our Stars family is doing their best to assist with her work and accommodations!

Here's more of her story:


How I started playing rugby- I started playing rugby my sophomore year of college at Penn State  after a previous soccer team told me that I should come check out rugby after soccer season was done. I went to a rugby practice thinking I was just going to play to stay in shape and make some new friends. After the first practice and a trip to Spain and France, I fell in love with the sport.


(editors note - Penn State is the USA's most titled women's collegiate rugby program. They have won multiple Women's Collegiate D1 National Championships and produced countless Eagles under the guidance of coaches like Pete Steinberg, Farrah Douglas, Peter Bagetta and Kate Daley)


Teams I’ve played for – Northeast Rugby Union, Keystone, MARFU All-Star, USA National 7s and 15s team

I love rugby because of the people I meet, the places I get to travel too, the camaraderie and the discipline involved to stay fit.

Why I want to play at a higher level- I love competing against the best because it pushes me to be at my best every time I train. The feeling of playing for your country and beating another country is an amazing feeling and I want that feeling more and more every time I take the pitch.

Why I’m looking forwards to Australia- I am excited about Australia because it’s going to be very competitive but I also want to make the tour very enjoyable meeting new teammates and being in a new country. I am going to be staying on in Australia after CC7’s and look forward to meeting some local people to play rugby with and enjoy my new home for a little while.